Hybrid Bicycles - Trek Belleville - Homage To The Rene Herse/Alex Singer Parisian Porteur Bike

http://cdn.media.cyclingnews.com/2009/08/18/1/trek_world_belleville_mens_full_view_600.jpg


The Trek Belleville recalls the Parisian Porteur Bikes made famous by Rene Herse/Alex Singer. The only thing missing are 650B wheels and reverse brake levers on the bars. The bike design speaks for itself!

The Trek Belleville recalls the Parisian Porteur Bikes made famous by Rene Herse/Alex Singer. The only thing missing are 650B wheels and reverse brake levers on the bars. The bike design speaks for itself!

Ok, but you forgot the mixte. NEWER forget the mixte.

http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk51/badmother-bikes/3828155636_d70f009c0e.jpg

Pardon my ignorance, but what's a mixte?

A bicycle designed so as to facilitate a rider who is wearing a skirt. Other names include: Step-Through Bike and Girl's Bike.

........with a split top tube that runs to the meeting points of the seat and chainstays. If it doesn't have that, it's not a true mixte.

http://www.user-agent.org/stuff/images/nishiki_ladies_02.jpg

A bicycle designed so as to facilitate a rider who is wearing a skirt. Other names include: Step-Through Bike and Girl's Bike.

Actually, no.

A mixte is a specific model stronger than most step-throughs. It is also often billed as a unisex bike.

A mixte typically has a double top tube, which extend through the rear triangle to form an additional set of stays. Sometimes it will have a single top tube, which transitions at the seat tube tio a set of stays, this type is less common.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2300/1595736898_ff44987e4e.jpg

Mixte is a buzzword I've been hearing lately.
People want to see more of them around.
A metrosexual thing?:)
I wouldn't doubt the industry will put out more
utility type hybrids.

Mixte is NOT a girls/womans bike. Mixte is similar to "mixed" in English, meaning a bik for mixed (both) sexes. Made to be a stylish citybike in Pars. THIS is the first true hybrid if you ask me :D:love:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=9441668#post9441668

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=561391

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=227038

http://www.velo-orange.com/vomamifr.html

http://www.rivbike.com/products/list/bicycle_models

http://www.somafab.com/bvista.html

http://www.flickr.com/groups/mixte/pool/

Ok, but you forgot the mixte. NEWER forget the mixte.

http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk51/badmother-bikes/3828155636_d70f009c0e.jpg


I finally just noticed these on the Trek website this morning and I'm now anxiously waiting for the Trek dealer here to get them in..I'd have swap out a couple of things for aesthetic reasons but for the most part I'm hopeful:):):love:

Have the dealer swap out the levers for reverse brake levers. Just to complete the retro look. It should have 650B wheels and 38mm tires to be "period-correct." After all, its a porteur!

Have the dealer swap out the levers for reverse brake levers. Just to complete the retro look. It should have 650B wheels and 38mm tires to be "period-correct." After all, its a porteur!


Hmm...could you give me the idiots guide to bike anatomy please? I dont know a lot of the technical jargon yet

http://www.cyclofiend.com/working/images/wb053-1goeland_1950.jpg[

Sure. Reverse brake levers are levers mounted at the end of the handlebars. 650B is a French rim size ERTRO 584mm. That means its 25mm larger than a 559mm or 26" MTB wheel size and 38 mm smaller than a 622mm 700C road size. The usual tire size for 650 is a 38mm tire equivalent to a 18mm 700C tire. The standard tire in the 650B size is a Col De La Vie made by Panaracer of Japan.

http://www.cyclofiend.com/working/images/wb053-1goeland_1950.jpg[

Sure. Reverse brake levers are levers mounted at the end of the handlebars. 650B is a French rim size ERTRO 584mm. That means its 25mm larger than a 559mm or 26" MTB wheel size and 38 mm smaller than a 622mm 700C road size. The usual tire size for 650 is a 38mm tire equivalent to a 18mm 700C tire. The standard tire in the 650B size is a Col De La Vie made by Panaracer of Japan.


