French Racing Bicycles

[Canuk]

The Busset couple were twice victorious at La Poly Lyonnaise in the 1950s on a Sablière filet brazed aluminium tandem. There are similarities in the production of Jacques Busset and Charles Sablière, so similar in fact that the rumours he probably apprenticed with Sabliere are probably true.

 

[Canuk]

Jacques Busset first edition

 

[Canuk]

The first JACQUES BUSSET racing bike, No. 171. It was ordered by his friend René Satin, who also rode for the Sablière team. René Satin, an avid cycle tourist, was an organizing member of the LYON-CHAMONIX-LYON race.


It features a Vitus 971 frame, seamless with ovalized down and vertical tubes. The fork crown is marked JB for JACQUES BUSSET. A unique feature is the pump mount on the vertical tube, which is a flat dropout.

 

[Canuk]

Unique reinforced pump mount

 

[Canuk]

Busset, left. With his wife partnering for the Lyonnais classic. Good publicity for his new shop, In 1971, he opened a bicycle shop on the Route de Vienne in Lyon. He brazed his frames with silver solder mostly, a low temperature process which required less material.

 

[Canuk]

1974 tandem (repainted)

 

[Canuk]

Jacques Busset took up the principle of lateral reinforcements on each side of the tube of the stoker, seen on at least one tandem of Charles Sablière, adding the clever function of internal passage of the rear brake cable.

The cable routing around the seat lug is not unique to Busset tandems, but it's a very elegant solution. The stem is a one piece hand made construction, with an underside expander to secure it.

 

[Canuk]

Jacques Busset 'mountain bike' C.1982

 

[Canuk]

A later iteration in Reynolds 531 SL

 

[Canuk]

This would be a 1983 mountain bike, number 3. Number 1 was Jacques Busset's and number 2 was his daughter's. At the time, they didn't call it "mountain bike" but "green bike."
Note the double plate fork bracing and signature internal cabling.

The green bike was after the Voie Verte, the developing cycle network of paths throughout France which used pre existing railways. France pioneered this network of cycle paths, spawning copies all over Europe and beyond.