Road Fan

There's a Rochet on CL in Detroit. Not mine, but I am acquainted with the shop owner. I have not seen the bike.

He didn't give a size, but gives here an asking price:

Description:
Late 50's ; Early 60's Rochet Touring bike.
Magnificent example....Original EVERYTHING but the tires/tubes and air.
Rochet pedals (pedal caps are intact)/Rochet Hubs/ Original Rims/ 4 matching correct wheel wingnuts.
Original LARGE Simplex Front Derailleur with lever shift.
Rear Huret derailleur. All generators/ lights are there with what looks like some of the original wire.
Even the rear Light/Reflector is there. Hand hammered Fish scale Fenders (aluminum) in Excellent shape.
Correct brake levers/ Pivo stem. Nice broken in Pryma Leather seat; post looks correct.
Decals in Very nice shape. 4 Speed rear cog. Mafac Brake calipers.
Price.................3500.00 Contact Brian, bike884@aol.com, Bike Tech, Detroit, MI

Or find the CL ad and work through that.



Road Fan

lotek 

I think this is the picture you're looking for:


Marty

Road Fan

Thanks, Lotek!

skyrider

Seen it also the other day, that is one nice looking bike. There was a picture of the brake setup, which was quite interesting.Does anybody know the history of Rochet its the first I heard of it.

luker

dunno, but it looks very nice. A 58 more'n'likely if those are 700c wheels. Somebody go buy it so we can get some better pictures.

redxj

I searched the CR archive and found this thread and it mentioned Rochet was previously imported by a shop in Detroit. I also found that Sheldon Brown used to own a 58' Touring Rochet.

On a side note about Bike Tech is it worth the trip from Ann Arbor to go visit the shop? I remember a post on CR list asking for Vintage friendly shops and they were mentioned. I also remember a picture posted on FGG with 4 early Paramounts taken at the shop.

Road Fan

I went there once after work, when I worked in Dearborn. There were a good number of better vintage bikes on the floor. One beauty was a tiny 49 cm or so Columbus/full NR Atala in full vintage kit, and another was an Italian low-end bike boom frame (might also have been Atala) that was repainted and decaled to duplicate a Colnago! Kids in my high school always threatened to do this, but here was a real-world example.

There's a lot to see, but Brian's prices would not suit you, redxj!

Road Fan

oldroads

This morning I looked at a 1957-ish Rochet.
Original owner.
They gave me a couple photos of it, which I will post on my site tomorrow.
I'm going to go back next week and measure it and take my own photos.

We'll be selling it for the owner.

randyjawa 

Several years ago, I found an old Rochet at the Dump. I found a Moulton 4 Speed there, the same day.




I swapped that old rusty and bent Rochet, for my drop dead gorgeous, mid-seventies Marinoni Quebec. The Moulton, I swapped for a NOS brooks honey large rivet Professional saddle, and it, too, is fitted to the Marinoni...

Noah Scape

^ You found a Moulton 4 Speed at the dump? I've been looking for one for years... never thought to look at the dump. How often do you check at the dump?

randyjawa 

This time of the year, in bloody, cold, snowy, unforgiving, governed by Harper, Canada, eh? At least once a week. Jut today, I picked these two bicycles up. Both are mountain bikes, one a nice mid level Norco and in good shape, the other a dept store mtn bike, also good shape.

Neither, are of interest to me, and they, coupled with others, picked up in the past few days, will be on their way to the B4H storage facility, tomorrow. I did promise to mention that the bird is really tired of guarding my bicycles and wants me to find him a girl bird...