Looking for info on Philippe brand
 

Anyone know anything about the Philippe brand? I’ve found some info on that brand’s stems, but none on their frames. I bought it off a friend, who bought it off a customer at a bike shop, and thinks it may be hand-made and French. It has Columbus SLX super butted tubing, all late 1980's/early 1990's Dura-Ace components, except the handle bars and stem oddly enough. It’s somewhat similar in look to this Pinarello: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinarello. Any information welcomed. Thanks.

Not sure if this bike is related to the company that makes the bars and stems so common on low to mid level french bikes of the 60/70's, but you never know. With the components and frame material you note, this "Philippe" bike seems to be top of the line stuff!

Not to mention on high-level bikes like René Herse. As to the frame, you may find this interesting:

http://search.bikelist.org/getmsg.as...10701.0210.eml

The frame builder is not the same as the component manufacturer.

A fascinating article, giving a ringing endorsement backed up by hard facts, such as "The company was started in 1984 ... and ... is still trading from the same address ... 43 years later."

You do know what a typo is, correct? Norris's post was from 2007, which would be 23 years after when he states the company started.

Their web site: http://philippebicycles.free.fr/. The OP may want to contact them for more info.

There is no information about the early production at their website, or at the factory available.
I was there at August 2010. Actually I drove to the factory in Blois (F) with my bike (Philippe No. 30), 600 miles in 6 days, to receive more informations.
Pictures of my bike:
http://fotos.rennrad-news.de/tags/view/philippe/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14734139@N00/3473614073/
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3364/...0b7_z.jpg?zz=1
I drove this bike on the l'Eroica 2009 (135km) and 2010 (195km), probably the hardest cycle marathon in Europe, opened only for classic cycles.
I can assure you that it is a very pleasant, comfortable, but firm ride even under worst conditions.

This is how I received the frame:
http://www.rennrad-news.de/forum/sho...&postcount=105
Weight of the frame is 1730g (56cm height), which is very lightweight for Reynolds 531 (more in the range of 531SL)
The lugs are custom made and stamped with the production nbr.

The steel bikes were handbuild by the father of the previous owner, and all old bikes and records were scrapped when the junior took over (this is what the people in the PHILIPPE shop told me). They did steel frames for other brands too, and one model was sold under their name with a slightly different lettering, but not fully matching the finest build quality of my bike:
http://www.rennrad-news.de/forum/sho...hilippe&page=7

(Scroll down for the golden frame made of Columbuy SLX; the story goes about my tour to Blois, you see me at the PHILLIPPE Shop in Blois)

They told me at the shop that my bike could me the oldest one of their brand which survived.
Another Philippe with the same lettering is here http://www.flickr.com/photos/1932125...7612358253179/

I have to add that my bike isn't for sale, and I would welcome any other information to the historic bikes of that company (which has nothing to do with the excellently made french Philippe bars), see pictures of them or come in contact with owners. You can eMail me at taunusreiter at yahoo dot de. Thanks for your interest!

They were standard on the Motobecane Grand Record and Le Champion as well as Alex Singer. So they were found on high end and custom constructeur bikes as well.

taunide, welcome to BF. Good info on the brand, and nice bike you have there.

Someday if I'm lucky I can join you at L'Eroica.

Wow, that's a beauty!

Jillions of Peugeots in the 80's were sold with Philippe Guidon bars with Atax stems. they looked very nic, and the bends were appropriate enough for the intended uses of the bikes, but IIRC, they were very light but they were quite flexy and seemed to be made from thinner gauge aluminum tubing, compared to most other brands.
I've only heard of/seen the Phillipe bars, this is the first time I've seen a "Philippe" bike.

Chombi

Thanks! Actually there is a Philippe (Columbus SL) of the 1980's in American ebay, looking similar to the frame in the shop (photo linked), in a well used condition. I think it deserves to find a good home, even it's from a later decade than mine and coming from a larger series, obviously produced in a more industrial way.

A bike shop I was working in around 1985 sold a few of these...They were made in France with SLX tubing. i recall that our mamager had seen their display at a New York bike show, and was impressed enough with them to order a few...Three,as I recall.
I've never seen them elsewhere...

There's one in Minnesota, Stillwater to be exact.

I've posted my Philippe for sale on ebay.com:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Philippe-Bicycle...item4aa5f68076

Thanks for looking.

I bought a Philippe frame in 1985 or so from a bike shop in Suffolk County on Long Island called Carl Hart Bicycles. It is made of Columbus SLX tubing and I was informed that it was made by a small French frame builder, but I never had any information on it. I see that the company is apparently still in business as Cycles Philippe.

OMG that’s a beautiful bike. Pure class.

FWIW there is currently a purported Phillipe offered on the Portland CL

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...ae34b5f8ce.jpg

Has absolutely nothing to do with the French bars and stems.

There was a French Phillipe framemaker, and also an American (or Canadian ?).

The American Phillipe wasn't around that long.