[CR] Randonneur bars for 1954 Build??

(Example: Framebuilders:Jack Taylor)

Date: Sun, 31 May 2009 12:37:35 -0700
From: Jerome & Elizabeth Moos <jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: [CR] Randonneur bars for 1954 Build??


Well, looking through The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles, the bikes in the 50's used both Maes and Randonneur bends, as well as some upright types. There does not typically seem to be any engraving on the bars, at least none prominant enough to be noticeable in the photos.

Anyone know a source for unengraved 25.0 randonneur bars? Anyone have a set to sell or trade? I have NOS engraved Belleri and Phillipe, both Maes and Randonneur, some of the Maes even gold anodized.

The Grand Bois randonneurs look nice, but the BQ web site says they are 25.4, not 25.0. Are the centers unengraved? In TGAHBB, those bikes that don't use their own stems, like Herse and Singer, seem to use the same type of faux lugged alloy stems as seen up into the early 70's. There are several variations on this, and some that use a verticle nose bolt look like they might be spread enough to take a 25.4 Grand Bois bar. Of course, if one is going to use a 25.4, then one could use the unengraved randonneur bars found on 60's/70's Schwinns, many of them made by GB.

BTW, were Velox rubber plugs available in 1954? What about plastic bar tape?

Regards,

Jerry Moos
Big Spring, Texas, USA


--- On Fri, 5/29/09, Jerome & Elizabeth Moos wrote:


> From: Jerome & Elizabeth Moos <jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net>

\r?\n> Subject: [CR] Period Parts for 1954 Build??

\r?\n> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org

\r?\n> Date: Friday, May 29, 2009, 3:50 PM

\r?\n>

\r?\n> Continuing to research what parts would be cotrrect for the

\r?\n> AL Duravia frame which markings suggest is a 1954.

\r?\n>

\r?\n> RD -  I've bought a Simplex Rigidex chainstay-mount

\r?\n> RD, but it is missing the return spring.  Anyone know a

\r?\n> generic spring that will work?  Also, I see other

\r?\n> Rigidex RD's that look very similar except they attach to a

\r?\n> different chainstay mount on the frame.  Can the bit on

\r?\n> the Rigidex that attaches to the frame plate be swapped out

\r?\n> between Rigidex derailleurs?

\r?\n>

\r?\n> FD:  The frame has a shifter boss on the right only,

\r?\n> so if it had an FD, it must have been of the rod type. 

\r?\n> I've read these had a range of only a few teeth, but the

\r?\n> Rebour drawing of an Herse recently posted shows an Herse

\r?\n> with a wide-range double and a rod-type "suicide" FD. 

\r?\n> Was the range of these FDs wider than I've heard?

\r?\n>

\r?\n> Brakes:  A CR member sent pics of a 1954 Mafac Dural

\r?\n> Forge, so I think this will work, although technically the

\r?\n> 1954 Dural Forges had small oil hole above each pivot, which

\r?\n> my Dural Forges lack.

\r?\n>

\r?\n> Cranks:  The bike has a cottered BB, which I hope will

\r?\n> fit the old slender logoed Stronglight steel cottered

\r?\n> cranks, of which I have several.  I've fitted a couple

\r?\n> of them with alloy Stronglight 6-hole 50T outer rings with

\r?\n> alloy Stronglight 3-hole 36T inners.  Were these alloy

\r?\n> Stronglight 6/3 hole 116 BCD rings available in 1954?

\r?\n>

\r?\n> Hubs:  I've seen "First Generation" Normandy hubs on

\r?\n> eBay.  Was Normandy available in 1954?  Presuming

\r?\n> it was, was it similar to either the later Sport or the

\r?\n> later Luxe Competition?  Did the Normandy or other

\r?\n> French hubs available in 1954 have QR, or were the French

\r?\n> still mostly using wingnuts?

\r?\n>

\r?\n> Rims:  The frame is 700C.  I presume a touring

\r?\n> bike would use clinchers rather than tubulars, although I

\r?\n> could be mistaken. Many clinchers at the time were 650B, so

\r?\n> perhaps tubulars were more common than I think on 700C

\r?\n> touring bikes.  What rims would be appropriate?

\r?\n>

\r?\n> Headset: Is the Sroinglight P3 old enough for 1954?

\r?\n>

\r?\n> Bars and stem:  Are the familiar French "faux lugged"

\r?\n> alloy stems from a variety of companies as old as

\r?\n> 1954?  I prefer dropped bars, even though the toptube

\r?\n> shifter boss might imply upright bars.  Was the

\r?\n> randonneur bend common in 1954?  Could a Maes bend also

\r?\n> have been common on a touring bike?  Were the bars

\r?\n> generally unengraved?

\r?\n>

\r?\n> Saddle:  This is no problem.  I have several

\r?\n> Ideale models that might be appropriate - 42, 43, 44, 52 or

\r?\n> 59.

\r?\n>

\r?\n> Any advice, opinions and comments would be appreciated.

\r?\n>

\r?\n> Regards,

\r?\n>

\r?\n> Jerry Moos

\r?\n> Big Spring, Texas, USA