This bike is very typical of the 60s/70s bikes that are to be found fairly easily in and around Paris, although this particular one might just be something a little special.
Had all things worked to plan I would have been in France yesterday and had made tentative arrangements to meet the sller of this bike at his home in Noisiel, just down the road from the Charles de Gaulle airport. His name is Bernard Bottemer, a former track and road racing cyclist, still is Commissionaire for the French Federation, used to know Jacques Anquetil..and the frame-builder Bernard Carre, amongst others.
I have some stuff to collect from Bernard and he emailed me to tell me that he had some interesting items to sell..presumably meaning this bike. He is a very approachable person and if he states that he would be willing to send items worldwide then he will just do it, unlike some of the other French sellers I have come across. Recently I won a very attractive Didier Louis bike, that was sold without a reserve by a guy who lives fifteen minutes from Bernard. The bike has to be collected. Bernard has offered to pick it up for me. Unfortunately the seller does not reply to emails except to tell me that he wants me to pay double my winning bid !
Its a pity that bernard has not shown a picture of the frame head-on..as there are certain details on the frame..and its colour that make me think that it was made by Rene Andre, as a sub-contractor for Dubois. Rene was one of the latter- day Parisian constructeurs who had worked for Fletcher at CNC in that company's halcyon days.
Norris Lockley, still in Settle UK
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