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News Report - Military Prototype Bicycle Stolen

BLiP

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According to the news reports, a 1996 military prototype bicycle worth $100k was stolen in Philadelphia. From the surveillance photos and my untrained eye, the bike looks a lot like a mid-90s Stumpjumper. Anyone have additional information on this prototype?

https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/new...ry-bike-worth-100k-philly-police-say/3270777/

I looked up the company/shop that it was stolen from and they have some very interesting technology for all wheel drive bicycles.

https://christinibicycles.com/
 

cantunamunch

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Pretty sure that's the bike in the upper left corner of Christini's technology page. The thief is hiding the good bits, including the flexshaft going to the front fork.

1655392899834.png


Keep in mind, too, Christini sold conversion kits. I'm sure someone has done a Stumpy by now.
 
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BLiP

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Pretty sure that's the bike in the upper left corner of Christini's technology page
That looks correct. I figured it had to be an early all wheel drive prototype.

As someone who rides a single speed, I generally appreciate fewer moving parts / fewer points of potential failure, but this all wheel drive tech is very intriguing.
 

fatbob

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My only question is who puts a value on an obsolete ancient military prototype? Some positioning being done for loss adjusters perhaps?
 

James

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Given that a run of the mill mtb is $6k, $100k for a “collector” bike doesn't seem that far off.
 

tch

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Hey, at that price, I got a few "collector" bikes....
 

neonorchid

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That looks correct. I figured it had to be an early all wheel drive prototype.

As someone who rides a single speed, I generally appreciate fewer moving parts / fewer points of potential failure, but this all wheel drive tech is very intriguing.
Why (rhetorical question). Worm drive Mtb, what could go wrong, lol.

I live in Philly, run and hike the multi-use trails of the Wissahickon, we've several Mtn Bike riding groups that congregate there and I have never once seen Christini's AWD Mtn Bike in the wild, will post pix if, when I do.
 

Seldomski

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My only question is who puts a value on an obsolete ancient military prototype? Some positioning being done for loss adjusters perhaps?
Probably some paperwork exists for when the project ended and a value was assigned to all hardware still remaining in the possession of the contractor. Then some more paperwork to determine disposition of the property -- deliver/transfer to someone else, keep it, or destroy it.

100K for a fully custom bike with unique powertrain components is plausible, especially if tooling was developed to make those parts (and that tooling is now gone).
 

fatbob

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Probably some paperwork exists for when the project ended and a value was assigned to all hardware still remaining in the possession of the contractor. Then some more paperwork to determine disposition of the property -- deliver/transfer to someone else, keep it, or destroy it.

100K for a fully custom bike with unique powertrain components is plausible, especially if tooling was developed to make those parts (and that tooling is now gone).
Yeah I was really making a point that long since historic sunk costs does not make present value and even more if it had been done on inflated military budgets. It might be worth 100k to a collector or maybe 10k or 1k but until it was on the chopping block...
 

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