Brian and Constructeur-interestedpals,
Brian, good'on'ya' for wanting to take up a project that is as skilled as it is time-consuming. M. Csuka has more than once noted in the building of Singer that it is time and detailing that distinguishes the bikes, that others could do it but don't spend the effort and time necessary or have other things in mind, other sorts of bikes. Mike Barry, who I would consider a good friend, has laboured (fine nod to Canadian spelling...:-)) over such details aloud with me, especially as we put together my 650B. (I too would urge against 650C for the tire choices...).
I would concur with Jan about the way a light-touring/audax comes together
as a whole entity. And at the risk of adding little more than adda'boys,
I would go a tad further to suggest that fenders and lights that are so
easily removed or swapped out _may_ undermine the constructeur notion
itself. When I look at my Singers, Herse, or Mariposa (a true constructeur
bicycle in 650B) what I see, as a complete amateur whose eye cannot compare
to that of a true builder (I agree entirely with that point!!), involves
the mounting, construction of fenders and lights in such a way that
they are so integral to the bike that any method of relatively simple
removal would not be possible. The braze-ons, the custom mounts for
the fenders and the lines achieved, the way the wiring works through
the custom carriers---when you add fenders and lights these become
_part_ of the bike. You can remove them (and I would concur with Jan
here too that there seems little advantage to that, especially since
you aren't talking about low-rider racks, such as the removeable in part
ones like on my Singer 650B, exactly the sort that Jan was talking
about), but the time and effort taken to get these elements of the
bike all in the right place and functioning does not lend itself to
a quick-on/quick-off solution. That sort of versatility is more along
the lines of Rivendell, unless you have GP design a bike for audax
specific purposes (as Jan and I have done as well). Anyway, my point
is that it is a spectacular idea to have a Baylis Randonneur, which
is more or less what you are proposing, put in terms of the French
bikes that I have (the 700c Singer on Dale's site being a close
match to your descriptions, I believe), but like Jan I think I would
urge you to hold the line sort of in principle about the final outcome.
I think, to put it in more exaggerated terms, that the versatility you
propose would risk compromising the constructeur style "light tourer"/
audax bike you seem to be proposing. You'll notice I didn't say that
you should or shouldn't do something, since I am a rank amateur with
nothing more than bikes and some experience riding them to go on.
Modern constructeur bikes are indeed built in north America by Mike
Barry who prefers, if I may be so bold as to speak up in this way,
Ergo parts and modern lighting options. I think an updated-to-modern
parts but old-school fenders (HONJOS!!) and ways of wiring lights
through custom carriers is the way to go. My 650B Mariposa is
definitely more oldschool across the board while Larry Strung's wonderful
26" wheeled bike with Ergo makes all the smart moves towards
modernity, imho. I like old stuff, that's all, and the the
Simplex drivetrain with demultiplicator is my best shifting bike
by _far_ (including some that don't make this List). Anyway, pictures of my
constructeur bikes are all in one place now and the likes of Brian
will see in them things that have never occurred to the likes of me.
Look here again, just for convenience or curiosity:
http://photos.yahoo.com/
two-wheel mendicant=dvicakrababa, Douglas Brooks Canandaigua, NY who never, ever meant any offense in the post about Confente and apologizes to anyone who felt it was directed towards him or her...