Re: [CR] French Constructeurs fluorished

(Example: Racing:Wayne Stetina)

Date: Wed, 6 Jan 2010 12:21:50 -0800
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
From: "Jan Heine" <heine94@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [CR] French Constructeurs fluorished


>I note the past tense.
>
>Other than Singer in Paris (and maybe Berthoud), are there any KOF
>builders left in France?

Singer is the only one of the old constructeurs left.

Berthoud is making constructeur bikes. Rando-Cycles seems to have stopped building, as they prefer to import Surly Long-Haul Truckers instead. Follis closed a while ago, I believe.

There are a few framebuilders, who make racing frames, some even from steel and with lugs. Nothing extraordinary, though.

For a classic constructeur bike, Japan or North America offers more choices than France, that much is certain. For a classic racing bike, as you point out, North America or Britain have many great builders.

Jan Heine
Editor
Bicycle Quarterly
2116 Western Ave.
Seattle WA 98121
http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com