' Cycles de France ' Book review

I saw a post earlier this year on social media about a new book published called
' Cycles de France '. The book is obviously written in French and only available from the co-author Patrick Munoz. The front cover image whetted my appetite as the quality of the images were comparable to the book ' The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles ' by Jan Heine.

Firstly, the book and dust jacket are beautifully printed. My copy came wrapped in clear plastic inside the cardboard packaging. The book is hardback with an attractive dust wrapper. The end papers in the book are of heavier paper and the book itself has 194 pages. Philippe Montagne is responsible for the text and Patrick Munoz for the superb photographs.

The book is an illustration of high quality hand made French bicycles. The book starts with bicycles from the early 20th century and then progresses to the work of the artisan builders. The book is roughly divided equally between the Paris constructeurs and those from the regions. Of those, the constructeurs from the Lyon region form the largest group outside Paris. The book is interesting because of the number of aluminium frame bikes which are illustrated. However, probably the best known early brand of aluminium bike to the english speaking world - Caminargent, doesn't feature. Instead the authors chose to have an earlier steel frame Caminade illustrated (pages 20-21). I found that very interesting and shows the author's approach to avoid cliche.

So, the authors illustrate the aluminium frames of Nicola Barra, Paris and the work of regional constructeurs Andre Sabliere, Andre Marcadier, and Raymond Clerc. The book features three lady's bikes. Two 'mixte' frames, a Hugonnier-Routens in steel (pages 58 - 59) and a Velo Barra in aluminum (pages 82-83). The third bicycle is a 'Dame Anglais' by the Paris constructeur Cycles Innovation (pages 56-57). I know this style of frame is unusual, as the Springhill Cycle Collection holds a very rare Andre Bertin 'Dame Anglais'.

By far the biggest number of bikes illustrated are those of Rene Herse, followed by those of Nicola Barra and Alex Singer in third place. What did surprise me was, only one example of the work of Louis Moire - Goeland and nothing of Oscar Egg's work. Surprising given his cycling history that the work of this Parisien constructeur is absent. Perhaps the authors have been constrained by space?

The racing scene has not been ignored. Two track bikes and three road bikes used by professionals feature. The bike used by an amateur J Anquetil built around a Barra frame is also featured. Of the professional bikes, the one I remember the best is the Gitane Profil. I recollect Bernard Hinault riding it in the Tour de France. The frame was made from specially drawn Reynolds 531 tubing which was not available to the great unwashed. Given the involvement of Peugeot, Helyett, LeJeune and Liberia in the professional peloton, no examples feature. The Mercier ridden by Joop Zoetemelk was actually built by Bernard Carre, confirming many of the stories from my youth.

The book cost 60 euros plus postage. I was given the option of regular postal delivery or having my parcel tracked at extra cost. I chose to have the parcel tracked to ensure delivery.

Do I think the book is worth the purchase price? A resounding YES. I have highlighted a few omissions I was surprised at, but, in fairness the authors have a very rich vein to tap and that wealth of material out of necessity has be constrained by the limitations of size and cost of their book. A further question would be, are there any bikes featured, which do not deserve to be in the book? The answer would have to be, NO. So the authors have done a good job. I would love to see a second volume, by these same authors, featuring more constructeurs not covered in this beautiful book. The French have an amazing cycling history and their passion for both the bicycle and the sport covers many disciplines. That variety is accurately reflected in this volume. It is a tribute to both authors that this book is a jewel for anyone interested in French bicycles. I can heartily recommend this book.

If you wish to order a copy of this book, email Patrick Munoz at:- cyclesdefrance@outlook.fr

Springhill Cycle Collection - Cleaning rust from plated parts

As I get older, I often wonder about whether there is a smarter way of doing things.  I look back on the way I have done things in the past and cringe.  The old saying that 'a man who never made mistakes, never made a thing' is certainly true.  We all make mistakes and the on the workbench is no different. There is nothing that beats learning by experience.

What is the best method for cleaning rust from plated bicycle parts? Anyone who has tried to restore an old steel bicycle will have come across this problem. I have to say from the out set, or get go, (US English), I am not a fan, or advocate, of the wire wheel in the bench grinder as a first resort. I cringe at the 'experts' on Youtube who confidently reach for the bench grinder first.

