Le beau est aussi utile que l'utile - The French Bike Thread
#1
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Thread Starter
Le beau est aussi utile que l'utile - The French Bike Thread
Is anyone interested in posting pics of your French bikes? I think it would make a neat thread. I think the only rules need to be that the frame at least was manufactured in France of by a French company.
My only French bike is one I've already posted, but since it's the only one I have and we need to start somewhere I'll post it again to get us started.
It's a mid 80's Columbus tubed Gitane I've been having some fun with.

please post your French bikes for us all to covet.
My only French bike is one I've already posted, but since it's the only one I have and we need to start somewhere I'll post it again to get us started.
It's a mid 80's Columbus tubed Gitane I've been having some fun with.
please post your French bikes for us all to covet.
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Jack Taylor Super Tourer Tandem (FOR SALE), Jack Taylor Tour of Britain, Px-10, Carlton Flyer, Fuji The Finest, Salsa Fargo, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Carver All-Road .
I prefer emails to private messages - holiday76@gmail.com
Jack Taylor Super Tourer Tandem (FOR SALE), Jack Taylor Tour of Britain, Px-10, Carlton Flyer, Fuji The Finest, Salsa Fargo, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Carver All-Road .
#3
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If I had a Herse such as yours I'd stop buying French bikes too. N'est Plus Ultra, non?
marty
marty
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#4
Who cares, just ride it!
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I'm yet to find a classic French bike (anybody have any leads on a 64-65cm frame?), but here's my girlfriend's custom single speed 1972ish Peugeot PX-10:

#7
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I completely forgot, I do have another French bike , ha!
a big UO-8 that I'm still trying to figure out what to do with:
a big UO-8 that I'm still trying to figure out what to do with:
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I prefer emails to private messages - holiday76@gmail.com
Jack Taylor Super Tourer Tandem (FOR SALE), Jack Taylor Tour of Britain, Px-10, Carlton Flyer, Fuji The Finest, Salsa Fargo, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Carver All-Road .
I prefer emails to private messages - holiday76@gmail.com
Jack Taylor Super Tourer Tandem (FOR SALE), Jack Taylor Tour of Britain, Px-10, Carlton Flyer, Fuji The Finest, Salsa Fargo, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Carver All-Road .
#8
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74 Motobecane Grand Record:

76 Motobecane Super Mirage - Homemade 3 Speed City bike

76 Motobecane Super Mirage - Homemade 3 Speed City bike

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Early 1970s St. Etienne, converted to 650B and powdercoated gloss black:

Neal

Neal
#10
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
I love my French girls... I named them Edith (after Piaf) and Bridgette (after Bardot).

1957 PLX8 - original and unrestored.

1962 P6 (?) - dumpster save and fixed gear conversion

1957 PLX8 - original and unrestored.

1962 P6 (?) - dumpster save and fixed gear conversion
#12
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1988 Gitane Team Pro.

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#15
Disraeli Gears
That's "Ne Plus Ultra" -- nothing better.
J'ai troix bécanes Franēaises (projets):
60 cm Motobécane Team Champion 1984 (in the shop having a dropout fixed)

I have now gotten hubs, rims, brakes, seatpost, saddle for it, need 44 cm Giro d'Italia bars and a 1R stem in the 90 mm range; and tubulars.
And two nearly identical (lugs excepted) 63 cm 1970s Jeunet Franche-Comte frames (Reynolds 531 DB), one frame + fork alone, and the other a complete bike with the TA Pro 5 vis cranks and Mafac brakes, but also parts that don't seem original, like Suntour derailers and stem shifters. One bike has plain lugs, and the other more fancy, perhaps Nervex. I don't actually have the "fancy" complete bike at home, still with my brother in Seattle.


One of these is destined to resume its useful life with me as a singlespeed; and I'll probably sell the frame I don't build up. So far have hubs, rims, stem, Idéale 80 saddle, lacking a quality seatpost.
J'ai troix bécanes Franēaises (projets):
60 cm Motobécane Team Champion 1984 (in the shop having a dropout fixed)

I have now gotten hubs, rims, brakes, seatpost, saddle for it, need 44 cm Giro d'Italia bars and a 1R stem in the 90 mm range; and tubulars.
And two nearly identical (lugs excepted) 63 cm 1970s Jeunet Franche-Comte frames (Reynolds 531 DB), one frame + fork alone, and the other a complete bike with the TA Pro 5 vis cranks and Mafac brakes, but also parts that don't seem original, like Suntour derailers and stem shifters. One bike has plain lugs, and the other more fancy, perhaps Nervex. I don't actually have the "fancy" complete bike at home, still with my brother in Seattle.


One of these is destined to resume its useful life with me as a singlespeed; and I'll probably sell the frame I don't build up. So far have hubs, rims, stem, Idéale 80 saddle, lacking a quality seatpost.
Last edited by Charles Wahl; 11-13-08 at 08:56 PM.
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Someday, I'm thinking I may take away the original Shimano 600 setup
and refit this ~ 1980 Bertin with French components. Still, the ornate Arabesque
flourishes are somehow fitting.
I bought this in an impulsive reaction to not being able to find just the right
Grand Record. Anybody for a trade?
More pic details if you're interested.
and refit this ~ 1980 Bertin with French components. Still, the ornate Arabesque
flourishes are somehow fitting.
I bought this in an impulsive reaction to not being able to find just the right
Grand Record. Anybody for a trade?
More pic details if you're interested.
Last edited by afilado; 11-13-08 at 09:32 PM. Reason: add comment
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My '80 Motobecane Super Touring.

