Eroica Series: The Bicycle Collector

If you spent a bit of time digging around for a vintage bicycle part in South Africa, one name always comes up – Ron Thompson. The legend, the infamy, the stories. You’ll hear things like, “he’s got seven garages piled to the roof with old bikes”, “he’s got parts in there worth millions”, “he’s a grumpy old dude who won’t sell anything!” And if you heard that, it’s kinda true. I know, I’ve been there, I’ve tried to buy stuff. Yes, seven garages and then some, but not quite packed to the ceiling – for all the chaos in Ron’s storage, there is a bit of order and it’s easy to snoop around. Worth millions? Maybe, to the right market. But that market does not exist in South Africa, not yet anyway.

Over the years folks have gotten used to picking up dirt-cheap bargains, mostly from sellers who don’t know what they have. But that landscape is changing, and South Africans are getting wise to the value of these beautiful vintage machines.

Ah, and the truest statement of all – he won’t sell anything! Well, no, that’s not true. Ron will sell you almost anything you might be interested in, but it won’t be easy. See, the thing is, he loves this stuff, he has a wealth of knowledge about it all, and he has spent years and years amassing his collection. You can hardly blame him for wanting to hold on. It would, after all, dissolve his legend if it all disappeared.

We hear of these vintage-only cycling events start popping up. First the madness that is the Tour of Ara‬ – the 6-day all-gravel stage race open exclusively to South African-built steel frames only. Now Eroica is coming to South Africa! People are learning about vintage bikes, vintage parts, and all that goes with it. As you can imagine, Ron is in his element. His collection suddenly becomes the focus of such scrutiny and desire. He really has some unbelievable gems in there! And at the centre of it all – Saint Ron “Grumpy Dude” Thompson, surveying all that is his.

All jokes aside, a few months ago in all the excitement of the possibility of Eroica coming to South Africa, I somehow convinced Ron to let me put up a small selection of his more affordable Eroica-legal bikes up for sale on the Internet. With little faith in the online classified format, it took a bit of doing to get him to take photographs and send all the vital information I needed. We got it done, and there are a few up on the Bike Hub. Check them out, or if you’re looking for something specific, look Ron up. He just might have what you’re searching for – just be ready for some serious negotiations!

Thanks Ron! We salute you!