Classic & Vintage - Le beau est aussi utile que l'utile - The French Bike Thread

Is anyone interested in posting pics of your French bikes? I think it would make a neat thread. I think the only rules need to be that the frame at least was manufactured in France of by a French company.

My only French bike is one I've already posted, but since it's the only one I have and we need to start somewhere I'll post it again to get us started.

It's a mid 80's Columbus tubed Gitane I've been having some fun with.

http://www.brian-payne.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1080&g2_serialNumber=1

please post your French bikes for us all to covet.

I've posted this before, too. But, like you, this Herse is my lone French bike.

http://velospace.org/files/ReneHerse17135.jpg

If I had a Herse such as yours I'd stop buying French bikes too. N'est Plus Ultra, non?

marty

I'm yet to find a classic French bike (anybody have any leads on a 64-65cm frame?), but here's my girlfriend's custom single speed 1972ish Peugeot PX-10:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2157/2393418146_96388de594_o.jpg

Here,s my UO8,I dunno why but I just luv this bike !http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q299/ozneddy_photo/mypug001.jpg

The twins: ;)

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff135/sarverdv/After%20reconditioning/Flips003.jpg

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff135/sarverdv/After%20reconditioning/Flips002.jpg

Dan

I completely forgot, I do have another French bike , ha!
a big UO-8 that I'm still trying to figure out what to do with:

http://www.brian-payne.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=326&g2_serialNumber=3

74 Motobecane Grand Record:

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm26/mparker326/Motobecane%20Grand%20Record/IMG_1412.jpg

76 Motobecane Super Mirage - Homemade 3 Speed City bike

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm26/mparker326/IMG_1214-1.jpg

Early 1970s St. Etienne, converted to 650B and powdercoated gloss black:

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_GmYBBzTzcVQ/R-gGagCsBLI/AAAAAAAABjI/IL_rROELAJM/s800/StEtiennePorteur1.jpg

Neal

I love my French girls... I named them Edith (after Piaf) and Bridgette (after Bardot).

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikepics/edithnewbars2.jpg
1957 PLX8 - original and unrestored.

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikepics/bridgettenewbars1.jpg
1962 P6 (?) - dumpster save and fixed gear conversion

1979 Motobecane Team Champion
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/136/382809875_7435ce403e.jpg?v=0

1988 Gitane Team Pro.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_X6FWKVIvDZY/SPYyIk3mwvI/AAAAAAAABb8/lDcbxFAn-Qk/s576/gitane1.jpg

My wife's UO18.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee161/baxter67/P6030008.jpg

If I had a Herse such as yours I'd stop buying French bikes too. N'est Plus Ultra, non?

marty

Nec plus ultra ? ;)

That's "Ne Plus Ultra" -- nothing better.

J'ai troix bécanes Françaises (projets):
60 cm Motobécane Team Champion 1984 (in the shop having a dropout fixed)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3018/2522852966_32280a3bfd.jpg
I have now gotten hubs, rims, brakes, seatpost, saddle for it, need 44 cm Giro d'Italia bars and a 1R stem in the 90 mm range; and tubulars.

And two nearly identical (lugs excepted) 63 cm 1970s Jeunet Franche-Comte frames (Reynolds 531 DB), one frame + fork alone, and the other a complete bike with the TA Pro 5 vis cranks and Mafac brakes, but also parts that don't seem original, like Suntour derailers and stem shifters. One bike has plain lugs, and the other more fancy, perhaps Nervex. I don't actually have the "fancy" complete bike at home, still with my brother in Seattle.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3137/2654659372_be011cae70.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3010/3028149819_8a02f5febc.jpg?v=0

One of these is destined to resume its useful life with me as a singlespeed; and I'll probably sell the frame I don't build up. So far have hubs, rims, stem, Idéale 80 saddle, lacking a quality seatpost.

Someday, I'm thinking I may take away the original Shimano 600 setup
and refit this ~ 1980 Bertin with French components. Still, the ornate Arabesque
flourishes are somehow fitting.

I bought this in an impulsive reaction to not being able to find just the right
Grand Record. Anybody for a trade?

