Guinessisgoodforyou
rBotM Winner
There is some discussion about porteur racing earlier in the thread. Nice pictures
Vintage French randonneuer's and porteurs.
- Thread starter Guinessisgoodforyou
- Start date
Guinessisgoodforyou
rBotM Winner
Cim cycles randonneur, special. Yet another marque I've not heard of and need to research.
s.e.charles
Dirt Disciple
nice looking "civilzed" bicycle. always a sucker for chrome fork tips. in a couple of episodes of "A French Village" there was a
bike with that style chainguard.
Oh, Audrey . . . but i digress.
Q #1: with a headlight mounted on the top of the fender, does it shake?
Q#2: the rear constructeur rack's tool pouch - is it a leather Brooks style?
a website i visited had made aluminum reproduction twins, but they had sold out. wondering how these, or the one shown, work out
in practice.
thanks
bike with that style chainguard.
Oh, Audrey . . . but i digress.
Q #1: with a headlight mounted on the top of the fender, does it shake?
Q#2: the rear constructeur rack's tool pouch - is it a leather Brooks style?
a website i visited had made aluminum reproduction twins, but they had sold out. wondering how these, or the one shown, work out
in practice.
thanks
s.e.charles
Dirt Disciple
oh, i imagine once they get a head of steam, they're rollers
Guinessisgoodforyou
rBotM Winner
I can only comment on my UE8. Question 1-headlight is steady, no wobbles. The pouches were plastic/vinyl from memory in this era. Edit Peugeot did steel tool boxes for many years. I imagine tools need to be well wrapped or rattles would ensue.
Q2: It varies with period. The rear rack / mudguard mounted ones for a while post WW2 were aluminium in general.
Personally I think they were as much useful as a "throwing in something else" marketing thing. The French tended to go for this rather than cute little saddle bags like in the UK. Period wise a French saddle with a little saddle bag is something I don't have a knowledge, but I know Mafac did a specific (half useless?) kit.
There was certainly enough in those two rear subminiaturis for essential road side repairs and enough to cut up a dried sausage, slap some cheese in a baguette and open a bottle of Beaujolais and stash a crumpled up Michelin map. They would have been stuffed with the only friend to man-kind too ..... an oily rag, To help with all sorts especially for rear wheel removal and keep hands clean.
Personally I think they were as much useful as a "throwing in something else" marketing thing. The French tended to go for this rather than cute little saddle bags like in the UK. Period wise a French saddle with a little saddle bag is something I don't have a knowledge, but I know Mafac did a specific (half useless?) kit.
There was certainly enough in those two rear subminiaturis for essential road side repairs and enough to cut up a dried sausage, slap some cheese in a baguette and open a bottle of Beaujolais and stash a crumpled up Michelin map. They would have been stuffed with the only friend to man-kind too ..... an oily rag, To help with all sorts especially for rear wheel removal and keep hands clean.
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Guinessisgoodforyou
rBotM Winner
Bi plane fork, Charrel used to do some wonderful examples in steel.Oh man. Just look what is going on here
View attachment 901961
Guinessisgoodforyou
rBotM Winner
This is my third MecaDural - it's the only one I have completef. Buying period correct parts for them is a total pita. Very difficult now to source brakes and especially 700C Lefol mudguards and decent leather saddles.
This was is a 'barn find' state when I bought it. I got it with a few others from a farm sale just north of Agen, not too far from Toulouse. There are always adverts for 'Lots Velos', but the French are very adamant not to split. So you have to buy everything! Two months of polishing and fine sanding to get it to this condition.
Mecadural were the hoors of French aluminium. They made three tube bonded alu frames under licence for everyone from Mercier, La Perle, Hirondelle right up to big boxers Peugeot. They couldn't (or weren't too bothered) to make aluminium forks to fit. But there are lots of 3rd party French fork makers like CMP Lyon, and I'm on the hunt for a pair of these right now.
This was is a 'barn find' state when I bought it. I got it with a few others from a farm sale just north of Agen, not too far from Toulouse. There are always adverts for 'Lots Velos', but the French are very adamant not to split. So you have to buy everything! Two months of polishing and fine sanding to get it to this condition.
Mecadural were the hoors of French aluminium. They made three tube bonded alu frames under licence for everyone from Mercier, La Perle, Hirondelle right up to big boxers Peugeot. They couldn't (or weren't too bothered) to make aluminium forks to fit. But there are lots of 3rd party French fork makers like CMP Lyon, and I'm on the hunt for a pair of these right now.
