[CR]A Brace of Singers

(Example: Framebuilders:Cecil Behringer)

From: "Norris Lockley" <norris.lockley@talktalk.net>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Date: Tue, 02 Jan 2007 20:47:47 +0000
Subject: [CR]A Brace of Singers

I have received quite a lot of emails off-List about these machines, includ ing a couple that advise that neither of them are "constructeur" frames..ie not made in the Singer workshop, but sub-contracted.

Today I received an email from a French seller who knows these bikes, and t he seller,well and he has confirmed that the frames were not built by the S inger workshop, but by another Paris-based builder, possibly Fletcher (of C NC fame).

Apparently the larger bike is one from the 70s built at a time when Singer was overwhelmed with orders from the States, so in order to try to fulfil d emand he established a range of second-tier models, whose frames were subco ntracted out.

I have to admit that the blue Singer looks almost identical to a Rene Andre frame that I have, although the Andre frame has quite a lot of detail work and additional cut-outs to the long-point Prugnat lugs, and better treatme nt of the stay and fork ends. Andre, as far as I can make-out, used to work for Fletcher, before setting up on his own account, or used to use part of Fletcher's workshop for his own frames. I notice that Fred Delong in his " Guide to Bicycles and Bicycling" lists Rene Andre as one of the specialist builders of France alongside Herse, Singer, Routens, Ducheron.

So, if anyone is still interested in my pursuing the purchase, storage, col lection of either of these bikes, I woulod be very pleased to receive confi rmation.

Norris Lockley, Settle UK

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