More pic details if you're interested.

My '80 Motobecane Super Touring.
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c263/cubtime100/Motobecane/100_0063.jpg

Here's my herd.,,,,BD

78/79 PX something. Probably 10?

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n267/Kustombyker/px700.jpg

1985 Peugeot PGN-10. Full pearl white 105 group with dual pivot brakes. Pretty light for a
501 framed bike. Must be the 105, hehe

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n267/Kustombyker/105501.jpg

77 or 78 Motobecane Grand Touring. After trying 3 or more VGT luxe derailleurs, I finally broke down today and installed a long cage Deore(silver) All shifting problems ceased immediately.

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n267/Kustombyker/CleanMoto1.jpg

75 or 76 Motobecane Grand Record. Going to be a total redo. Have 98% of the NR stuff ready, and working a local deal for a suitable fork. Just need top tube clamps, and I'm about to send a Paypal payment;). With new paint, decals and clear. Should be a real looker.

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n267/Kustombyker/GCbefore1.jpg

Good luck on those Campy cable clamps, they are hard to come by.


Here's my herd.,,,,BD

78/79 PX something. Probably 10?

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n267/Kustombyker/px700.jpg

1985 Peugeot PGN-10. Full pearl white 105 group with dual pivot brakes. Pretty light for a
501 framed bike. Must be the 105, hehe

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n267/Kustombyker/105501.jpg

77 or 78 Motobecane Grand Touring. After trying 3 or more VGT luxe derailleurs, I finally broke down today and installed a long cage Deore(silver) All shifting problems ceased immediately.

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n267/Kustombyker/CleanMoto1.jpg

75 or 76 Motobecane Grand Record. Going to be a total redo. Have 98% of the NR stuff ready, and working a local deal for a suitable fork. Just need top tube clamps, and I'm about to send a Paypal payment;). With new paint, decals and clear. Should be a real looker.

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n267/Kustombyker/GCbefore1.jpg

~1983 Motobecane Super Mirage. Spent a little too much money bringing it back to life as a commuter, but learning a lot and the project was mostly fun. The ride is super smooth, but the Michelin City tires don't roll well, notably slower than other 80s steel I've ridden.

http://trancelab.com/bike/IMG_0596.jpg

Will probably stay this way into next year, but I'm getting a hankering for a singlespeed, and this is the best candidate in my fleet at the moment.

72 PX-10
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3043/2699290663_ed7c452fe5_b.jpg

72 PX-10
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3043/2699290663_ed7c452fe5_b.jpg

Bogester, I can only hope that last winters PX-10 trash find looks as good as yours when I'm done. It's going to need alot of TLC but then again there's a lot of snowy weekends coming up. Here's what she looked like the day I found her:

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff142/Head_High_and_Glassy/Found%20in%20the%20Trash/Peugeot%20PX10/DSCN0981-1.jpg

Scott

Here's mine. I have two Peugeot's showing up today courtesy of my dad - a 1984 PSV-10 (my first racing bike and one I still covet) and and 1970's model that I'll have to research but I think it's UO-8. Free is good.

1984 Gitane Tour De France (red) and 1984 Gitane Sprint (blue)

okay, I'm officially going to stop trying to revive my high school french.

Thanks to those who took the time to post pics of their bikes. I never tire of looking at French bikes, although I have to say, there really wasn't much left on French road bikes that was characteristically French by the 1980's.

For the record, that's "nec plus ultra", which is actually not French but rather a Latin expression used in French.

I want to post a picture of my 1984 Elvish (bet ya never heard of that, eh?) but I cannot figure out how to post pictures so they appear in the message and not in a little attachment window (see afilado's and scozim's replies). I have done the "attach image" route a few times in other posts and the image never appears in the message itself. And, yes, I checked for image posting FAQs and got nowhere.

if your photo is hosted at a site like flickr, picassa etc. you need to copy the url of the image
and then use the insert image button above ( looks like a postcard), or wrap the URL in tags
[img] url [/ img** (remove the space between / and img, it;s there to fool system).
otherwise if the image is on your hard drive you'll need to attach it.

