Guinessisgoodforyou
rBotM Winner
Quite a find. Nice book. Did you see the purple cantis I tagged you on?
Vintage French randonneuer's and porteurs.
- Thread starter Guinessisgoodforyou
- Start date
Jonny69
Senior Retro Guru
So any idea of the rough year of manufacture so I can do some research? Edit: ^ that looks like a pretty good match - can’t post fast enough!
It’s missing the rear cantis but apart from that it’s pretty much complete. Ok, so may have had a rear rack. The Brooks obviously wouldn’t have been original.
I’m 90% sure it’s the right size for me.
It’s missing the rear cantis but apart from that it’s pretty much complete. Ok, so may have had a rear rack. The Brooks obviously wouldn’t have been original.
I’m 90% sure it’s the right size for me.
I'll post up the other one later, supposed to be heading out to buy my son a chest of drawers.
Given they were a full custom builder, could well be original owner didn't like drum brakes?
Jonny69
Senior Retro Guru
It looks like it might have been chromed all over originally. The Herse logo on the downtube is hanging on a very thin layer of peeling chrome. Maybe flam of some description. It’s very thin though, way thinner than usual chrome plate.
Guinessisgoodforyou
rBotM Winner
RH were often full chrome.
The illustration is from late 40s, the picture 51.
Rims are 650b right. These started to fall out of favour by about 1960.
If you don't know much about RH, Jan Heine (a Geman living in Seattle with some French Heritage) now owns the bike and writes Bicycle Quarterly. He was very close to Rene's daughter Lyli (who inherited the business from her dad and then later passed it to Jan) and has done a lot to document RH and contemporaries.
He can be a bit hyperbolic, but he knows a lot about his subject. Lots of information on his website for free.
Jonny69
Senior Retro Guru
I think the Jan Heine bit was all I knew about René Herse. Thanks for the additional information 
650b looks doable. Looks like Michelin World Tour still come in that size. I guess the next step is to get the stem and seat post drowning in WD40 and Plus Gas. The headset and cranks turn smoothly, freewheel freewheels as it should do and even the pedals don’t have too much play. It looks pretty ratty but I think everything here is usable.
650b looks doable. Looks like Michelin World Tour still come in that size. I guess the next step is to get the stem and seat post drowning in WD40 and Plus Gas. The headset and cranks turn smoothly, freewheel freewheels as it should do and even the pedals don’t have too much play. It looks pretty ratty but I think everything here is usable.
Jonny69
Senior Retro Guru
They won’t normally let you take anything. I was really surprised when the guy agreed to look the other way!
