CR listers,
I apologize for - again! - posting private messages onlist. I will be more careful checking my cc in the future. I am sorry to have wasted your time.
Also, somebody pointed out that my first post about authentication said "In many cases, a builder will want to spoil your fun." Obviously, there is a "NOT" missing in that sentence.
And for those who now wonder about the mysterious "curved-tube" bike, it's an Herse track bike used by G. Gambillon to win 6 consecutive French pursuit championships. We photographed it for a future feature, and of course, I did not want to give that away prematurely. Oh well... no big harm done.
The authentication of that one was simple - it came directly from the Herse shop to its present home. There aren't many Herse track bikes, and each is pretty unique in size and features.
The only question was the original color. Lyli Herse was certain that it always was the current, candy-apple red color (with no lettering!), saying "Genevieve's bike always was red." However, G. Gambillon remembered it to be blue. During an overhaul, blue paint was found on the inside of the BB threads, confirming that it was blue at some stage. In any case, the B&W photos show a lighter color, and the red had too much metal flake in it for a late 1960s Herse... (I believe Lyli Herse mixed up the track and the road bike. The latter indeed was red, but a finer metal flake, and it did have lettering and lining.)
Jan Heine
Editor
Bicycle Quarterly
140 Lakeside Ave #C
Seattle WA 98122
http://www.bikequarterly.com