Marty

p.s. yes I've seen an elvish before, someone here had one.
makes me want one just to be able to say "Elvish has left the building" everytime I rode.

Here is my 1976 Grand Record from about a year ago... since changed out the handlebars for a Philipe professional, installed a Zefal HP silver vintage pump with Campagnolo pump mount, and changed out the tires to Grand Bois Cerfs.

http://piledrivermedia.com/files/images/moto/cc347-3IMG_4650.jpg

http://piledrivermedia.com/files/images/moto/cc347-4IMG_4625-1.jpg

MY '74 Grand Jubile'. Maybe not the best French bike I've got, but I think the GJ is a real classic with its Huret Jubile derailleurs, Stronglight 49 crankset and Pivo bar and stem. The bike has 531 main tubes and Nervex lugs, and it originally had an Ideale 80 saddle, but I've got a Brooks B15 on it now. I've also replaced the original Normandy Sport/Weinmann wheels with Normandy Competition hubs laced to Superchampion rims and sew-up tires. As shown, this bike weighs about 24 lbs. Not too bad for a second tier bike.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c298/koskid/GrandJubileecopy.jpg

motobecane gran jublile great colors
peugeot UO10 which I bought new
mercier 300 too tall for me

Thanks to those who took the time to post pics of their bikes. I never tire of looking at French bikes, although I have to say, there really wasn't much left on French road bikes that was characteristically French by the 1980's.

For the record, that's "nec plus ultra", which is actually not French but rather a Latin expression used in French.

Well, whaddaya know: a classicist! Je me soumets à vôtre connaissance supérieure.

I'm not getting this "nec plus ultra" (sic) thing. On google it comes up as a Russian band, a font, a wine, and other stuff. I'm assuming it's a typo of ne plus ultra, but the question I'm not getting over is: is it (a: sometimes) or (b: always) a typo? But we digress, this has nothing to do with French or bicycles.

Here's my French beauty - a Vitus 979 with Campag Chorus (Chainset not shown in this photo but it's back on now with new rings). Lightest bike I've ever had. Also have Campag Record clipless pedals on it now and Campag bottle & cage.

Here is my 1976 Grand Record from about a year ago
http://piledrivermedia.com/files/images/moto/cc347-4IMG_4625-1.jpg

What a beauty. Are those VO fenders and racks?

Just arrived and in the office for 20 minutes. These are the winter - and much longer projects. 1984 Peugeot PSV-10 that my dad bought brand new. Hasn't been ridden in awhile because my dad bought a Spectrum titanium bike in 1991 and has been riding that since. This thing has been sitting in the old shed for probably 15 yrs. New tape, cables, brake pads and bearing re-pack will be done this winter on it. I'll probably go with clipless pedals also and get the bike ready for some time trials next summer.

The other appears to be a 1968 Peugeot (green) and I'll start a new thread on it because I'm in the dark. The serial number is 863715. My dad got this bike as a fixed gear from his bike shop back in the late 80's and used it on his trainer for a long time. He eventually had it changed back to a 5 speed. A lot of work is needed on this and I have to evaluate the rust on the right chainstay. If it's too bad the bike will stay on the wall.

Unsurprisingly I have a fair few french bikes!
Here are two as found which I have yet to work on which are currently in my attic

http://www.prettyshady.com/1/media/08/nov/3bikesdlete2/elvish1.JPG
an Elvish, (http://www.prettyshady.com/1/media/08/nov/3bikesdlete/elvish1-1.JPG)


http://www.prettyshady.com/1/media/08/nov/3bikesdlete2/pug-psv.JPG
and a pegeuot PSV (http://www.prettyshady.com/1/media/08/nov/3bikesdlete/pug-psv-1.JPG)

Hopefully next week I'l get these up and running and post two new photos.

I'm yet to find a classic French bike (anybody have any leads on a 64-65cm frame?), but here's my girlfriend's custom single speed 1972ish Peugeot PX-10:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2157/2393418146_96388de594_o.jpg

I think that the copper leaf on the lugs is a brilliant idea and I intend to steal it. (the idea, not the bike)

What a beauty. Are those VO fenders and racks?

