I want to build a 1930's replica frame of a typical bike used in the Tour de France. Is there a database or website that has tube lengths, frame angles, fork offset, etc.?? Any help is appreciated.
Note: Also posted in Frame Builders forum.

Not a database site but several pics of TDF bikes through the years.

GIzmodo.com> 101 years of TDF bikes

The Dancing Chain. I believe derailleurs were banned until around '37/8

There's a neat hardcover book called Rebour, by Rob van der Plas, that collects a couple thousand of Daniel Rebour's technical drawings of bicycles, including drawings of many Tour de France winning bikes. I suspect the drawings are accurate enough for your purposes.

You might solicit [MENTION=80669]Six jours[/MENTION]'s input as well. IIRC, he built a bike with that kind of early geometry and didn't end up liking it much.

My 1933 Frejus corsa is as follows.

Seat tube - 58 ctc
Top tube - 60 ctc
Wheelbase - 110
Chainstays - 47 (center of axle to center of BB)
Head tube angle - 72
Seat tube angle - 70

From what I can tell the bikes from the early days of racing look to be very uncomfortable and Im not entirely sure Id want to ride a bike with the type of geometry that they used in the 1920's or 30's

OP .... I am interested in this project though and would love to see what you build.

The above photo is from the Gizmodo site mentioned above.
https://gizmodo.com/100-years-of-tou...n-of-709973821

Don't be too alarmed by the slack seat tube angle characteristic of early bikes (see also the dimensions [MENTION=57649]iab[/MENTION] posted for his Frejus Corsa, above). As in the photo above, on earlier bikes the seat was typically mounted in front of the seat post, which on a 58 cm frame effectively shortens the top tube by as about 3 cm. If you take that into account, the seat on a bike with the seat mounted in front of a 68 degree seat tube is in the same location, in relation to the bottom bracket, as it would be mounted behind the post on a 73 degree seat tube.

ThermionicScott, seems I may need to find a Pashley before building a frame. I knew a guy that had one, and will see if he still has it. Iab, the chainstays and seat angle are what I figured they would be, however the 72 head angle is a surprise. Perhaps more research is needed before lighting up!

With the stated dimensions by iab, you could get pretty close, just need bottom bracket drop, and the fork rake which could be drafted out to obtain.
A 72° head angle with a generous rake will tell a tale of handling.

About a decade ago, Jan Heine wrote a book called The Competition Bicycle. It lovingly examined 2-3 dozen racing bicycles, covering about a century of evolution. He took the time to measure the geometry of each bicycle and compile the dimensions in an index. Unfortunately, I can't recall which bicycles were featured from the 1930s. Surely, some member has this book and can help out the OP?

Wow, that is amazing. Such different geo from modern and semi-modern frames.

"Modern" geometry was born in the 1930s. You can see the difference between the 1924 and 1934 photos in the Gizmodo article.

1924


1934

I have a copy.
Three '30's road machines including an Oscar Egg which comes in at 9.9KG.
Grab a used copy from the usual inter-web source for ~$10.
A very good book to have on hand. w/ original machines from 1885-1994.

-Bandera

Quite a difference there. I see the long chain stays remain in 34, and the fork offset looks to be the same between 24 and 34, however the frame angles are certainly steeper on the 34. Perhaps more paved road surfaces were emerging 10 years later, hence the steeper angles and shorter trail. I am waiting an answer from the guy with the Pashley, but I bet the angles are around 70-71. My 84 Miyata Ridge Runner has a 68 head angle and 71 seat angle, I expect the Pashley to be similar.

If you want to do this thing right, Hilary Stone (www.hilarystone.com) has a late 30's Gloria frame that would fit the bill.

I don't know what the French and Italian bikes were made of, but by the late 30's English bikes were 531 frames, often with an Accles & Pollock kromo fork. Those forks were very springy; if you look down, while riding one, you can see it springing forward and backward with the bumps. It's probably partly a matter of the(rather extreme) bend and offset of the fork blades, and partly a matter of the material; dunno. Comfortable, though! either way, it is part of the way these bikes ride.

Have a look at the Speedbicycles site; there are a number of 1930s bikes there

Here you can found good material (Terrot): Plans d'usine de pièces Terrot, Magnat-Debon - ARBRACAM Dijon: motos Terrot, Magnat-Debon et deux-roues anciens

Quite a change alright. I as another poster said, I bet road conditions had a lot to do with the longer, earlier bikes. I can only imagine what it would be like riding a modern twitchy bike on the roads I've always read about back in the early days of road racing in Europe.

No need to imagine, just find yourself some gravel and try it.

Seriously!