Great picture this one, Aldo. How did you know to pick an ad. of one of my most recent buys?
Being a bit of a sucker for French bikes ( or as my wife reminds me, a sucker for almost any bike) I felt sorry for the Manufrance Course bike abandoned amidst a row of ladies' twin-lats and folders, and by now twisted slightly in the jaws of the rusting bike rack outside the Catholic charity warehouse near Valence north of Provence. Left outside in the searing sun for weeks on end its Manufrance branded leather saddle curling up gently at the edges, cotton twill bar tape having its colour bleached out of it... it was almost the end of the "chemin" for this once proud beast. I felt really sorry for it.. but my wife was not to be moved... I had already bought two other bikes that day. It was a proud looking machine in its mid-green metallic trim, "Hirondelle" in gold letters still just visible on the seat tube.. and brass "Manufrance" headbadge still able to catch the sun's rays. " Ca coute combien, le Manufrance, Monsieur?" I asked the volunteer salesman.. trying to keep out of my wife's hearing range. "Cent balles, Monsieur. C'etait un tres beau velo une fois..." he replied telling me how beautiful a bike it once had been.. and apologising for the "cent balles" price tag. In the region's vernacular speech a "balle" is a franc.. even at a time when France and the rest of Europe is using Euros. But "balles" is the trading currency for doing deals in in the flea-markets and charity depots of southern France. He was a shrewd seller.. recognised a cycle connoisseur when he met one.. I cast my eyes back to the Manufrance.. noticed the Simplex T-d-F rear mech and chainset, very original old s/f Sprint hubs, steel bars and stem...no front mech though.. the curious Manufrance centre-pull brakes with the front one fitted behind the fork crown.. equally curious.. but very logical. Then.. all of a sudden the deal was sealed.. no going back as I noticed the brake levers... a pair of rare Mafac "Professional", with the hollow-backed levers.. even the red rubbers were still intact.. after a fashion. The deal-maker look across at me eyes narrowed against the glaring sun.. he had sensed my weakening resolve.. time to move in for the kill.. Moving in with his final offer.."quatre-vingt balles, Monsieur c'est mon dernier mot! " hereby telling me he just couldn't take less then eighty francs - about £8 sterling, or about$14. Like many tourists these days, I am a plastic card traveller! Not having even 50 "balles" in my pockets I was forced once again to throw myself on my wife's goodwill.. as she ALWAYS has the "readies". Appealing to the mercenary streak in her nature I blurted"...but the brakes levers alone will fetch £50 sterling on eBay.. it's a steal." And so the deal was done.. and it wasn't the last one either that holiday last summer.. Alcyon, Automoto, P. Barale.. and the Catholic charity stands to be at least 500 "balles" better off thanks to my obsession.
However early this year, at the same depot, I spotted again the green livery of Manufrance in the same bike racks. But this time it was a Touriste, complete with flat curley bars, hammered mudguards, same odd centre-pulls, sprung leather saddle. and, fixed to the bracket brazed to the chainstay, the Manufrance version of the Cyclo Tourist twin-cable gear of the 30s, finally the two cute leather tool cases swinging from the rear pannier. But inflation had wreaked havoc on prices in the intervening months... "Cent-cinquante balles... Monsieur. C'est un bon prix, n'est pas" 150 francs, about $26! Putting it down to Euro-inflation and a wet spring.. I shrugged Gallically.. "A bientot" "See you, soon" I just couldn't ask my wife for that sort of money, could !?"
I return to France very soon for a longish spell but this time with a lot of "balles" in the pockets of my shorts.. and no doubt I shall be calling in on the Catholic brethren again.
Norris Lockley.. wondering if the "brethren "know the value of Herses... Settle UK