Welcome to The Velo Collective
The definitive resource for vintage French bikes.
If you love vintage French bikes, there are lots of reviews and restorations, bike repair tips and information on this site dedicated to classic bikes. You can also find posts on other vintage European, Japanese and American road bikes, many with links to videos on our Youtube channel. Thanks for visiting!
Vintage Specialized Allez Jim Merz
Specialized Allez SE I watched this vintage Specialized Allez bike, a 1987 version, looking rather forlorn and beaten, sitting advertised at a good price for weeks. For days I looked at its photographs a dozen times, tilting my head to look at the clumsily...
Peugeot Super Competition: the Battle with Rust
https://youtu.be/XspeW6SYhtE Peugeot Super Competition I’d been looking for a Peugeot Super Competition for a while, because it’s my favourite bike that Peugeot made. Many would opt for an older Peugeot PX10, which I also greatly admire, but for...
Can 10 Speed Friction Shifting Work? Video.
https://youtu.be/qcSEkfzL8dM Can 10 Speed Friction Shifting Work? Some people have commented on the video that they have succeeded in making 10 speed friction shifting work. I accept that some set ups could function, but the precision involved would surely...
1973 Peugeot PA 10E
Decades of Neglect Perhaps “neglect” is too strong a word for the description of this bike, as it is my impression that it was stored for much of its life indoors. I’ve seen a lot worse; bikes that have been exposed to the weather and have paid the price for...
Laurent – a Rare Vintage Bike
Laurent, the Marque Laurent is a rare vintage bike, so when I went to buy this bike I really didn’t know what to expect. I could see it had some Campagnolo parts when I peered at the two small photographs on the listing, but everything else was guesswork. Isn’t...
Vintage Gitane Road Bike with a Chain Line Problem – Video
A History of Violence Perhaps this vintage Gitane road bike has no “wow” factor, it’s neither of really high quality nor is it impressively beautiful, but it’s a cool, lower mid-range bike from the 1980’s that I found for a good price. Is it worth blogging...
A 1986 Vintage Motobecane BC112, Huret Problems
Just Around the Corner I saw this cool 1980’s Vintage Motobecane standing outside a neighbour’s house, with a sign “á vendre” ( for sale ) attached to it. Seeing it in the distance, I guessed that it wasn’t a high end bike. The reason? Its red saddle. These plastic...
Vintage Trek Bike, the 500; Better than a Peugeot?
Video Review Below: https://youtu.be/wlvEAvGifUg Clash of the 501’s I recently posted a blog about the Peugeot PH501, though it doesn’t feel recent. It was actually in January, before the pandemic began and when normal, mask-free life was taken for...
A French Frameset, but Branded Battaglin?
Rebranded as Battaglin Someone wrote to me asking my opinion on this curious Battaglin track frame which he has recently bought. It has horizontal rear dropouts and lugs that I don’t recognise, but it is not an Italian frame. As you can see from the...
Peugeot HLE Road Bike: Broken Rebuild
An Unrideable Peugeot HLE The Peugeot HLE was owned by my brother in law from new, but a few years ago the rear chain stay snapped on it and the bike was ruefully stored in his shed. I sent him the quite striking replacement for it, a repainted frameset...
Motobecane Mystery Model
The Frameset Diggs got in touch with me about a very beautiful frameset he bought from an enthusiast in Paris, pictured below. As you can see, it's a lovely frameset, black with superb gold detailing around the lugs, gold decals, half chrome forks and...
Swiss Road Bike – a 1973 Juvela
Swiss Road Bike, the Marque Juvela "Juvela was a brand from Lausanne 1951-72 where I live and I don’t know why, very rare here! There is not a lot of information about, but as soon I got them, I’ll write you more about. Anyway a beautiful frame and even...
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