by velocollective | May 20, 2017 | Vintage French Bike Parts
Alpin Hubs and Super Champion Competition Rims I really liked these Alpin hubs: hi flange, beautifully made, a French tubular wheelset of high quality that was very light. I polished them up as they were a little dull after decades of service, and they ended up...
by velocollective | May 17, 2017 | Repair Tips, Vintage French Bike Parts
Adjusting Mafac Centrepull Brakes Buy a vintage French bike and it will likely have Mafac centrepull brakes. These brakes are very adaptable with their long reach arms, and earned a reputation over the years for providing reliable and effective brakes....
by velocollective | May 5, 2017 | Vintage French Bike Parts
22.0mm Sizing French stem sizing is a quirk of the vintage bicycle era. Bikes made before 1983 will likely have a different steerer sizing than other bikes. Instead of 22.2mm, which is the standard steerer size for most bikes, vintage French steerers take a...
by velocollective | Apr 21, 2017 | Repair Tips, Vintage French Bike Parts
in I’d consider myself a purist when it comes to restoring vintage bikes. I don’t really like seeing good quality bikes, close to their original build, being stripped into fixies or reassembled into some custom street bikes. I’m not saying...
by velocollective | Nov 18, 2016 | Repair Tips, Vintage French Bike Parts
Stronglight Stronglight made some of the best cranksets in the age of steel road bikes. Based in the heart of the cycle industry, St Etienne, the 49D, 93 and 105 cranksets were some of the best ever made, by a company that was competing with the very best Italian...
by velocollective | Mar 28, 2016 | Groupsets, Vintage Bike Parts
Like it or loathe it The Arabesque or 600 EX is always deemed a bit of an oddball, a strange foray into the exotic by Shimano at the end of the 1970’s. There is little information out there as to why they chose to create such an elaborate design to...
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