Thank you:) I got most of that. I cant tell what shifters on it are like but I hope they are those dial type ones like my employers bike has...I'm not too fussy about those for some reason

If people went to your average bike-shop and said they wanted a bicycle, and proceeded to define it as you defined 'mixte' - I doubt they'd understand a word you were saying. If you said you wanted a women's model - or girls' bike - then they'd know what you wanted.

But how does this definition work on a Trek FX-series WSD?

I love my Motobecane mixte, but I've never considered it a hybrid. Hmmmm...

I'll bet that rides real nice! Nice long wheelbase. Wonderful!

Is that a Grand Touring model?

Quick Question~

From Trek website regarding the Belleville:
"The bike is a 3 speed internal but is compatible with single and multi speed derailleur drivetrains."

Does this mean if I want my LBS to turn this into say a 24 speed its possible?

TIA

i really dig the color scheme on the bellville.

The Belleville has horizontal dropouts so you can run it single speed, IGH or derailleur drivetrain.

The Belleville has horizontal dropouts so you can run it single speed, IGH or derailleur drivetrain.

So yes to my question? I'm sorry..I feel like such a bike dummy sometimes :(

Yes. You should able to set up a bike as it suits you. A porteur bike is meant to be customized for the occasion!

Yes. You should able to set up a bike as it suits you. A porteur bike is meant to be customized for the occasion!

Awesome:) that makes me a bit more hopeful, not hubby of course because he thinks my bike collecting will be like my bag collection:)

I'll bet that rides real nice! Nice long wheelbase. Wonderful!

Is that a Grand Touring model?



Tis. You have a very good eye...:)

http://cdn.media.cyclingnews.com/2009/08/18/1/trek_world_belleville_mens_full_view_600.jpg


The Trek Belleville recalls the Parisian Porteur Bikes made famous by Rene Herse/Alex Singer. The only thing missing are 650B wheels and reverse brake levers on the bars. The bike design speaks for itself!

and it's saying: 'this bike is an urban utility bike, not a hybrid'

:thumb:

Remind me never to take you to an art-museum...

Hybrids do perform commuting and utility tasks. It one of the reasons people buy them.

Last month I purchased a Belle Ville. I am in the process right now of trying to do just that, sans the 650B's The most difficult aspect of that proposal is the 3-speed grip shifter wraps around the handlebar and the brake cable needs to run outside on the bottom of the handlebars. It's only a problem on the right, the left inverse brake lever has no such obstructions. This will obviously require some customization, I plan on running a portion of the right (rear) brake cable inside the handlebar and have it exit the bottom of the handlebar just aft of the revo shifter in the grip area. I will then wrap the grip area with VO's elk hide leather. I've also added a Brooks aged B67 saddle, crane bell, porteur kickstand and I made rack shelves - stained and spar varnished to match (I was told by a Trek salesperson that it looked like the bike came from the factory that way!) At some point I plan on switching the 3 speed IGH for either a SRAM 9 speed IGH or 8 speed Alfine IGH.
The dynamo hub is a great idea, however, I don't quite understand why Trek would cheap out and use a headlight without a stand light function. Seriously, Spanninga manufactures the same light currently found on the Belle Ville with the stand light function for almost no difference in price. (Hey Trek, Thanks for thinking of rider safety, but you still fail.) I will post some pictures when I get the inverse lever brakes installed.
Thanks!

http://cdn.media.cyclingnews.com/2009/08/18/1/trek_world_belleville_mens_full_view_600.jpg


The Trek Belleville recalls the Parisian Porteur Bikes made famous by Rene Herse/Alex Singer. The only thing missing are 650B wheels and reverse brake levers on the bars. The bike design speaks for itself!

You could replace the stock Trek one with a Spanninga. I look forward to seeing your personal interpretation of the classic French bikes of the 1940s and the 1950s.

Most of us still lust after a Rene Herse/Alex Singer because they're non-pareil as far as beautiful and functional bikes go but are very expensive. This is the next best thing to do.

Enjoy your Belleville and may it bring you many years of riding pleasure! :)

Photo update.