non-fixie 

"Snel" is Dutch for "quick".

It is also the surname of the founder of a rather well-known Dutch bike shop in Utrecht. Founded in 1938, they made a name for themselves by selling nice bikes, especially touring bikes. These days, they're still one of the go-to shops when looking for good quality trekking bikes.

A few weeks ago I was looking for a bike for a rather tall acquaintance. 65cm was what she needed. A quick search in the classifieds turned up this (late eighties?) 65cm Snel. She wasn't interested, the price was rather high, and I forgot about it.

But I'd marked it as a "favorite" on the local auction site, and last week I started getting automated messages that said the seller had lowered his price. Every couple of days he'd take off €25. And since I like Snel, and 65cm is a size that would fit me it got my attention. When it came into my "reasonable price" range, I put in an offer, and after a bit of back-and-forthing, we agreed and I picked up the bike today.

This is what came out of the back of my car a couple of hours ago:



The Hellenic stays were what caught my attention in the first place, but there are a few more nice touches.

The rear brake arrangement, for instance:



The ST braze-on for a shifter with which to control the BB-mounted generator:



I really like the graphics, especially the headbadge:



And there were a few nice surprises that weren't evident in the ad. Campagnolo drop-outs ....



... a working IKU Cyclotronic ....



... and last, but certainly not least, Max-Car hubs:



It needs some work to get it into the right shape for me, but it's in good working order (the seller rode it to work today to make sure it was before handing it over ). I am really looking forward to this project.

clubman 

Sharp tourer.

thook

score 100% !!

juvela

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Thanks very much for sharing this wonderful new arrival non-fixie!

I think this is the first time i have seen a centrepull bridge mounted backwards due to the cable routing arrangement.

Gotta enjoy the Grecian seat cluster...

Be careful readers, the header on his next thread is likely to be RAUS!

bikemig 

mooi and snel,

non-fixie 

Thanks for the kind replies, guys. Much appreciated. I'll be cleaning and adjusting it over the next couple of evenings, and hope to take it for a nice log spin, before deciding on the build. If it rides anywhere near as good as it looks, I'll be one happy campeur.


I have seen this rear brake arrangement before, on a French randonneuse, IIRC. Presumably to get the brakes out of harm's way when riding with a fully loaded rear rack?

The 'triple triangle' configuration looks interesting. Not sure what the intended benefits are, but it looks cool. It wouldn't surprise me if it had something to do with the fact that one of Snel's main competitors, Vittorio, used that configuration as well. This is fellow member @Elev12k's Vittorio Strada randonneur which I was fortunate enough to see in the flesh a few years ago:



A little more recently, @pullup built up a very nice one as well:

juvela

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One aesthetically pleasing aspect of the Hellenic examples cited in signal nr. 6 is the parallelism of the seat stays to the downtube.

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Slightly OT -

One of the numerous things I have noticed about non-fixie's many fabulous intakes through the years of my participation in the forum is the complete absence of mention of the N + 1 subject. Am beginning to think that schloss non-fixie may be similar to Dr. Who's Tardis in that it is as infinitely large as it ever needs to be...on the inside.

Either that or he has a most wonderful relationship with Mrs. non-fixie!


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qcpmsame 

Well bought @non-fixie, you seem to find some really nice bicycles over across the pond/channel

Bill

juvela

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+ 1



we usually refer to his province as "Polderia"


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Lascauxcaveman 

Wow. Everything on that bike is extra-cool. Except maybe the old-timey computer; that's kinda dorky. But it's amazing it still works!

Great catch.

non-fixie 

Definitely the latter.

Although it keeps surprising me how many bikes one can fit in a given amount of space when really determined.

non-fixie 

Thanks! The really cool thing about that otherwise dorky-looking computer is that it needs no batteries. It just works. I think Elon Musk needs to talk to the people who invented this system.

non-fixie 

Back to the bike: I just pulled the seatpost, as I need to lower it, and I wanted to check the size. It's a 25.8 and it's just a little too small. The 'ears' are pinched a bit more than I feel they should be. I opened them up and checked. 25.8 is too loose. The next size up that I have available - 26.4 - doesn't really fit without more force than I think it should need.

The in-between sizes don't seem to match anything, other than a few very specific late eighties, early nineties American bikes.

Any thoughts?

juvela

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Makers of quality pillars with integral clamps typically offer them in fourteen sizes ranging from 25.0mm to 27.4mm in increments of .2mm.

26.0mm and 26.2mm are not at all rare or odd sizes. you should have no difficulty in locating something which makes a good fit...


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juvela

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This comment is rather rich, coming as it does from a cyclist who rides steel frames, friction shifting, non-aero cable routing and toe clips.


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non-fixie 

I'm sure you are correct, but somehow sizes below 26.4 are rare in my bins. I only have a few in 25.0 because I have especially sourced those for some early alumin(i)um frames. I guess I'll have to dig up the steel posts and see if I have one that fits or accept the pinched ears for the time being ....

clubman 

Order one of those 26.2 Triplex pillars in the Sales thread. He's in Finland.

If it's tight you can polish it down to size.

TenGrainBread

One can usually find a nice American Classic post in the 26.0-26.4mm range online.

That bike is great. I've always wanted to get one with the seat tube shifter mount for generator actuation.

juvela

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XXVI.IV is common for Oytoy quality plain gauge.

Me guess would be that builder selected plain gauge due to -

a) frame size

b) load carrying

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non-fixie 

Thanks guys. I'm sure I'll find a solution. For now I've put the original post back in, as I dearly wanted to take this bike for a spin. The weather is atrocious (rain!), so it was probably the shortest test ride I ever did without breaking anything.

It was interesting, though. Compared to the bikes I usually ride it felt like a truck at first, and it didn't seem to like corners. Not suited to crit racing then. However, once I got it up to speed it seemed to wake up, and my initial feeling of slight disappointment disappeared. The PO had told me it was stiff, and it is. It feels very solid. It also rolls along with an aplomb I've never felt in a bike before. I'm looking forward to taking it out for a longer ride.

I've weighed it as pictured, and at 35lbs it is no lightweight. Replacing the tires will shave off a couple of pounds, but adding a generator and lights will probably compensate that. We'll see where it ends up.

The actual size is 64.5cm CT, and the fit is spot on for my longer distance rides. Very French.

juvela

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Thanks very much for this new photo and report!


Since it has nice "roll" you might wish to check shell height - it may be a low one - for the low countries of course.

Size -

has anyone else noticed that nearly every fascinating cycle found by non-fixie is "just the right size"?

the rest of us seem to find no end of bikes we'd love to own but which always are way off on size...


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non-fixie 

I have a micro-adjustable post in 26.4 that would be perfect. I'll clean up the inside of the seat tube and that post a bit and see where that gets me.

non-fixie 

That's probably the worst photo I've posted thus far on these boards, but thanks anyway. WRT height: imagine the size I'd be riding if I lived in the high countries!

seedsbelize 

We had dinner, this evening, with our Belizean/Dutch friends. Naud told me 'Snel' means 'fast'. But you already know that. It is red after all.
Our last night in Belize for this year's visit.

Wildwood

Non-fixie’s comment about the bike ‘waking up’ at speed and feeling sluggish is a quality I have noticed on a couple of frames. 531 straight gauge and a high ten frame with chromo fork.