Listers,
Like Chris, I have endured many nasty comments about riding and owning "inferior" French frames and components over many years. I have owned Italian, English, French, and USA-built bikes, and used components from the Mystic East as well as France, Great Britain, and Italy. But my (cycling) heart belongs firmly in the arms--and forks-- of the French. (Which is odd, considering that I am genetically about 3/4 Germanic.)
My favorite rides? My 1985 PX-10 LE (with Simplex LJ derailleurs, Mafac 2000 brakes, and Phil Wood hubs) and my 1998-ish Albert Eisentraut (Campi Chorus 9-speed with a Racing Triple). Both felt far more "lively" than other, equally nice bikes (like my TREK 2000, an all-aluminum and quite off-topic bike that was comfortable all day long and stable, but overwhelmingly "dull" or "uninspiring" in feel. Perhaps "tone deaf" is the musical equivalent?)
I used to get admiring looks for my all-Campi NR Raleigh Professionals (one was Mink Blue, one was Silver/Black), which, by comparison, handled terribly (IMHO) compared to the PX or my 'Traut. Perhaps it was the Campi NR gear, versus the "lowly" (but lighter and lower-geared) Stronglight 93 cranks and Mafac brakes? I get lots of admiring looks for my Eisentraut, too, but it is truly in a class by itself with its incredible downhill tracking/stability, not to mention a few other admirable qualities.
I have no idea what makes (or made) the PX and other French bikes ride the way they do, but I am sure hoping that my 1975-era Swiss Allegro has a pronounced "french" feel to it once it's built. I'd love to fall in love again.
Jon Spangler Alameda, CA USA (where he is happily married but has a potential love affair under construction in his garage)
On Jan 13, 2009, at 12:40 AM, Chris wrote:
>
> Message: 11
> Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2009 06:30:27 +0000
> From: CHRIS VAN SCOYK <cvanscoyk51550@q.com>
> Subject: Re: [CR] 70's French Constructeur Bike - what rises to the
> top
> To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Message-ID: <COL106-W6564CEF6FD6AF28BD80EF187D90@phx.gbl>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
>
>
> All this conversation about "lesser esteemed" French bike
> constucteurs has
> almost made my head spin. And all this from a group largely biased
> toward M
> arques from the UK and Italy. Don't take me wrong. I deeply admire
> bikes fr
> om those countries, and own and ride several to be sure, but my
> heart b
> elongs to French bikes. I'm not fortunate enough to have a bike
> from any "c
> onstructeur" but I will, however, be scanning French Ebay from now
> on a
> fter seeing pictures of Peter's fantastic Berthoud.
> I'm convinced there is some sort of "Gallic feel" to these bikes,
> includi
> ng the French mass produced bikes of my youth. I agree with Peter
> that ther
> e is a certain "lightness" associated with French bikes. Not
> measured in Gr
> ams or Kilos, but something less tangible. I used to think it was
> just fr
> ame geometry, but now I'm not so sure. It's something that my
> friends ha
> ve confusedly called flimsy, but to each his own I guess. I'll bet
> I'm no
> t the only list member that has suffered a few rude comments about
> the inhe
> rent inferiority of French bikes and components.
>
> Anyway. Thanks for sharing the pictures of the Berthoud and the
> Phillipe. I
> really liked the all French components. Both bikes, in their own way,
> are works of French art. OK, even if they are considered minor works.
>
>
> Chris Van Scoyk
> Ankeny, IA
>
>
Jon Spangler
Writer/Editor
Linda Hudson Writing
510-864-0370/FAX 864-2144
MOBILE 510-846-5356
hudsonspangler@earthlink.net