We are always on the lookout for unique and rare period-correct vintage cycles. Most of the time we go to the ends of the earth to find what we seek but in the case of this regal steed, it found us.
This royal purple bike of unknown age showed up at Cycles Heroic headquarters and bicycle studio. The bike was enclosed in a large cedar crate. Upon the crate was a brass name plate bearing the inscription: Ecco Domini Etspiritus Sphincter. This was no ordinary bike - it was the Royal Enema Magnum Anus. As far as we can discern , this is the only one- making it nearly the rarest bike on the Cycles Heroic radar. The rarest one would be from an Israeli builder named Schoime Yoidle who never built a frame , making his work the rarest of all.
As far as we can tell, the frame was constructed with Reynold 531 tubing , most likely produced in the mid '70's. Legend has it that Dick Johnson might have built this frame and fork in his shop. His reputation as a hard man was legendary. His building career was unfortunately quite short. He also had a problem with a bad temper which would drive many potential customers away. Facing a flaccid market and much stiffer competition, Dick Johnson's shop folded in 1979. Mostly he built under his own name but this might be a frame built to fulfill a contract in is waning years. Little or nothing exists in the bicycle press about the Royal Enema but to be sure, it was a very ornate and special cycle-no doubt built for a member of the royal family such as the 12th earl of Doncaster , who was a bigger fan of Dick Johnson than most.
When the current pandemic is over there is a good chance one will be able to catch a glimpse of this bike gliding over the white shale roads of central California.
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