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

📖 Handlebars .... Guidon, Cintre et Potence

A little blurb about handlebars, which may be useful. I've now tried 4 different handlebars and a few stems while checking out position / fit and had a few surprise compatibility issues.

What certainly wasn't obvious to me, the French word for handlebars is translated to "Guidon" - however this is the whole thing Bar ("Cintre") and the Stem ("Potence"). In practice many sellers are using Guidon or Cintre to describe just the Bar.

Looking at various adverts from 1910 and onwards more often than not a complete "Guidon" was specified as options. It turns out too that there are slight diameter differences between manufactures - it makes mixing different bars and stems from different brands a bit risky.

There's also an oddity too that most older bars don't have any engraving about the model or manufacturer; it sort of makes sense because it's on the stem. You see this mostly on production bikes, but you can expect it on older high end bikes too. Older handlebars are generally much narrower too. All this makes sourcing old French handlebars a bit of a minefield to be honest.

Philippe (which later became ATAX) generally seem interchangeable and use bang on 25mm clamp diameter. Philippe also offered each of their bars in either alloy or steel; the shapes and dimensions are identical. I've gone for a very good condition steel Philippe bar (may even be NOS since I found no evidence of mounting 👍 ) from a pure safety aspect since I don't fully trust very vintage used alloy. Ebay is a wash with dangerous looking gouged, crushed and bent bars.

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Probably about the third time I've posted this. I always look at this and think the modern day bike industry doesn't want to operate on similar terms to help the customer really understand the product. I've got to give it to the French in this respect and time period - 1911. Sadly by about the late 70s, the French way of doing complete handlebar set-ups had gone in favour of aftermarket and competing abroad, all sorts of dimensions started to appear, and notably competition with the Italian masters like Cinelli, ITM and 3TTT ended in tears. I've seen some über rare Philippe MTB riser bars and they are stamped with both the clamp and grip diameters; you can't help but think they only did that for the French consumer.

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Just to wrap up the French handlebars, I found this rather endearing - dusting off old designs but updating it to modern common standards.

"Papy" is a French familiar common word for Grandfather too 🤗


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🛠️ Spec Sheet - Finished Build ✅


Year: Early 1950s La Gazelle. No model name since it's a custom hand-built. Nicknamed "Eau-De-Nil". Frame Number 1487.

Frame: La Gazelle - tubeset unknown, probably Vitus. EDA bottom bracket shell, Simplex Competition drop-outs.
Fork: La Gazelle - tubeset unknown, probably Vitus. Simplex Competition fork ends.

Headset: RFG
Stem: Philippe - Mil Remo
Handlebar: Philippe Sports Trials (25mm clamp, 23.5mm grip).
Bar Tape: N/A
Bar End Plugs: N/A

Brake Levers: Mafac Ville
Brake Calipers: Mafac Racer (early model, but with updated black bushings).
Brake Pads: Mafac.
Brake Cables: Unknown, probably Mafac.

Shifter (rear only): Le Simplex.
Front Derailleur: Huret - Tour de France, stick shift Suicide lever type.
Rear Derailleur: Simplex - Tour de France.
Derailleur Cable: Unknown.
Cassette / Freewheel: Atom 4 speed 14 - 24 .
Chain: Sedis (Sport?) 3/32".
Cranks: Solida (170mm long, 3 arm, 116 BCD).
Chainrings: Simplex 49T outer & 46T inner.
Bottom Bracket: Torevess - Grand Luxe Course Cups and RFG Axle (cotter pin).

Pedals: Lyotard - Tour de France 15B.
Toe Clips: Paturaud
Toe Straps: J. Ruhier (Paris)

Saddle: Pyrma Speciale 515.
Seatpost: Simplex 26.4mm
Seatpost Binder Bolt: Unknown.

Rims: Mavic "Demontable" (hookless)
Spokes: Unknown
Hubs: Exceltoo Super Competition
QR Skewers: Pelissier
Rim Tape: Schwalbe 16mm
Innertubes: Continental
Tyres: Schwalbe 700 x 32C Road Cruiser Green Compound


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📷 Quirky Quick Release - Finished Build ✅

Just a picture of the Exceltoo Super Competition hub (very similar to the Normandy, if not the same, but slightly better finished) and this quirky Pelissier quick release. I can't find any information about this, but it's old, straight, cam action is basic and the logo is printed upside down compared to today's convention. The only logic I see with this is that it doesn't foul with any mudguard fixings.

I found some evidence in the early days that the lever side was the drive side, Simplex did make a weird specific quick release attachement for the rear skewer and Exceltoo made an even weirder two lever system.

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