Vintage French randonneuer's and porteurs.

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Hello everyone! My good friend Dr. Dremel already sent a few photos. Here are some more.
These are my three randonneuses; all are probably mid-50s mid-range bikes. They were all shed-/barn finds from France and I re-built them while preserving the original patina.

All beautiful examples

 

[Mickeyspinn]

Afaik not if it's pre early 1960s when Vitus acquired Duri.
Prior to that they were an independent company producing butted and straight-gauge tube sets.

Ah it's like we call Vitus the company it's actually not...ateliers de la rive is the manufacturer Durifort and Vitus are the brand names of tubesets they produced

 

[M_Chavez]

I see - thank you. I thought they were two separate companies.

 

[Mickeyspinn]

Looked at the English Wikipedia entry, but it's not really answering and satisfying my curious observation; need to scout for old photographs and check some French definitions and sites...

A good question for some of your elder neighbours perhaps?

 

[Woz]

A good question for some of your elder neighbours perhaps?

Think @grantoury pictures were revealing. Especially the tandem picture, that little load for two people.

I'll try and surf around from time to time and add snippets I come across.

Think this is a great thread, the banter will be fun, and let's hope some of these real gems find a good home and get posted here.

I've seen a few sentences on the some of the French forums where they (finally?) realise that if they hang about and dither when a "pearl amongst the stones" appears they will be snapped up by someone else and leave French territory. Don't think this is such a bad thing either, but with global Retro / Vintage fashion and that innate need the French seem to have to protect it's heritage things will be interesting going forward.

There is also the very now fashion of Gravel driving a re-birth a long. 650B dusted off, new tyres available. The ingredients are all there.

I could foresee there will be two piles like @Rod_Saetan sort of says. One at 30€, and another at 3000€.

 

[vcballbat]

A good question for some of your elder neighbours perhaps?

Back in the late 70's as a school boy in Velo Club Venta (Winchester) I did a couple of 100 mile Randonneaur events which on completion we would receive a certificate. Back then in Blighty they were called Reliability Trials...I much prefer the French translation Brevet... diploma or certificate. I didn't pay to much attention at school as I was more interested in riding and building bikes but at least I can say I've got two diploma's to my name..

 

[Woz]

BITD did a couple of Reliabilities. Congleton CC.

Was more of winter thing to get some hardish miles in the legs and get pissed and throw-up all over the communal room in front of families in the Llangollen YHA as I remember. Newcastle Brown Ale, I'm sure of it. Think I was riding a Peugeot of all things too with an Humbrol paint job. At one point I got a push a long from Paul Sherwen up some Welsh hill/mountain. I also got a certificate.

Judging by the quantities of Randonneurs, I suspect something different is going on. A simple performing "get away" type bike for anyone would be my guess, the rider not necessarily affiliated to any organisation.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Judging by the quantities of Randonneurs, I suspect something different is going on. A simple performing "get away" type bike for anyone would be my guess, the rider not necessarily affiliated to any organisation.

Yes not Audax, timed etc. Cycling for anyone for want of a better description.

 

[Rod_Saetan]

Their set up doesn't seem overly minimal - I can get a tent, sleeping bag, mat, change of clothes, bit of food, some tools and other necessities into a bar bag and a saddle bag (Carradice Super C, so not massive ones) without any racks on the bike. Having said that I suspect my fancy pants mat/bag/tent are significantly smaller and lighter than those available in the 50s!

On the 650B point I heard that Mavic threw literally hundreds of unused aluminium 650B rims away some time in the 80s and by the 90s there was a huge push facilitated via the internet for them to start making them again, a group on a French forum also persuaded Hutchinson to make a new 650B tyre which was the only one readily availabe for a long time. Its actually a great wheel size for touring/city bikes IMHO, especially as a short arse

 

[Imlach]

Now I have to comment on this one thing; the French standards are normal, it is the rest of the world that didn't catch on. Important distinction. And we certainly don't want to offend them, not before we buy every last randonneur, porteur and camping bike from them.

Nice thread, I think more randonneurs and porteurs are a great addition to RB.

The French don't have standards