Honjo fenders and VO front and rear stainless racks. MAFAC gold competition brakes, Campagnolo Record hubs... all the rest is original to the bike. Thanks!

72 PX-10
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3043/2699290663_ed7c452fe5_b.jpg

Hey, that's MY bike - give it back :p!

http://velospace.org/files/PX-10_right.jpg

Honestly, they're quite similar - vintage-wise, condition-wise, size-wise and even in some details, like the black half hoods (ok, I know, bars/pedals/saddle/FD/wheels are different).
The PX-10 must be the most ferociously modified bike model, I haven't seen any in the last years that would've been 100% original.

Hey, that's MY bike - give it back :p!

Honestly, they're quite similar - vintage-wise, condition-wise, size-wise and even in some details, like the black half hoods (ok, I know, bars/pedals/saddle/FD/wheels are different).
The PX-10 must be the most ferociously modified bike model, I haven't seen any in the last years that would've been 100% original.

You and about a zillion others! How many of these things did they make? I think the reasons they are modified so much is because they were set up as racers. I mean a 52/45 crank with a low 21 tooth freewheel just doesn't cut it for many...especially for all the overweight bike-boomer Americans that they were sold to. I put a 28 tooth freewheel on mine and I still can't make it up many of the really steep hills in my town.

btw...nice PX!

Actually the overweight thing is pretty recent, but may have begun sometime in the late 70's-early 80's. Or are you saying only fat baby boomers could afford them. The latter is more likely.:D,,,,BD

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3213/2896803098_7038f97bed_b.jpg

1980 Peugeot UO10

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3098/2896812196_673c60b280_b.jpg

1984 Peugeot PGN10 dumpster find converted to fixed gear, with 1960's ideale model 90 saddle

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3159/2956244952_9f6c2858b9_b.jpg

1985 Peugeot PH501 (just got it, best pic i have, sorry) all I've done so far is add the saddle & cloth bar wrap

I'm not getting this "nec plus ultra" (sic) thing. On google it comes up as a Russian band, a font, a wine, and other stuff. I'm assuming it's a typo of ne plus ultra, but the question I'm not getting over is: is it (a: sometimes) or (b: always) a typo? But we digress, this has nothing to do with French or bicycles."Ne plus Ultra"-- no more beyond. The ultimate...

Here's one of mine (the only one I have pics of for now.). I bought it off eBay. The seller said the previous (original?) owner told him it's a Gitane. The previous owner painted it, so there are no decals. Because it's a cyclocross bike, if it is a Gitane, I assume it's a Gitane XO. But because there are no indications on the bike, I don't know that it's a Gitane. Does anybody recognize the bike? Is it a Gitane?

Assuming it's French, it does seem to fit the philosophy reflected in the title of this thread.


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3273/2874071585_db01d98698.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3138/2874901502_f9c7a050a1.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3107/2874071713_e7f223dc95.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3073/2874096391_a7b27cb8aa.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3059/2874096225_27d054cb9a.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3289/2874096289_f844ab5391.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3247/2874926138_3cf24c2f06.jpg?v=0

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c298/koskid/GrandJubileecopy.jpgThat silver and red color scheme is my absolute favorite.

You and about a zillion others! How many of these things did they make? I think the reasons they are modified so much is because they were set up as racers. I mean a 52/45 crank with a low 21 tooth freewheel just doesn't cut it for many...especially for all the overweight bike-boomer Americans that they were sold to. I put a 28 tooth freewheel on mine and I still can't make it up many of the really steep hills in my town.

btw...nice PX!

wow, even more inspiration! Bogester and Cool Steel, is that the original paint on you PX-10's? Mine is in pretty rough shape and I've alway toyed with getting it repainted with new decals. Any advice?

Scott

Here's my 70's Grand Jubile. Its one of my favorite rides, especially when visiting my father in law near Tucson, AZ. The roadies around there don't see many bikes setup like mine!

