Wild rides under the hammer
A charity auction of Robin William’s old bikes includes six rather wacky mountain bikes.
As some of you will know, Robin Williams liked bikes. Although his main focus was road cycling, he attended numerous big races including the Tour de France, he also clearly liked to dabble in dirt bikes as well.
Robin Williams with 7-Eleven and BMC Racing team founder Jim Ochowicz at the 2003 Tour de France. Credit: Graham Watson.
Williams amassed a huge collection of bikes over the years. In excess of 100 bikes in fact. There were more than a few mountain bikes in this collection. Six of which you can now have a go at bidding for.
Williams died back in 2014 and his family have put up for auction 87 bikes from his collection. The auction is hosted y Paddle 8 and you can see for yourself the complete range of bikes on their website. The aim of the auction is to raise money for two of William’s preferred charities: the Challenged Athletes Foundation and the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.
The bikes included in the auction are a real mix of machines. Perhaps the main theme amongst them is one of bold and striking design. Williams clearly liked his way-out-there and progressive bike designs.
Some of the bikes were clearly not just showroom dust-collectors. You can see bottle cages, seatpacks and scuffed-up pedals on some of the bikes.
Lot 7: K2 ProFlex5500, Late 1990s
Paddle 8: “The K2 “ProFlex 5500” is a carbon fiber, full suspension mountain bike with variable electronic suspension damping.
“Component level and lists: Shimano XTR; Sun rims SUB on XTR hubs; Syncros stem, seatpost and handlebar; Fizik saddle; Shimano SPD pedals; Noleen front suspension fork and rear shock with Smart Shock.”
Lot 8: OUTLAND VPP, mid 90s
Paddle 8: “The Outland “VPP” is a rare, full suspension mountain bike. The groundbreaking VPP suspension design makes it a genuine piece of mountain biking history.
“Component level and lists: Shimano XTR, Chris King headset, Answer Hyperlite bars, Ringle stem, Rock Shox Judy SL front suspension fork, Fox ALPS 4R rear shock, Mavic 217 wheels, Shimano SPD pedals, SDG saddle.”
Lot 9: ROCKY MOUNTAIN Element T.O.
Paddle 8: “The Rocky Mountain “Element T.O.” is a full suspension cross country mountain bike, finished with legendary bike shop “Sausalito Cyclery” Canadian emblems.
“Component level and lists: Shimano XTR, Marzocchi Bomber Z2 front suspension fork, Chris King headset, Easton Scandium handlebar, Easton stem, Raceface seatpost, Fox Vinilla Float RC rear shock, Hayes hydraulic disc brakes, WTB Lazer wheels, Shimano SPD pedals, Specialized saddle.”
Lot 23: GT STS-XCR1000, 1999
Paddle 8: “The GT “STS-XCR1000” is a full suspension mountain bike.
“Component level and lists: Shimano XTR, Rock Shox SID Dual Air rear shock, Thompson Elite seatpost, Marzocchi Bomber front suspension fork, Mavic CrossMax wheels, Shimano XTR SPD pedals, Azonic stem.”
Lot 24: TREK Y33 OCLV, 1996
Paddle 8: “This is a classic full suspension (Y design) mountain bike.
“Component level and lists: Shimano XTR, Strata rear shock, Rock Shox Judy SL front suspension fork, Matrix rims on White Industry hubs.”
Lot 31: CANNONDALE Jekyll CAAD 4
Paddle 8: “The Cannondale “Jekyll CAAD 4” is a full suspension mountain bike.
“Component level and lists: Shimano XTR, Coda cranks, Coda hydraulic disc brakes, Lefty Headshok SI with remote lockout, Fox Float RC rear shock, Mavic X317 disc wheels, Time ATAC MTB pedals.”
>>> “They’re rubbish, but they’re iconic!” – explaining the retro bike obsession
Surprisingly low prices
The lowest current price is $800 which is the current bid amount for two bikes: a 1996 Trek Y33 OCLV and a Cannondale Jekyll CAAD 4. The highest bid on a mountain bike is for a K2 ProFlex5500 at $1,200.