The late comedian Robin Williams was an avowed bicycle fanatic, and on Thursday, online auction house Paddle8 began auctioning 87 bikes from his famous collection to benefit two charities. Jason Gay took a tour of the bikes for The Wall Street Journal — check it out for all the details on the sale, which supports the Challenged Athletes Foundation and the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.
Here are five of our favorite rides from the collection — the holidays are coming up, after all.
1. Delta 7 Ascend
$2,500 starting bid
Utah-based Delta 7 employs an exotic “Iso-Truss” woven grid structure for its carbon tubes. Is it lighter? Stronger? Faster? Maybe, but it’s a guaranteed conversation starter on a group ride.
2. Trek USPS edition time trial
$2,000 starting bid
We can’t be certain, but this looks to be an actual USPS team bike, based on the Mavic wheels and large Shimano branding on the crank. Williams had a few USPS bikes in his collection, but a TT bike is a bit out of the ordinary.
3. Masi 3V Ma3N CCCP edition
$2,500 starting bid
This cold-war era steel frame is nicely equipped with modern components — Campagnolo Record. According to the auction description, only 100 of these oversized-tubed frames were produced. The Party faithful would approve.
4. Picycle Electric Bike
$3,000 starting bid
In a world filled with awkward-looking e-bikes, this one, made by San Francisco-based Picycles stands apart with its outrageous curving single-beam frame. Seems like a fine way to improve the morning commute.
5. Schwinn Apple Picker Krate Stingray
$1,000 starting bid
Williams was all about having fun, so it’s no surprise that this piece of two-wheeled nostalgia was part of the collection. From the banana seat to the top tube-mounted shifter, what’s not to love?
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