I Built it up from a bare frame with Mavic hubs, Stronglight headset, ornate Shimano 600 crank, derailleurs & shifters. The bar & stem came off a co-worker's Grand Record, I traded him a SA Dyno-Hub for them. The fenders are Giles Berthaud stainless steel. I need some new pics as I have added a Stronglight triple, a butchered Brooks B-17 & a Simplex seatpost. Don

My '7? Gitane TdF townie with later SLJ derailers, Retrofriction shifters and and Mavic hubs/rims:

http://inlinethumb14.webshots.com/4173/2612533020068014369S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2612533020068014369iphTBp)

My repainted '74 Peugeot PX10 with mostly Campagnolo NR/SR. The headset is correct, but that's it.

http://inlinethumb63.webshots.com/41598/2342335930068014369S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2342335930068014369lKExZj)

My daughter's '74 Peugeot PA10. We both learned that we don't like riding fixed from this bike. It has a single speed freewheel on it now. I may sell the wheels and convert it back to a geared bike. The bars, brakes, stem and pedals are from my PX10. The headset is a British-threaded Stronglight A-9. I don't know how that's possible, but it's true.

http://inlinethumb62.webshots.com/41725/2256617970068014369S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2256617970068014369VXQwez)

FRENCH BIKES? ... :love:

CLICK ON ANY CAPTION BEL0W
TO OPEN WINDOW WITH LARGER IMAGE...
THEN CLOSE THAT WINDOW TO RETURN TO THIS POST:thumb:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2117/2496042280_8a1c77d3b9.jpg
MOTOBECANE _ Grand Record (1975) (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2117/2496042280_49cfa1bc77_o.jpg)


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3089/2473723743_23b397515d.jpg
MOTOBECANE _ Le Champion (1971) (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3089/2473723743_23b397515d_b.jpg)


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2120/1659283933_07643e592a.jpg
VALGAN _ Chambord (late1970s) (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2120/1659283933_07643e592a_b.jpg)


http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1362/1354574102_46a5f2068b.jpg
PEUGEOT _ PX-50 (1975)_650B (http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1362/1354574102_e5d838d3f3_o.jpg)


http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1143/1240909158_57cbf72c27.jpg
PEUGEOT _ PX-10E (1975) (http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1143/1240909158_4eef86d759_o.jpg)


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3140/2993038474_537b602c56.jpg
PEUGEOT _ P-18C _ (1985) (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3140/2993038474_537b602c56_b.jpg)

I think late 1960s and early 1970s Peugeot PX-10s were being modified pretty early in the game. But not because of the rather high gearing - since they really were considered serious Racing bikes, anyway. Personally, I had quickly changed freewheels to match the gears of a traditional 42t chainring (and just accepted that I might be viewed as a wimp by my small cog racing buddies).

They were very light weight and yet quite inexpensive bikes to start with. So, as a "base" they could be "upgraded" with Campagnolo equipment which was always perceived as far superior to Simplex... and the Simplex Prestige plastic body derailleurs really did have a rather short life expectancy when put to continuous hard usage. The plastic friction shifters were no great prize either, and always at least "felt" a bit flimsy to me.

If the bikes had originally been equipped with the all-alloy Simplex Super LJ derailleurs and Simplex retro-friction shifters, MANY of the bikes would likely have remained pure factory stock to this day. Unfortunately, although formally "introduced" by 1973, those components really were never seen on ANY bikes in the US until perhaps 1976 (IIRC)... and, they were seldom (if ever) issued on stock PX-10s even then.

Ironically, I'd choose a cheap-o Simplex Prestige over a Nuovo Record rear derailleur today. They always just shifted better. :o When I finally invested in a NR derailleur (in the 1970s), I was truly disappointed. Those who could afford Campy as original equipment on their expensive Italian racing bikes and never knew anything else, were always perfectly content with the components. The derailleurs indeed lasted through millions of the required (overshift-and-trim...overshift-and-trim...) manipulations which was always accepted as normal... and the Campy cranks usually only began to fatigue and crack after years of use.

Hmmm... I've never heard of a Stronglight crank ever breaking. :rolleyes: