The Daily Bike
- Thread starter sinuhexavier
- Start date
sinuhexavier
Explorer
S
Squatchout
Guest
Too cool! Sew ups(?) and a Huret Jubilee dreailuer on a touring bike! Last one of those derailuers I saw sold in good shape went for big bucks. Way obsolete but with a drilled cage it was the lightest derailluer ever made. Folks doing period restos on racing bikes love them. Suprised to see one on a touring bike they only shift a ten speed and will only wrap about a 24 tooth cog max. What bike is that? Looks like a '70s Raleigh International or maybe an old Dawes. Thanks for sharing.
I read the link got my answers. Alex Singer French not English. Explains the Ideal saddle.
I read the link got my answers. Alex Singer French not English. Explains the Ideal saddle.
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Christophe Noel
Expedition Leader
This is a true randonee bike. Think of it as the original credit card touring bike in some ways. In the 1920s, big day-long "races" were becoming very popular. These were races with huge distances, and were measured with time checks along the route. These races were called Audax rides (audacious) in the U.K. The French loved these rides and called them Brevets. They're still very popular today. We've sort of renamed them again as Grand Fondos. Lots of historic names thrown around, usually without much historic accuracy, but what's new.
Back to the bike. A proper randonee bike was a bit like a touring bike paired with some racing enfluences. Because the rides were unsupported, riders would use large bar and cardice bags. Later, this mode became perfect for light touring in Europe where riders could ride from inn to inn without being bogged down with camping kit. Today we call that credit card touring. So much for catchy names, huh?
I will also throw this out there. These bikes are extremely rare in the US. The randonee thing never really took off here in the states. The late 60s through the late 70s saw a huge surge in full blown loaded touring, so the bikes of that era were usually proper touring bikes or racing bikes. The Adventure Cycling Association started it's life as Bikecentenial in the late 70s in response to the surge in touring popularity. The randonee bike didn't really catch on, kind of like the mixtie never caught on. As an avid collector of vintage bikes myself, I don't see many of these bikes anymore. When I do, they've usually been devalued to the point of being junk bikes. That's easy to do. Remove just one single part from these bikes and their historic relevance is all but ruined. This is also the era of the vintage townie. It's sort of chic and hip to ride a vintage bike, and because they're cheap to purchase, many have funds left over to modify the bike to be more practical. In the process, these rare pieces of cycling history are usually lost forever. This is where the age old argument enters the scene. Is it better to put an old bike back on the road to be enjoyed, or put on the hooks to preserve a piece of history. Tough choice.
The real bummer is the dollar value these bikes carry. They usually don't have a dollar value high enough to keep them off the roads. I recently purchased an early 80s Vitus frame for $100. It had never been built! Imagine how few vintage Mustangs and Corvettes would be around if they were available for $1000.
Very neat bike, Sinhue.
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chris_the_wrench
Fixer & Builder of Things
If your into these kinds of bikes you should definitely check out Bicycle Quarterly. They specialize in these vintage randonneur bikes along with currently produced bikes that take their styling and functional cues from that era and riding style.
I also really enjoy their book "The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles". I flip through that book frequently, especially after an exhausting day of working on a never ending pile of Wallyworld bikes.
I do believe I recall Jan Heine the author/editor of the magazine and book appearing in an issue of Overland Journal.
-Chris
I also really enjoy their book "The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles". I flip through that book frequently, especially after an exhausting day of working on a never ending pile of Wallyworld bikes.
I do believe I recall Jan Heine the author/editor of the magazine and book appearing in an issue of Overland Journal.
-Chris
LukeHooligan
Observer
Beuatiful bike. I thought randonnneuring was doing pretty well in the states based on this http://www.rusa.org/ seems to be a lot of brevets going on pretty frequently based on the schedule
sinuhexavier
Explorer
sinuhexavier
Explorer
chris_the_wrench
Fixer & Builder of Things
I really like the fargos. I am abit surprised they went with mechanical discs vs hydro, but that debate continues. Every bikeshop and probably even wallyworld Carries brake cables.
-chris
-chris
Christophe Noel
Expedition Leader
I don't know about this particular build, but many Fargo owners (like me) use BB7s because they are easier to integrate with drop bars and long-pull road levers. The new cable/hydro converters for road levers are a backcountry nightmare if something should go afoul. I know for my piece of mind, I like bikepacking on BB7s as they're very dependable and easy to adjust in the boonies. A set of BB7s are so simple, any impending failures would be easy to spot early, and very rare at that. I don't know that I've ever seen a set of BB7s ever fail in the field, or at all. There's nothing you can do to remedy a hdryo brake woe in the field.
This ti bike looks way different from our very own ExPo Fargo project. Raw ti is perdy. http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/66908-ExPo-Build-Project-Salsa-Fargo/page4
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