Who Rode It? Who Owns It?

 Sometimes collectors pay hefty prices for bikes because of who rode them. 

I imagine that if you want to own anything Eddy Merckx or Bernard Hinault pedaled to victory, you would need to win a lottery jackpot or two—that is, if such machines are available. 

Nearly three years ago, a humbler mount—a 1970s Raleigh Traveler—ridden to work by a young woman named Diana Frances Spencer fetched 44000 GBP (about 62000 USD in the exchange rates of the time) at auction. The young lady had a change in her life circumstances and was advised that riding her bike to work—or, for that matter, her job itself (nursery school teacher)—would be “unbecoming” for someone in her new station.

I am referring, of course, to Princess Diana.  Even if she hadn’t ridden the bike, it probably would’ve gone for a lot of money just because of its association with her.

Similarly, another bike up for auction won’t go cheap because of who owns it: Jorge Mario Bergoglio. To the best of my knowledge, no one has seen him riding it. That’s understandable when you consider his age (87 years) and the vestments he’s expected to wear.

He is, of course the Pope. The Pinarello Dogma (Can you come up with a better name for a Pope’s bike?) has a starting price of 9000 Euros.  Experts expect the price could go as high as 25000 Euros. That it probably won’t go for as much as Diana’s wheels has less to do with the Pope’s or Diana’s popularity than with how the bike market has softened since the early days of the COVID pandemic.

Egan Bernal giving Dogma to the Pope

It’s ironic that the Dogma derives more of its value from who owns it than it does from who gave it to him:  Colombian 2021 Giro d’Italia winner Egan Bernal, who is reportedly a devout Catholic. Bernal actually had it made for the Pontiff and painted blue and white to honor his Argentine heritage.

That got me to wondering:  Would the bike(s) Bernal actually rode command such a price?