Steven,
Ahhh, yes. I was picturing Bob Freitas' bike when I waxed poetic about inte rnally routed cables. One neat detail that I did pick out on the pink bike is the braze-on on the right seat stay to hold the rear derailleur cable ho using. Never seen this treatment before. If it were only my size.....
Regards,
Marc St. Martin Livermore, CA
-----Original Message-----
>From: The Maaslands <TheMaaslands@comcast.net>
>Sent: Sep 9, 2007 2:09 PM
>To: CR <Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
>Subject: [CR] Pink René Herse
>
>Marc wrote:
>
>"I was also of the opinion that only Herse randonneuse bikes with all of
>
>the RH bits were where the value was until I had the chance to examine
>one
>of the cyclo-sportif/racing frames up close. Granted, the machine in
>question does have some of the Herse bits, but one of the details which
>struck me as being extraordinary was the internal routing of the
>cabling.
>Granted, internally routed cables are not that unique; however, the true
>
>Herse touch lies wherein each of the entry and exit holes for these
>cables
>have beautifully filleted reinforcements. Also, it appears that to
>accomplish the internal routing of the front derailleur cable, a special
>
>bottom bracket was fabricated with an eye towards aerodynamics. Seems
>like
>every time I examine an Herse frame, I see something different and
>extraordinary."
>
>Are you perhaps looking at a different bike? Looking at the photos that
>appear here: http://www.reneherse.com/
>appear to me to be standard under the bottom bracket routing. As far as
>the rear brake cable goes, the person who set this bike up has made a
>mess of it. The amount of cable housing between the exit from the top
>tube to the rear brake caliper is simply too short to allow proper
>functioning of the brake. Hopefully this is simply a matter of sliding a
>bit more cable housing from in front of the forward cable entry to the
>rear, but this is not evident. The chain also seems to be quite short
>for the selected chainrings and freewheel cogs. The set-up is also
>lacking in the general proportions, with the seatpost unacceptably low,
>making the whole bike look awkward. I am also surprised to see the
>adustable cup extending quite a few threads beyond a visibly thick lock
>ring. I don't consider any of these elememts acceptabe when you are
>selling a high end bike.
>
>Personally, I don't doubt that there will be somebody who will pay at
>least the opening bid, because as Barnum said, "there is one born every
>minute". For me, a collector buying this bike is only slightly better
>off than a Maserati collector buying a Maserati TC: a quaint filler to
>complete the collection.
>
>Steven Maasland
>Moorestown, NJ
>USA