Cycling in Montpellier

Cycling in Montpellier   I've been spending some time in Montpellier, and what a beautiful city it is. At its heart is a wonderful historic...

How to Glue Tubular Tyres on Aluminium Rims

Few Instructional Videos For Vintage Bikes   If you have a vintage bike and need to replace your older tubular tyre, it's not so easy to find a...

Peugeot PX10 Restoration, 1964 or 1965.

Peugeot PX10   I owned a Peugeot PX10 about twelve years ago. I was living in Seattle in the era when vintage bikes were all the rage, before...

Vintage Look Carbon Road Bike

Vintage Look Carbon - the Pros   Part of the pleasure of watching the Tour de France when I was young was to see the developments in bike...

Stronglight Altec – Anodised, Lugged – Beautiful!

Finding My Stronglight Altec   Often you expect rare and high end bikes to be properly advertised for sale, with a good description, detailed...

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!

Are the French Still Riding Vintage Bikes?

Are the French Still Riding Vintage Bikes?

    Are the French Still Riding Vintage Bikes?   Rouen is an historic town in the Normandy region of France, about 70 miles north of Paris. It is best known for its wonderful cathedral and the place where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake by the...

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The Music of Chance Review ( La Musique Du Hazard )

The Music of Chance Review ( La Musique Du Hazard )

The Music of Chance Review   As this is a blog about vintage French bikes, I thought I’d expand on my appreciation for French culture by reviewing a book I just read in French: Paul Auster’s: The Music of Chance. I remember first seeing cover of the movie at my...

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Kool Stop Brake Pads – the Best Choice

Kool Stop Brake Pads – the Best Choice

Kool Stop Brake Pads   I’ve been an admirer of Kool Stop brake pads for years, using them on many vintage bikes I’ve restored. Not only have Kool Stop always provided direct replacements for classic brakes made by Mafac, Weinmann and Campagnolo, they’ve always...

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Restoring Brake Hoods

Restoring Brake Hoods

Restoring Brake Hoods   Better to have worn and even crumbling old brake hoods than none at all, is my opinion. Sometimes you come across bikes advertised as “restored” only to notice that the brake hoods are missing. Bare metal lever bodies are ugly and detract...

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Vintage Specialized Allez Jim Merz

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...

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Can 10 Speed Friction Shifting Work? Video.

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...

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1973 Peugeot PA 10E

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...

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