Classic & Vintage - My best french find so far! and it's blue!

Out of all the bikes i have found so far this has to be the best one!
1950's randonneur
Simplex triple cranks
Simplex suicide lever
Simplex rear derailleur
Philippe potence
Alu Randonneur bars
Made in dijon
Lam alu brake levers
Petit jean alu fenders
650b wheels

and lots of rust!

Here is a sneak preview

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2006/5771531814_faeeff04de_b.jpg

I'll post detailed shots this evening

Thanks

looks nice, I can't wait to see more details of those brake levers.

Cool bike.

Does theSimplex FD have an aluminum or plastic knob?

I'll post detailed shots this evening


Correct me if I am wrong, but you are in Paris. It is this evening. :D ;)

Philippe potence

What's that?

Whats at the top of the triangle, seat tube side? Is that part of the bike, or is that something attached to your wall?

Great looking bike. I await more photos....

What's that?

Sorry i was lost in translation!
Potence means stem

Cool bike.

Does theSimplex FD have an aluminum or plastic knob?

It has an aluminium one.

Whats at the top of the triangle, seat tube side? Is that part of the bike, or is that something attached to your wall?

It is the attachment for the brake cable but it is in the wrong position!
The bike has no rear brake cable fitted at the moment.

Correct me if I am wrong, but you are in Paris. It is this evening. :D ;)

Very true lol

I'm a bit busy at the moment and i'll upload photos later but for now i have some on flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/56621835@N08/sets/72157626709137849/

I can't see anything about that bike that I don't totally love. Well, I guess I could live without the rust... but everything else is great. I love that style of headlight and taillight and the fenders and... I'll stop. I could go on, though.:thumb:

It has an aluminium one.

Nice. First generation.

very cool!

SO jealous. Dang, that's nice. And I'm sure you paid like ten Euro for it.

Very cool! Good for you!

Cheers,
Chris

Nice. First generation.

Thanks for the info!

SO jealous. Dang, that's nice. And I'm sure you paid like ten Euro for it.

Thanks and it was a bit more then 10 euros.
I paid 75 euros and delivery was free!!

It was crazy really because i bought it "buy it now" on Ebay from a guy in Dijon which is about 200 miles away from Paris.
I phoned him up and he said he would put it on a train in the internal bike rack for me.
And i just had to meet the train and take the bike!
So free postage!
The guy just told me to send a check when i had the bike.
Nice seller and very trusting!

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5063/5772109795_60d432964b_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2120/5772111407_6f5500697a_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3198/5772653506_1bda9a5f0e_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2209/5772109623_a780165cea_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3310/5772110753_78f0237b17_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3349/5772110933_75a0c50969_b.jpg

lovely bike. it should clean up well. I'm very jelous of you.

Thanks!

I've just been studying the bike and i think the simplex triple and front derailleur is an add on.
If you look at the photo of the cranks it shows three small brackets for a chain guard.
It also looks like the center bracket has been pushed slightly out of the way to make room for the front derailleur.

What do you think?

Congrats Dave! Another very French and very cool find. Those lights are the nutz. What;s that strapped over the head badge, a license? I agree... Looks like the FD might be an after thought. What was there originally? Dunno, but I'm gonna be scanning my copy of The Dancing Chain tonight for clues. Great bike.

Oh, oh, oh! Loving that bike. Love.

That headlight and taillight have my heart. One more reason I'd love to live in Europe! Congrats on the find, can't wait to watch where this goes. :)

Thanks and it was a bit more then 10 euros.
I paid 75 euros and delivery was free!!

It was crazy really because i bought it "buy it now" on Ebay from a guy in Dijon which is about 200 miles away from Paris.
I phoned him up and he said he would put it on a train in the internal bike rack for me.
And i just had to meet the train and take the bike!
So free postage!
The guy just told me to send a check when i had the bike.
Nice seller and very trusting!

See, this is the sort of thing that makes me want to chew on my handlebars. Hell, I could sell that derailleur for the equivalent of 75 euro over here.

Tres cool!

What are the tooth counts on the chainrings and freewheel? It looks like a 9-speed half-step-plus-granny setup.

Nice bike!

It looks like the bike maybe was originally a 3 or 4 speed with a single chainring and chainguard, and that the triple chainrings and FD were added later. The chainguard tabs are bent out of the way of the chainrings.

What is the seatpost diameter?

Thanks!

I've just been studying the bike and i think the simplex triple and front derailleur is an add on.
If you look at the photo of the cranks it shows three small brackets for a chain guard.
It also looks like the center bracket has been pushed slightly out of the way to make room for the front derailleur.

What do you think?

I'd agree it originally had a chainguard with a single chainring. I know Bianchi Girl may be interested in that FD.

What's the spacing on the rear dropouts? 114mm = 3 or 4 speeds. 120mm = 5 speeds.

looks nice, I can't wait to see more details of those brake levers.

They look like guidonnets:

http://www.os2.dhs.org/~john/bumby/build3.jpg

They look like guidonnets:



Clearly they are Tektro RL726 cross levers.


:eek: :D

The bike has been stripped down to the last nut and bolt and i got about 50% of it soaking in vinegar.
I'm not sure where to buy the acid that i have seen mentioned on here but i read that vinegar is good for rust removal.

The bike has been stripped down to the last nut and bolt and i got about 50% of it soaking in vinegar.
I'm not sure where to buy the acid that i have seen mentioned on here but i read that vinegar is good for rust removal.

I buy oxylic acid on ebay in multi-pound bags, Its cheap, but not always available. If you have a marine shop in your area, OA is commonly sold as wood bleach.

