Hey everyone! I wrote up a new post with some pictures of my Rene Herse Crank set up. Let me know what any of you think about the set up and if you have any suggestions.

Thanks!

J


https://ezcyclist.com/the-two-wheel-t...ne-herse-crank

The hex to square adapter is interesting .. where do those come from? that a 3/8" or 1/2 " drive?

Rene Herse , Alex Singer....epitome of french cycling.....

Dandy Horse circa 1790, french.

Later, and equally unverified, is the contention that Comte de Sivrac developed a célérifère in 1791, demonstrating it at the Palais-Royal in France. The célérifère supposedly had two wheels set on a rigid wooden frame and no steering, directional control being limited to that attainable by leaning.[SUP][4][/SUP] A rider was said to have sat astride the machine and pushed it along using alternate feet. It is now thought that the two-wheeled célérifère never existed (though there were four-wheelers) and it was instead a misinterpretation by the well-known French journalist Louis Baudry de Saunier in 1891.[SUP][5][/SUP]


René Louis Théodore Herse (1908–1976)[SUP][1][/SUP] was a highly regarded French builder of ultra-high-end touring, randonneur and racing bicycles. His works are still sought after by collectors and riders.


Me thinks trying to get rich on the bones of a master....


https://www.pedalinghistory.com/PHhistory.html

Autos: again the french
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile

I choose Puegeot..

2cv

the socket for the crank bolt is 3/8 ths drive. the adapter was from a set purchased at a Lowes home improvement store. The tool was the house brand Kobalt.

Nice review and pics. I wonder what Shimano thinks of their CX70 FD suddenly being popular for "classic" 46/XX doubles. Or if it's even a blip on their radar, really.

It would have been a keeper for me if I was using a skinny chain..... the derailleur is a smooth shifter.

Looks like you chose a 46/30 setup? I put a 44/28 René Herse double on my latest bike, and I'm pretty happy with the results. I do a fair amount of climbing, and I don't mind coasting downhill after 25 mph, so the 23-90 inch range the 44/28 and 13-30 cassette give me is pretty good.

I'm using a Shimano 105 FD, which is made for a bigger big ring and needs to be trimmed more than I would like. But otherwise, the setup (with Dura Ace downtube shifters--9-speed indexed in the rear, friction up front) seems to be working fine. I did the 100K D2R2 on it a couple weeks ago and had no problems whatsoever (other than fender stay bolts vibrating loose after a few miles downhill on washboard roads...).

The 44/28, nice choice for the hills. Before the CX70 and the Herse cranks I had the 105 with 46-36-26 Suginos. I probably could have just kept the 105 and passed on the CX 70. All of these changes have made for a fine parts bin eagerly awaiting a new project.

What do you think of Sugino cranks?

which ones specifically? , or the Whole Company?

on the whole they are adequate .. , better than some , not as fancy as others.

Even though the question was addressed to someone else, for what it's worth, I was thinking along the lines of the XD-350.

as opposed to what other ones?

What tooth count do you need , or will you be happy with stock sizes?

lol, are you implying they're all the same? I was googling the other day and found a message from someone saying he broke all kinds of cranks.

People that are hard on their gear tend to break things more often

than people that are a bit more careful and ride less aggressively .

It's a choice .. ride hard then get new stuff more often .

the pros start with new stuff frequently.



Lots of stuff is adequate , some folks posting here (from work usually),

love OCD levels of analysis to paralysis..


thats a choice too.

I have XDs on my Atlantis and Rambouillet, about 15,000 and 10,000 miles, 46-36-24 and 48-38-28. No problems ever, work fine, look fine, get the job done and cost ~$100 when I bought them. I'm not much of a component freak--if stuff works, I don't care how much it costs or whose name is on it. I'd buy these again in a second.

People who break a lot of equipment usually brag about it, which makes me think that on some level, they're doing it on purpose. The pros don't break much (partly because their bikes are expertly maintained, but they also know what they're doing). I weigh 240, and while I'm a geezer now, I used to be a strong, high-mileage rider. I almost never broke anything except spokes, and when I did, it was usually my fault, crashing a pothole or screwing something up. Don't be impressed by people who boast about how many bikes they've destroyed.

Those cranks are simply gorgeous...I love blingy things that work!