Early 50s La Gazelle - Eau-de-Nil 🛠️ The Merlot Aftermath 🍷

Woz said:
Now watched this about 20 dozen times. Good you posted it's a different beast altogether. o_O

Even before gear changing, I would have screwed it all up putting a wheel in :eek:
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I'd thoroughly recommend a full tear down and clean up of the derailleur before use.
It has a little achilles heel that you should investigate. Behind that spring steel coiled dust shield wrapped around the main plunger is the tension spring...
Unfortunately Monsieur simplex thought it'd be ok for two bits of spring steel to rub against each other....

IMG_20220910_191807_678.jpg
You can see the tang of the spring sticking out...that is slowly being sawn in half by the coiled dust cover during useage! I've made a very thin aluminium cup/seat that goes in-between the two....a sacrificial piece as it were.
 
Mickeyspinn said:
I'd thoroughly recommend a full tear down and clean up of the derailleur before use.
It has a little achilles heel that you should investigate. Behind that spring steel coiled dust shield wrapped around the main plunger is the tension spring...
Unfortunately Monsieur simplex thought it'd be ok for two bits of spring steel to rub against each other....

View attachment 660763
You can see the tang of the spring sticking out...that is slowly being sawn in half by the coiled dust cover during useage! I've made a very thin aluminium cup/seat that goes in-between the two....a sacrificial piece as it were.
Click to expand...
Good call..👍 is that an Ordnance Survey Map or your finger..🤟
 
vcballbat said:
Where's the Feckin charity shop..🧭🤣
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Not to going tell you where it is. You can have a touring holiday ;)

To be real honest, it's one of those places if you are serious about bike hunting to go at least twice week and be at the gates at opening times. I can't afford that time, but I must have to say I have seen gems there. It is one of the biggest and people do travel to it from miles around from time to time. It's got a cultural centre vibe to it in a way. My main thing is 90s MTBs and it only took about 4 years going there to find something decent with a good XT / LX mix gruppo and 8 speed. It's mostly low range rusty or unloved 10 speed sad Motobecane stuff, but occasionally there are collectors items and they will get snapped up in 10 mins by someone with a very keen eye who is dabbling in collecting or buying / selling. At one point I had my hand on 3 pre-war / during occupation bikes which someone obviously pulled out of a barn attic. I hummed and argghhhed for what felt an eternity and an orderly group of 4 blokes queued up behind me. Lovely banter about knackered bikes, and I had finally made up my mind and said "No - have a good harvest Messieurs, bonne chance!".

What makes me the most happy is when a young lady in her 20s or so looks at the quantities of retro ladies bikes and just yells out "wow - it's beautiful" and proceeds to grab boyfriend and they decide to buy it have a crack at a little bike project. I think the younger generation look on these things today very differently.

As an olive branch @vcballbat to appreciate your great input and helping me through the unknown* - the biggest and best charity stores in France (and I've been to a few dotted up and down the country) are Emmaüs . You can take a bee-line to them. They can be huge.

The cause they help is close to my heart. At one point in my life I was £5 from being homeless, and so regardless of what I buy I know it is doing something good for someone somewhere. Pretty much all the Emmaüs stores are on GPS maps these days. But not Michelin ;)

* there was a dark moment where I had to stroke a complete Shimano MTB groupset. :LOL:
 
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