I welcome this. It is sure a whole lot better then having the Rene Herse name fall into the hands of someone like the owner of the Motobecane and Mercier names. Hopefully, it will work as well as Martin Copeland's (and before that Ray Etherton's) New Bates frames. I have one of those and it is magnificant. Of course, they were smart enough to induce the great Ron Cooper to build the frames, but I think Mark Nobilette belongs in that league as well. Never heard a bad word about his work. the Herse name has a proper caretaker.
Regards,
Jerry Moos Big Spring, Tx
hersefan@comcast.net wrote: Hi CR folks,
The deal is that Rene Herse Bicycles Inc. will be making bicycles that are extremely close to the originals, and also bikes with the Herse design elements but which utilize modern oversize tubing. With Herse this is a no-brainer, though, as Herse bikes were using "oversize" tubes 50 years ago! I expect some folks will purchase a bike designed for vintage components. Others will want a cutting-edge touring or randonneur bike that can exceed the performance of the modern alternatives.
The key to making this work is Mark Nobilette. Since Mark is great at making lugs and bb's, the most elegant and labor intensive "classic" Herse frames are the ones that will be enthusiastically emulated. I love the look of handmade lugs with the built-up brass fillets at the joints. And of course, that means that frames requiring unique angles are built with lugs and bb's that are tailored exactly to fit!
The intent is for output to be low - and each bike when compared against the production of "classic" Herse bikes will be a standout (in our opinion). It would be very easy, and very profitable, to use (or get made) cast lugs in the Herse style, cut a few corners, and make a bike that is cost effective to produce and which takes advantage of the Herse name. But that won't happen. The intent is to send photos of each completed bicycle to Lily Herse and her husband (the last maker of Herse bicycles and a builder for Herse in the 1940's) so that they can feel proud of the bikes that carry the family name.
The only downside? The bicycles will not be inexpensive compared with many other bikes on the market. But - and important to note, the bikes will have an extraordinary amount of time built into them. Time will be taken for both construction and sorting out of details so that the buyers money represents true value - not some payment for a name and a marketing effort.
We are set up to take orders and for folks to get into the cue (two folks in the cue already, and one is a famous frame builder on the CR list!). If folks have a "classic" Rene Herse and need racks to replace a missing or damaged one, that work can be taken quite quickly with about an 8 week turn around time. We also have a chromer that is doing great work here in Denver, which is quite important for or task.
If anyone has any questions, please contact me. I'm sure that many folks will be skeptical that we can uphold the name - and I myself am usually extremely skeptical of others engaging in similar ventures. That is why I know this one will succeed. But nobody should take my word for it. The bikes will be the proof - it is going to be an exciting adventure!
Mike Kone
President
Rene Herse Bicycles, Inc.
> Yes, it is Mark Nobilette, and I think that is a great "fit" for this
\r?\n> venture. I don't think the endeavor has fully gelled yet, and I'm sure
\r?\n> Mike will elaborate as things start to come together.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Not only was the Cirque where the news "broke", but Rene Herse Bicycles
\r?\n> is also the first official sponsor of Cirque 2008! I'm sure there will
\r?\n> be some sort of "coming out" activities at the event next year.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Wayne Bingham
\r?\n> Lovettsville VA USA
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n> >>>
\r?\n> Any news on who is building the bikes? Are the new ones going to be
\r?\n> built to match particular Herse models or are they going to be modern
\r?\n> bikes taking their queues from the oldies? Thanks :^)
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Doug Van Cleve
\r?\n> Chandler, AZ USA
\r?\n>
\r?\n> P.S. Is "Mark" Mark Nobilette? If yes he seems like a great builder
\r?\n> for the project..<<<<