My approach to dealing with rusty parts has changed over time. Years ago I used a knife blade to scrape across the rust to remove the surface crust before treating the part with aluminium foil and Autosol or something similar. The problem is that the rust was never completely removed and always came back, so the option always seemed to be the most permanent was the expensive one of re-plating. Is there any method of tackling the rust which will not damage the plated finish or painted finish of the part?

Well I have to say, I have found a method that works. The problem of any restoration is balance. Do you destroy the original finish or do you have to refinish the part to preserve it? Is it financially viable to re-plate?

I have found a product that will clean rust from parts. It is bio-degradeable and non toxic. It was developed for NASA and is called Evaporust.  I had a problem trying to get my hands on some, because the UK supplier didn't supply the whole of the UK. My order was cancelled on ebay. So I had to get my initial order from Ireland. Slightly more expensive but delivery was not a problem and Kevin couldn't have been more helpful and friendly. The chemical is not cheap, but it is very effective.

I have used it to clean various parts, in various states of decay, to see how it coped. It works very well on plated parts and japanned parts. I can see how it can be used to restore a complete bicycle preserving the original finish. It does not prevent the part starting to rust again. Evaporust does have a product which will prevent rust again for up to 12 months, but I haven't seen this for sale outside the US. I have just wiped the parts over with WD40 after washing in soapy water, once they came out of the chemical. The cleaned parts are stored in airtight containers.

The one caveat that I would say is, I tried it to clean parts off an old Claud Butler bike which had been stored in damp and less than ideal conditions prior to purchase. There was a heavily corroded lamp bracket on the front fork. I put that in Evapo-rust and it cleaned a lot of the rust off, however there were several areas of pitting in the surface which still had rust. I attacked this with a brass brush and then put the part back into the solution. 24 hours is usually sufficient to clean parts, but the lamp bracket took a week and repeated use of the brass brush to dissolve the rust. I treated it with several coats of Kurust once clean. It should prevent further deterioration. I would not use Evaporust for heavily rusted parts again. It is no criticism of the product, I just find it is expecting too much of it. I would use another method to clean heavily rusted parts which I will detail in another blog post. The photos show some before and after shots and other parts that have been cleaned.

I have no connection to the manufacturers of Evaporust or their agents, other than as a satisfied customer. Any of the product I have used, I have purchased myself.

Absence explained

Where does time go to?  It is a question I pose more frequently these days with the passing of too many years.  It is now nearly 3 years ago since I lasted posted on my blog. Hard to believe.

Life took a turn in 2014 and having to deal with all that has been difficult to say the least. On top of that my health took a bit of a nose dive which has taken time to settle down and for me to come to terms with that. After over 2 years of hospital appointments I should be able to start cycling again within the next few months, weather permitting.  The lay off has not been welcome, but life is a journey and it doesn't always take you places you really want to go.

The absence of blog entries hasn't meant that I have been idle. Bicycles have had to take a bit of a back seat as I have tried to renovate somewhere to live, but my interest has still been there.

I am in the process of building shelving for the store of bicycle parts. I am however at the mercy of the weather, as I do not have a dry shed to work in. The work has had to be done outside, hence the need for dry weather.  I also need to empty the storage container, to build the shelving units in. I have done some work at organising parts into clear plastic boxes, so I can at least see what's inside. Organising the parts also give a better idea of what is there and what's in need of conservation and repair.

There have been some additions to the Springhill Cycle Collection and some machines have been removed by my estranged wife. The collection has changed focus somewhat, with more attention being paid to locally made bikes and those with a local history.  There is still an interest in French bikes however, with three further acquisitions, another Lyon made bicycle, one from Paris, and one from Grenoble. The Collection has been asked to photograph the Lyon made bicycle for a French website. I will post about that, once it has been done.

The collection was also fortunate to acquire a Copenhagen Pedersen locally, in County Down. The owner is originally from a stone's throw from where the collection currently resides, and the bike was bought new in Germany. It came with her when she moved back and she sold the bike following a back injury.

So time and opportunity permitting I hope to start posting again on the blog. There are a number of projects in the pipeline, which includes a new 650B Randonneuse.  I have the frame already, but I have decided to change the fork. That is in hand as I type this.  I have some equipment, but not all to build the bike. I intend to develop some of the ideas I had for the 650A bike that I built a number of years back.  The Springhill Collection has a 650B Goeland which is a real joy to ride.  I would like something comparable that I can use without the worry of wearing out old parts which would destroy the authenticity and character of an old machine. I will write about the build in due course.