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I have a white PX-10, a Green Dawes Galaxy and an Orange Falcon, now I'm done.
I have a white PX-10, a Green Dawes Galaxy and an Orange Falcon, now I'm done.
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Here's my herd.,,,,BD
78/79 PX something. Probably 10?

1985 Peugeot PGN-10. Full pearl white 105 group with dual pivot brakes. Pretty light for a
501 framed bike. Must be the 105, hehe

77 or 78 Motobecane Grand Touring. After trying 3 or more VGT luxe derailleurs, I finally broke down today and installed a long cage Deore(silver) All shifting problems ceased immediately.

75 or 76 Motobecane Grand Record. Going to be a total redo. Have 98% of the NR stuff ready, and working a local deal for a suitable fork. Just need top tube clamps, and I'm about to send a Paypal payment
. With new paint, decals and clear. Should be a real looker.
78/79 PX something. Probably 10?

1985 Peugeot PGN-10. Full pearl white 105 group with dual pivot brakes. Pretty light for a
501 framed bike. Must be the 105, hehe

77 or 78 Motobecane Grand Touring. After trying 3 or more VGT luxe derailleurs, I finally broke down today and installed a long cage Deore(silver) All shifting problems ceased immediately.

75 or 76 Motobecane Grand Record. Going to be a total redo. Have 98% of the NR stuff ready, and working a local deal for a suitable fork. Just need top tube clamps, and I'm about to send a Paypal payment


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So many bikes, so little dime.
So many bikes, so little dime.
#19
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Good luck on those Campy cable clamps, they are hard to come by.
Here's my herd.,,,,BD
78/79 PX something. Probably 10?

1985 Peugeot PGN-10. Full pearl white 105 group with dual pivot brakes. Pretty light for a
501 framed bike. Must be the 105, hehe

77 or 78 Motobecane Grand Touring. After trying 3 or more VGT luxe derailleurs, I finally broke down today and installed a long cage Deore(silver) All shifting problems ceased immediately.

75 or 76 Motobecane Grand Record. Going to be a total redo. Have 98% of the NR stuff ready, and working a local deal for a suitable fork. Just need top tube clamps, and I'm about to send a Paypal payment
. With new paint, decals and clear. Should be a real looker.

78/79 PX something. Probably 10?

1985 Peugeot PGN-10. Full pearl white 105 group with dual pivot brakes. Pretty light for a
501 framed bike. Must be the 105, hehe

77 or 78 Motobecane Grand Touring. After trying 3 or more VGT luxe derailleurs, I finally broke down today and installed a long cage Deore(silver) All shifting problems ceased immediately.

75 or 76 Motobecane Grand Record. Going to be a total redo. Have 98% of the NR stuff ready, and working a local deal for a suitable fork. Just need top tube clamps, and I'm about to send a Paypal payment


#20
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~1983 Motobecane Super Mirage. Spent a little too much money bringing it back to life as a commuter, but learning a lot and the project was mostly fun. The ride is super smooth, but the Michelin City tires don't roll well, notably slower than other 80s steel I've ridden.

Will probably stay this way into next year, but I'm getting a hankering for a singlespeed, and this is the best candidate in my fleet at the moment.

Will probably stay this way into next year, but I'm getting a hankering for a singlespeed, and this is the best candidate in my fleet at the moment.
#23
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Here's mine. I have two Peugeot's showing up today courtesy of my dad - a 1984 PSV-10 (my first racing bike and one I still covet) and and 1970's model that I'll have to research but I think it's UO-8. Free is good.
1984 Gitane Tour De France (red) and 1984 Gitane Sprint (blue)
1984 Gitane Tour De France (red) and 1984 Gitane Sprint (blue)
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1984 Gitane Tour de France; 1968 Peugeot PL8; 1982 Nishiki Marina 12; 1984 Peugeot PSV; 1993 Trek 950 mtb; 1983 Vitus 979; Colnago Super, mid-80's Bianchi Veloce, 1984 or 85 Vitus 979
1984 Gitane Tour de France; 1968 Peugeot PL8; 1982 Nishiki Marina 12; 1984 Peugeot PSV; 1993 Trek 950 mtb; 1983 Vitus 979; Colnago Super, mid-80's Bianchi Veloce, 1984 or 85 Vitus 979
#24
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okay, I'm officially going to stop trying to revive my high school french.
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Thanks to those who took the time to post pics of their bikes. I never tire of looking at French bikes, although I have to say, there really wasn't much left on French road bikes that was characteristically French by the 1980's.
For the record, that's "nec plus ultra", which is actually not French but rather a Latin expression used in French.
For the record, that's "nec plus ultra", which is actually not French but rather a Latin expression used in French.