Avid cycling memorabilia collectors will be devastated to discover one of Geraint Thomas' bikes has sold on eBay for the staggeringly low sum of £50.
Given the affable 2018 Tour de France winner is usually seen chipping about on a £12k+ plus Pinarello Dogma F, there must be a catch – right?
Well, kind of.
The bike in question is a Bob Jackson tandem frameset that, according to the eBay seller, was purchased from Courtney Rowe – the father of Thomas' Ineos Grenadiers teammate, Luke.
The bike was raced with the then-teenage Thomas as stoker back in the 90s: "apparently they beat all the adults – he was a machine even at 14", reads the listing.
According to a 2018 article, this was about the time Thomas began to shine, beating much older competition to win a medal at the National Track Championships while riding for the Maindy Flyers.
The frameset is a handsome example of a typical tandem from that era.
Built with Reynolds 531 steel tubing, including an oversize ovalised boom tube (the tube joining the two bottom brackets), this bike could easily be turned to most tasks with generous tyre clearances, mudguard mounts and cantilever bosses.
After its life as a racing whip, the tandem was repainted and repurposed as a "gentle tow path explorer".
We hope whoever has since bought the frameset enjoys many more happy days riding and, even, racing it.
