On my last visit to France in December, I managed to spend an afternoon with the manager of the website and to spend a few hours admiring thre bikes shown on the site and all the others that he still has not found time to photograph. I thought that my own collection of bikes and frames was pretty large and comprehensive but as some Americam film-star once very famously said.."....you ain't seen anything yet!"
He has collosal stocks of frames and bikes, but tends not to sell any of the real treasures. His preparation of the bikes is meticulous, every piece of aluminium alloy being skillfully polished and buffed to a high shine before being assembled.
Inevitably I stopped far longer than I had intended..and had the pleasure during the next 198 kms of road back to my cottage, of turning over and over in my mind the images of the incredible bikes that I had just seen.
But before I left..and at his insistance over a quick glass of wine..we promised to continue our conversation..the next time. Happily I will be emailing him later this week to fix the "rendez-vous" and it should be quite a classic one..for the third week in February
As the French say "A bientot" cannot come too soon.
Norris Lockley..Settle-sur-Seine, UK