Vintage French randonneuer's and porteurs.

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Correct thread this time...

https://blog.strava.com/ru/a-history-of-paris-brest-paris-10544/
Surprising source for this and some other great pics.
 
1961 La Gazelle Porteur - handbuilt custom in lovely condition. 700C wheels, Torpedo rear hub, unusual for the front brake lever to be on the right, high end parts. Likely it would have been used in the Criterium de Porteur racing as well as it's everyday work horse duties.

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Guinessisgoodforyou said:
That is beautiful 😍
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👍

The position looks rather aggressive, balanced, nice and open and not crunched up. Must have been for one of the more serious high wage earning Porteurs. The specification of this similar period Goeland shares parts that would be found on a high end road race bike. 700C seems to have replaced the 650B presumably because of better road surfaces in the capital and fewer cobbled streets. Front brake also on the right side with the Torpedo hub as an option.

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Guinessisgoodforyou said:
That is beautiful, he made lovely bikes.
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Seller says 1930s - we are at the birth of home made pioneering double wide ratio drivetrains that the racer boys in the TdF couldn't use.

It's an historical gem, which I think helps us where we came from to modern day. You can just tell that small inner ring is ripped off a sprocket and mounted with some magic to a chainset never intended for it - at a guess he's replaced the old style 1920s style chain ring lock-ring somehow.

I love that even by modern day knowledge, you know with the right tires it's up for mile eating. Almost 100 years on, it can still perform 🥰
 
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