I buy oxylic acid on ebay in multi-pound bags, Its cheap, but not always available. If you have a marine shop in your area, OA is commonly sold as wood bleach.

Cheers!

Dave,
That bike may have had a chain guard and single chain wheel, but maybe not. Though the Simplex Competition lever-operated FD is probably not original, ....On page 158 of Frank Berto's The Dancing Chain, there is an illustration of a Simplex JUY 53 front derailleur , cable-acctuated, mounted to a brazed on flange with a slot in it that looks very similar to the tab on your seat tube. But maybe not. The description states the JUY 53 was available from '52 to 56, which might be the proper timeline.

Thanks and it was a bit more then 10 euros.
I paid 75 euros and delivery was free!!

It was crazy really because i bought it "buy it now" on Ebay from a guy in Dijon which is about 200 miles away from Paris.
I phoned him up and he said he would put it on a train in the internal bike rack for me.
And i just had to meet the train and take the bike!
So free postage!
The guy just told me to send a check when i had the bike.
Nice seller and very trusting!

Just wanted to quote this crazy yet ingenious bike postage system.
Did the bike buy a ticket, did the train company know what was going on?

Dave,
That bike may have had a chain guard and single chain wheel, but maybe not. Though the Simplex Competition lever-operated FD is probably not original, ....On page 158 of Frank Berto's The Dancing Chain, there is an illustration of a Simplex JUY 53 front derailleur , cable-acctuated, mounted to a brazed on flange with a slot in it that looks very similar to the tab on your seat tube. But maybe not. The description states the JUY 53 was available from '52 to 56, which might be the proper timeline.

Thanks for all of the info!
I think i'm going to rebuild it as a standard three speed because i think that's how it started it's life.
The triple crank might be used on my Peugeot but with TA alu arms instead of the cottered ones.
The front derailleur might be reused as well or sold on.

Just wanted to quote this crazy yet ingenious bike postage system.
Did the bike buy a ticket, did the train company know what was going on?

As far as the train company was concerned the owner of the bike was on the train!
No tickets bought at all for the journey.
I collected it at Gare Paris Bercy which is an end of the line on that route.

I clicked the buy it now about 11am in the morning and the bike was 200 miles away and i collected it at 4.45pm.

I think it was an amazing way to send it but the guy needs to be careful because anyone could say the bike wasn't there when it arrived and scam him out of payment!!
But between two trustful people it is a great way of sending a bike!

Wow, that's an amazing bike!

Tres cool!

What are the tooth counts on the chainrings and freewheel? It looks like a 9-speed half-step-plus-granny setup.

Thanks!

The chainrings are 52 - 48 - 36 the chainrings are Simplex with A Duprat crank arms.
I'm not sure about the freewheel at the moment though but it is three speed.

well if you ever want to get rid of it just put in it on the Thalys and I'll collect it in The Hague :P Beautiful bike, can't wait to see the pics of it in restored state.

I have identified the derailleurs and the front is a Simplex " Competition" and the rear is a Simplex "Grand Tourisme."
The cranks are A Duprat 50bcd.
I have managed to remove most of the rust and the next job is polishing! Nearly all of the chrome was non existent under the rust.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5268/5780888576_1961d65cbe_b.jpg

Dave
(I keep wanting to type "Davey" ...as in Davey Ates !") ...what is that oblong, aluminum box-like thing on the rear rack? Tool box?
thx
Scott

So sweet...so fortunate. You're a lucky man Dave. Congrats.:beer:

Thanks Fast Cloud!

Scott i think they are maybe tool boxes like you said.
There is one on each side of the rack.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3600/5772111885_a2d559a75f_b.jpg

Really cool. Now you need this set of panniers for that bike, though they'd cover up those neat tool boxes.
http://cgi.ebay.com/complete-set-French-panniers-randonneur-bike-bags-/170646382190?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27bb51266e#ht_6334wt_1090

Thanks and it was a bit more then 10 euros.
I paid 75 euros and delivery was free!!

It was crazy really because i bought it "buy it now" on Ebay from a guy in Dijon which is about 200 miles away from Paris.
I phoned him up and he said he would put it on a train in the internal bike rack for me.
And i just had to meet the train and take the bike!
So free postage!
The guy just told me to send a check when i had the bike.
Nice seller and very trusting!


there is no way you could ever do that here! the seller would want something for taking it to the train and you would have to pay first.

it is a great looking bike, those brake levers are something, I guess there was not alot of downhill braking in those days.

those mountains have been there for quite a while though :) i guess people just had a lot more hair on their chest back then. Telling is the story of the first Dutch stage winner in the TdF, a.d. 1936. He couldn't afford a derailler equiped bike, so he went on his criterium single speed normally used for the kermesse courses of Flanders and the south of Holland. He had never seen a mountain before, coming from the flat seaboard plains of Zeeland, yet he won a gruelling mountain stage over the Galibier.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theo_Middelkamp

those mountains have been there for quite a while though :) i guess people just had a lot more hair on their chest back then. Telling is the story of the first Dutch stage winner in the TdF, a.d. 1936. He couldn't afford a derailler equiped bike, so he went on his criterium single speed normally used for the kermesse courses of Flanders and the south of Holland. He had never seen a mountain before, coming from the flat seaboard plains of Zeeland, yet he won a gruelling mountain stage over the Galibier.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theo_Middelkamp

Nice! Thanks!

Here is a video ( about 5 mins in ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qR_8FqbFNI

I wish there was English subtitles!

Actually you can see others with only singlespeed cogs so i don't think it was rare back then to only run a singlespeed or flip flop in the tour.