[CR]any one ever ride an Automoto?

Don Wilson wrote:
> (snip)
> Has anyone ridden an
> Automoto? If yes, tell me all about it. Did it feel
> fabulously French? I am on a quest to determine the
> ultimate French bike in terms of its Frenchness of
> feel.

I've always been a fan of Automoto; hard to beat that name! Automoto bicycles were ridden to victory in the Tour De France three consecutive years from 1923-1925; Henri Pelisser in 1923 and Ottavio Bottecchia in 1924 and 1925.

I rode the '55 shown below and I have two from the late 1940s in need total restorations. Can't say it felt "fabulously French" as you say. Just felt like another nice race bike from the mid 1950s to me. To tell you the truth, I've never notice any national characteristics in race bikes like "Frenchness." I'm very attuned to bike mojo but that disappears when you are in the actual act of riding a bike, at least that has been my experience (I have to look down periodically to remind myself which of my bikes I'm on).

1952 Automoto http://www.rydjor.com/bikecollection/1952auto.htm

1955 Automoto http://www.rydjor.com/bikecollection/1955auto.htm

The above links are from the RYDJOR BIKE SHOP BIKE COLLECTION of Dan Ulwelling: http://www.rydjor.com/index.htm

Chuck Schmidt South Pasadena, Southern California http://www.velo-retro.com (Reprints, T-shirts and Timelines)

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