>> I've put roughly 18 (fast) miles on it so far and my shoulder blades and neck feel very good. She's an edgy rocket....<<

If this rides at all like my Rigi, it's a seat of your pants thrill, exciting in the same way a good roller coaster is exciting. Just be very careful at high speeds. My Rigi has this 'evil mind' thing going on. When I'm going really fast, above around 35mph, and I hit a bump, even just a little one, I feel like I'm going one way and the bike has gone schizoid. It goes where it wants to go, and you are *wrestling* to get it back under 'behavioral control'.

Scary as **** but wildly fun!

You got it RFC!

Citoyen du Monde, That is a gorgeous Rigi! Quite excellent condition and I've never seen a bottom bracket like that... What is the story behind it? Did someone in your family pass it down or was it a good find someplace else?
(And yes, I like the short wheelbase a lot!)

dannyg1, I know exactly what you mean. To me it feels like I am a rock being skipped across a pond and it is a challenge to "wrestle" the machine back under my control! I'm glad it's not just me who noticed it...
Pics of yours please; We want pictures, We want pictures!!

Mecacycle
 

This is the name of a small lightweight cycle company based in St Etienne, the home of the French cycle industry. The company was in business in the 1980s..and had its ups-and-downs. Some of the framebuilders used to work in the Service de Course workshop at Mercier...just around the corner.

The company made all types of frames including training, track, time-trialling, touring, and cyclo-cross. The split seat tube model - the TURBO - is the company's best-known model, with this short-wheelbase design being available for road, track and cyclo-cross use.


The early frames were entirely lugless, but later ones had the investment cast bottom-bracket. Normally the frames were built in Super Vitus 971 tubing..but there was a choice of other tubes.

For some detail pictures and more information check the MECACYCLE section on www.flickr.com/photos/cyclecrank/ . There's a lot of other interesting stuff on the site including some frames that I built under the BESPOKE brand-name.

Happy viewing

Norris

I bought the frame in Italy after seeing some photos of it. It was listed as a funny-bike with 26" front wheel and 700C rear wheel. When it arrived, I was somewhat disappointed that it was for 26" wheels both front and rear. I therefore decided to make the most of it and build it up as a bike for my daughter. She didn't want drop bars, which is why I installed the upright bars. I built up the wheels with some tubular rims that I had lying around. When she outgrows the bike, it will go to her sister and then be sold onwards

Citoyen du Monde, that sounds like a very happy accident to me! When they get older I'll bet that they will have very fond memories of riding such a high-caliber bike....:)

Cyclecrank,
Welcome to the site! Thank you for the information and allow me to say WOW!! :eek: That Columbus Bespoke Criterium is BREATHTAKING!!
Please tell us more about your work! And don't be afraid to share/post any other photos or links..

Where are you based out of? I am blown away by the "4 Aces" on the inside of the fork....:thumb:

(I don't want anybody to think that I am complaining about the bike; I simply wanted to give an honest/comprehensive critique of the machine since we don't see these often at all. Overall I give it a 5 out of 5 and considering the era/available technology at that time, I think that it deserves a 6 out of 5!)

bigwoo,
Re: the side mount front derailleur. I recall a thread on here 1-2 years ago where someone was searching for one of those, and there were several suggestions. It might be worth a search.

I recall a machining job someone did to a Campagnolo FD that fit to a Rigi. Probably easiest to use Rigi as your search term here and on the CR list.

I'll take some photos of my Rigi soon. It's out of the rotation at the moment due to the winter but I suppose it's time to pull it to the front.

Citoyen du Monde,

Looking through your photostream now and I'm in love with your collection! I find the Sabliere chrome frame really interestin; did he build the Rigi stainless bikes?
Are you still building and can you do the Flying Gates like that 83 Jack Quayle? Incredible bike.

That is Norris you are referring to CYCLECRANK

Thanks BB,
I took your advice and found it! http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...de+mount+front
The Jubilee is working very well right now, but you know it's only a matter of time/miles

Looks like Miamijim and several others came up w/ some good suggestions... :thumb:

Mecacycle..
 

The Mecacycle was designed around a choice of two front mechs..both of them French.

Huret did one model..but it was quite rare..a variation of the Jubilee, but the more widely used one was the SIMPLEX.

This model was a standard production model that had a bracket with a long verical slot in it. The mech was attached to the frame by an Allen head bolt, probably 5mm..that simply screwed into a bottle boss brazed onto the frame. They fit very rigidly. The desugn of the fitting was Simplex's answer to the Campagnolo type of brazed-on front mech braket...but more effective and easier to fix.

These Simplex mechs turn up on a regular basis on French Ebay..

To view other twin-seat tube frames just visit the GELIANO pages of my site at www.flickr.com/photos/cyclecrank


Norris...Settle UK