Yes, you’re reading that right

We’ve been aware for a while of the ready market for old tat, er, sorry, “classic retro components”. There’s plenty of stuff being traded in the classifieds, but legendary auction site ebay is where the bulk of the action is.

By way of showing quite how bonkers the retro market has become, allow us to present this just-finished auction for a pair of white onZa Porcupine tyres. Fair enough, these were pretty sought-after fifteen years ago when they were actually being made, and given that the tread lasted about six miles they’re thin on the ground these days. But £122 is still a hefty sum for a pair of old bicycle tyres. After all, you could buy four pairs of brand new tyres that work for less money.

But then, if people have an insatiable appetite for old stuff, who are we to argue? After all, it’s things like this that put that pile of discarded tyres and crates of long-replaced bike parts into a whole new perspective. Been riding for a long time? Got through a lot of stuff? That’s not a shedload of junk you’ve got there, that’s a goldmine…