At 2:22 PM -0800 1/21/11, Joe Starck wrote:
>Or perhaps, by definition, a "cyclotourist" may or may not utilize
>rear panniers?
French cyclotouring bikes usually weren't intended for huge panniers - what we call "loaded touring bikes" are the "camping" bikes. In fact, many cyclotouring bikes don't have rear racks at all, just a handlebar bag support in the front.
"Cyclotouring" in France basically encompassed all "non-racing" riding that was more than purely utilitarian...
Racing usually meant that you hoped to move up to professional ranks some day, usually because that was your only hope to escape the drudgery of the factory or coal mine. Cyclotourists were more akin to most U.S. riders, who ride because they enjoy it. Cyclotourists also had competitions, but they were strictly amateur... rather than as a path toward a professional career.
Back to rear panniers: Since most used front panniers as well, each pannier wasn't so huge, and chainstays weren't all that long. The 1949 Rene Herse camping bike in "The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles" has 443 mm chainstays. With 650B wheels, that is long enough to accommodate 42 mm tires and fenders.
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