A French Classic : 1977 RH 753 - Christmas pics p5

[bduc61]

Re: A French Classic : 1977 RH 753

The stem looks like a bespoke Rene Herse.
The side on picture doesn't reveal the full story.
Picture from the internet of a Herse stem.
Is it that style?

It sure is the same style

crickey i thought i was a bit of a stem nut.. rene herse..i know nothing.
im not keen on that one. looks too A head or mountain bike
and that knob on top looks like its been nicked off something else and they said;
oi' where can we stick this then ?'
back to the bike in topic. if they had done a concealed clamp i would of gone up the shop
and bought a bottle of red !

"you know nothing" : if you acknowledge it, you are becoming a wise man indeed and you are forgiven for your ignorance :mrgreen:

the tradesman was active some 20 years + and has probably built about a 100 - to 200 bikes a year so possible 4000 /5000 max and sold worldwide ( it is really a out of the blue estimate !)
I am actually wondering if Jan Heine tried to estimate it ???

But when you have a Herse, you take it as a whole and don't try to change the stem
which by the way is possibly light according to the era standards :idea:
and if it looks "ahead and MTB", the guy was really in advance ( about 30 years minimum :facepalm: )

the knob is actually not always the same see below - mine is not as bulky :idea:

 

[bedraggled]

Re: A French Classic : 1977 RH 753

Presumably it's a stem with integrated bell

At my age these things are exciting

 

[bduc61]

Re: A French Classic : 1977 RH 753

Presumably it's a stem with integrated bell

At my age these things are exciting

as the pic shows
directly bolted into the stem on the left side and frankly, I had never heard such a nice "cling" : it sounds like "cristal" when you knock it

 

[oonaff]

Re:

:shock: well advanced :shock: your one looks better with the rounded back end,much
tidier and the shallower cap.i think i will do that bottle

 

[ferrus]

Re:

This is such a fantastic bike! I can't ever remember anticipating the next installment on a thread as eagerly as this one.
It might just be my favorite bike on the whole site - 'love it!

 

[bedraggled]

Re: A French Classic : 1977 RH 753

If you don't like the stem cap buy one without a stem cap, here's one that sold on eBay last month with a missing stem cap, no bolts and most importantly NO BELL.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rene-Herse-Vint ... 4870edba99

Rene Herse crank sets go for considerably more.

 

[bduc61]

Re: Re:

This is such a fantastic bike! I can't ever remember anticipating the next installment on a thread as eagerly as this one.

Enjoy the reading but I suspect it is not my style you are eager of but more of the pictures

Cleaning of the rear wheel and freewheel

Unfortunately, the sticker did not like its "bath" after 30 years of being left alone :facepalm:
and cleaning the little holes of the flange is well "tedious" !

The freewheel is a classic Maillard Course with a 26 teeth last cog.

I am always amazed of the durability of these. They are hardly worn and the freewheel clicks and spins effortlessly even after quite a lot of use.
Its true you have got quite a bit of metal to endure the effort ! exactly 426 g of it :shock:









Not being a "tubular" man, I nevertheless had some in stock and digged out some Clement 70 from 1975
The previous owner was actually dating all his tubulars on the side
and they have been stored for the last 30 years at least on a rim being well inflated. I believe this is actually the right way to store them. :?:

I will allow myself a digression here : I must actually thank this gentleman, as he is a bit instrumental in my interest in vintage roadbikes which has developed over the last 18 months
As he retired in a elderly home, I bought from his son his stack of bike vintage tools and some parts which led me to do a lot of mechanics on older steeds and finally led me to me uncovering this beauty, but this another story which I will tell later


Back to the story

These tubulars will have to do the job and bonus, they are period correct

but I wonder ; where were these in the Clement range if anybody knows ? :idea: :?:





Furthermore, I got hold of a NOS vintage torch to attach to the front rack :idea:
The catalog which was with the torch is lovely

Now I'll have to design an elegant way to hold the torch
to get a result similar to the last pic seen on another Herse














Finally this is scary :facepalm:

If you don't like the stem cap buy one without a stem cap, here's one that sold on eBay last month with a missing stem cap, no bolts and most importantly NO BELL.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rene-Herse-Vint ... 4870edba99

Rene Herse crank sets go for considerably more.

I know this bike has got value , but I don't like seeing these silly sales. :roll:
I'll tell later why it has more "sentimental" value to me than financial and why it will never leave my home :idea:

 

[Old Ned]

Re:

Very nice machine indeed. You certainly have something special there. I wonder if it was intended as a 'Randonneur' bike rather than a tourer as it doesn't have the full complement of racks, lighting etc. and seeing as how it is so light. It might well have been for use in the hilly randonnees looking at the gearing.

 

[bedraggled]

Re: Re:

I know this bike has got value , but I don't like seeing these silly sales. :roll:
I'll tell later why it has more "sentimental" value to me than financial and why it will never leave my home :idea:

You're right I shouldn't be so fixated by prices.
It would be interesting to hear the history of the bike (if you know it), I'd assumed that you were in France but the brake set up looks like it is British with the front lever on the right.

 

[bduc61]

Re: Re:

I know this bike has got value , but I don't like seeing these silly sales. :roll:
I'll tell later why it has more "sentimental" value to me than financial and why it will never leave my home :idea:

You're right I shouldn't be so fixated by prices.
It would be interesting to hear the history of the bike (if you know it), I'd assumed that you were in France but the brake set up looks like it is British with the front lever on the right.

well, we can't really be ignorant of this - to me seems its more of a status issue
some people want a Herse :roll:
I was lucky enough not having this find polluted by financial issues (story of the bike later well at least what I know of it )

About the bike, it is indeed a "english brake setup" but the bike was the property of a french gentleman and has spent all his life in France .
Frankly, I don't know why this setup. I confess I'll probably change it as to me "brake setup is like "marmite" ! If you have not been brought up with english brake setup , you can't really get accustomed to it or like it :mrgreen:
But I am not sure this last statement will be welcomed here on retrobike