Dear Norris and other potential Reyhand owners,
There is precious little Reyhand info out there - and the one bike Norris describes is entirely unique among all Reyhands that I'm aware of.
As some folks may know, I puchased at auction at the Cirque this year a "decal" package from screen specialties that will enable the creation of a complete graphic package. I would like to do (or include) all known Reyhand graphics in this effort. Since this effort is now bought and paid for (and proceeds went to charity - thanks Gary!), I'm hoping that everyone can forward images of Reyhand graphics to me so that I can sort things out and get the effort going. Gary will need more specific image details for sure, but first step is to organize what is needed, allocate space onto the decal page, etc.
So - anyone with Reyhand graphics other than the standard downtube ones as shown in Jan Heine's book - please send photos and the important work will begin! And of course, I'll make sure anyone who provides images of their bikes and needs decals will from the decal run will get them.
Mike Kone in Boulder CO
> If I remember correctly, some months ago a CR List member said that he
\r?\n> was trying to establish a time-line/numbering system for Reyhand frames.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> As a collector of Reyhands - at the moment I have two "genuine Reyhands"
\r?\n> and two "possibles" I am as keen as anyone to toss my contributions, as
\r?\n> meagre as they are , into the pot of knowledge.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Let me say that I have one complete Reyhand bike, in its original dark
\r?\n> brown enamel, one "REYHAND" transfer on the top of the down tube, and
\r?\n> one elongated diamond-shaped "REYHAND" decal on the head tube. There is
\r?\n> no metal headbadge, and never has been.
\r?\n> The second "REYHAND" is similar to the first, but is just a frame and
\r?\n> has been re-enamelled by its original French owner, but has no decals at
\r?\n> all. The other two "REYHANDs", one a gents and the other a lady's, were
\r?\n> sold to me as genuine Reyhands..and they look like Reiss' work, but they
\r?\n> are hand-painted. None of the frames has a frame number as far as I can
\r?\n> detect, unless they are on the steering column and I haven't looked
\r?\n> there yet.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> However, on my last trip to France I came across a magazine article
\r?\n> about designing tandem frames, in which Reiss' work featured strongly.,
\r?\n> and in which all manner of "firsts" were attributed to him, in terms of
\r?\n> design.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> The article referred to a Reyhand bike still in the ownership of a
\r?\n> certain Louis Cointepas, the original purchaser. The frame is numbered
\r?\n> No 1061 and had been made to measure for M Cointepas in March 1935. The
\r?\n> frame is a 62cms (!!!!), and is built with REynolds tubes in a mixture
\r?\n> of 5,6 and 7-10eme Reynolds tubes. The whole bike weighs 9kgs. Its seat
\r?\n> angle is mighty 74 deg (Who says that all French frames of the 30s were
\r?\n> sloppy angled?).
\r?\n>
\r?\n> To the best of my ability I have attempted to decipher some sort of
\r?\n> order, sequence, dating from the No.1061, but have concluded that Reiss
\r?\n> must have used a purely sequential system starting from 1, 2 etc...that
\r?\n> is when he remembered to number them at all.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> I have been away from my computer and access to the CR LIst for over
\r?\n> ofur months this year, so wonder if I have missed out on any other
\r?\n> Reyhand info, that the arhcive has not thrown up.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Hope that this info helps whoever it was who is doing the original
\r?\n> research.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Norris Lockley..from a now-Sunny Settle, UK