The French Thread

This is how I want to set up my Mafacs, although these are the longer 'Raids'.
I got the Pivots from a fellow bike geek from Israel who machined up a bunch and occasionally sells them on eBay.
I got some of his first batch for free a few years ago.

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merde!

Pardon your French.

Saw this at HH jumble on sunday (and just posted it in classified - ebay/craiglist finds)

http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/caceg-18-speed-steel-racing-bike-58cm-c-t--beautiful/110861362

Amazing framework, centre pull brake on bosses as seen on Alex Singer bikes, just amazing, and not my size. Someone who loves french bikes should buy this.

Could be your size Skully...

Loic

I like the idea of these on-boss cantis. absurdbird - is that what your Israeli chap made up for you and will you be brazing them on to your frame? Can you let me know if you stumble across any more? Will keep an eye on eBay on the meantime.

This is how I want to set up my Mafacs, although these are the longer 'Raids'.
I got the Pivots from a fellow bike geek from Israel who machined up a bunch and occasionally sells them on eBay.
I got some of his first batch for free a few years ago.

Ah ben oui! I had missed your post prior to post the CACEG, that's exactly the same detail.
Can't any Mafac / Weiman centre pull brakes be used this way, by getting rid of the bridge and adapting the screw maybe?
I want that on one of my bikes one day. Extremely clever detail, allowing really neat fitting of mudgard and racks (on Singers bikes), independantly of brakes)

BTW I have the Alex Singer book which is something to have on your coffee table. They have it at Tokyo Fixed, you can have a look at it there I think. Otherwise, if we do some french bike drinks one day, I can bring mine!

L

You can braze on any centrepull afaik. I've read that the B/O bosses for Mafac cantis can be adapted to work but it's a frame builder job and one who knows what they're doing.
I spoke to Barry Witcomb about C/P brazed on bosses years ago and he'd never seen it done, but he was willing to have a go. I don't think any UK builders except maybe Jack Taylor did it.
I've seen a really beautiful Italian pure race bike from the early 60s with them so it wasn't just the French cyclotourists.
Mafac racers are excellent brakes, set up right with modern pads and cables they're equal to a dual pivot and piss on single pivots. When Campag took a step back and (re) introduced the single pivot side pull in the late 60s allmost all pro bikes had Mafac centrepulls.
They're forged ally and they made several million of them so you can get them cheap and get parts, brazing them on makes them very light because you lose the 'bridge' and stiff because the pivots are much closer to the fork crown and seat stay bridge you don't get the flex you get with cantis (built in brake booster).
Modern brake design is going back to the principles of C/P brakes (disk brakes aside) moving 2 pivots closer to the rim and lengthening the lever arms, this is what dual pivots do but they're heavy ( mostly) and need to be set close to the rim.
The drawbacks with the Mafacs are brake squeal as there's no built in toe-in and slightly fiddly set up. Paul do a Cnc'd C/P which you can get a braze on for, they dont work with Mafac or Dia Comp and they're heavier and not forged and expensive but the faux retro crowd like them.
I think Mafacs look fucking cool.

This complete kit is from Amir, the same guy I got the prototype from (we were both on the CR message board)
http://item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewitem?itemId=380443516747&index=5&nav=SEARCH&nid=80234849565

It's not really in the spirit of 'French bikes' but I have a completely French equipped bike (English frame) - I ended up being unable to use the Open 4cd rims as one was 'unround'

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Super infos above!! Thanks a lot!

Continuing the conversation from current project here, I don't want to pollute any further your Peugeot / Suire track bike thread with non related stuff...

Evening. Not much to add to Rik's comprehensive list, just a possible saddle option (which is no less pocket-draining than decent Philippe bars or a good Ideale saddle). Have a look at Gilles Berthoud -

I've seen these in the flesh and was not so impressed, especially considering their prices. Once I've put pics of my MBK you'll see that brown or black cannot fit... I need flashy colours or white...

On Gilles Berthoud, I had their mudgards, and as opposed to the saddle, I though they were really good, much stronger than the VO ones. No noises, clever fittings, etc... I would re-use them any time if I was building another touring bike.

While we're on mudgards, and sorry if this has been mentionned before above, but Salmon mudgards are great and the most elegant things.

A guy who comes to a lot of jumble stock them and their relevant fixing parts, his compagny is called "Hard To Find" (you can source all sort of rare parts with him) I fail to find his website, as it's under another name as well if I remember well. Good contact anyway!

L

Those Cacegs are gorgeous. They were built near just outside Paris so you occasionally see them around town. One I came across was a track bike the same red as the one above but with dual down-tubes similar to a Mecacycle. I just wish there were more 60+ frames around here :/
Here's two frames from other builders around the Paris region, a Polchlopek (him of the famous PMP cranks and elypical chainrings fame) and a Didier Louis:

There was some good stuff coming out of the region even if it's not really known as the heart of cycling in France

his compagny is called "Hard To Find" (you can source all sort of rare parts with him) I fail to find his website

Quite ironic

Here are 2 MBK Mirage bikes I sorted out in the last past year.
Both bikes are in featured in current projects - search for MBK!

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Work has started on the 1950's Captivante!

And the bike is back on the road! New tyres, chain, a good clean, the dynamo works too!

That bikes a cracker!
Love the chartreuse.
Needs fatter tyres, are they 650b?
How's the front changer working out for you?

Does it fit you? I read on another thread the 2 bikes were too small.
-Make it fit.

That bikes a cracker!
Love the chartreuse.
Needs fatter tyres, are they 650b?
How's the front changer working out for you?

Does it fit you? I read on another thread the 2 bikes were too small.
-Make it fit.

The chartreuse colour look even better in the flesh.

I have installed 650Bx38 tyres (Michelin World Tour ISO 584 mm - 650B, 26 x 1 1/2") on it as I was eager to put it back on the road. It can cope with bigger tyres, loads of space in the alloy mudguards.

Both of these 1950's bikes are unfortunately too small for me, this one has a 54cm seat tube and would suit someone 5ft7-5ft8 ish.

The front derailleur is easy to use, I actually like it better than the downtube ones...

The French are just too small, damn them.

I'm trying to find a 60cm Randonneuse - so they're definitely too small for me ...

If you're not keeping it then you won't want to spend more on tyres but there are 42mm ones from Grand Bois.

Ebay seller listing various bits of kit of interest to francophiles at reasonable prices.
e.g. Mafac brake levers with hoods @ £10 BIN

Thanks Rik, will take a look. Regarding those Grand Bois tyres - have been looking at a pair for my Peugeot as the Michelins I have are a little modern-looking (despite the gum walls). Are they good? The other option seems to be Challenge Paris-Roubaix. Anyone had any experience of these?

I didn't even know they did an "open" version - certainly the tub is top notch - it's one of the tyres that the pro mechanics put on the spare bikes (e.g. Radioshack are paid to use Hutchinsons, but the mechanics put Challenge R-R's on the spare bikes)..

I recently found this dumped outside my LBS!:

^ great find, nice one. Where was the LBS that were junking that?

Thanks. Cycle Surgery, Victoria. Felt nice to ride and it's in my size too, so looking forward to finishing the build and getting some miles out of it!

Wicked - good luck with the build

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1664032&highlight=#1664032

Work in progress - trying to built cheap but nice town bike for my wife.
Have learned that Mercier used to be making Road Racer (Pink in colour) back in 70's.