Bike Build for l'Eroica

I believe Monsieur Juy was the designer or possibly the owner of the Simplex company.

[ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucien_Juy[/ame]

Simplex dérailleurs continued to use "LJ" in model designations up to the end.

Hi Clubman - the T de F should take a 24 sprocket, you will struggle with anything larger though. As you say, the chain length needs to be juggled with to keep the cage off the sprocket.

The larger diameter top tube makes a welded frame look better as same diameter tubes are mitred together. Lugs camouflage the change in diameter.

Sadly my other two pictures won't load and there's no time now to re edit them.

I'll report how I get on with riding up the Mur de Bretagne when I return.

Just to answer a couple of the points above:

This Gillot is lugless throughout. It has a slightly oversized top tube - don't know why, but I'd guess it was just what they had to hand.

The JUY 51 gear: I've only seen these in pictures, never in the flesh. One of those JUY mechs, probably the 51, was more expensive than the Campag which was daft since it was obvious the Gran Sport was superior. I believe Monsieur Juy was the designer or possibly the owner of the Simplex company.

Riding kit: I'm going to Italy with a clubmate and our 'three ring' Hounslow racing jerseys are pretty retro as they are. My other half has promised to 'antique' mine a bit more by removing the modern neck and replacing it with a shirt style collar. However, I'm not sure this is worth doing unless both our jerseys can be done to match.

Hi Clubman - the T de F should take a 24 sprocket, you will struggle with anything larger though. .

+1 Classic Lightweights advise To be safe you should limit the Tour de France gear to a 24T large sprocket although with a bit of fiddling you may get it to cover 25T. But you may need to wind up the tension

When are you going to Brittany? Nice project!

I'm taking the boat to St Malo on Tuesday next week and riding to Vannes. if time/place match, let me know!