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!
Peugeot PFN 10 Stuck Seatpost – Conclusion ( Video )
The Impossible Task When I took possession of this rather beaten Peugeot bike I could have never envisioned the problem I was about to face. This seatpost, after hours and hours of attempted removal, never even budged a millimetre in the end. Even if I'd seen it move...
Bottom Bracket Cup Removal Direction: A Visual of French, British, Swiss and Italian Threads
Pre-1982 French and Italian Drive Side Cups It's easy to forget which direction bottom brackets cup turn for removal. I thought I'd provide a visual guide, as it's always the best way to memorise. Before 1982, French bikes had different threads and...
Sometimes They Come Back: Wrecked Atom 600 Pedals
Destined for the Junk Bin I wrote a blog recently about finding an abandoned Peugeot in a barn, and it so happens that these Atom pedals were on that crusty bike, which was in a terrible state. These pedals were totally frozen in position on that old Peugeot. I'm not...
Look KG 271 Carbon- Regretfully Sold
1986 Tour De France, mid 1980's, and that rivalry: LeMond v Hinault. It's become one of the great events in the history of the race, and I was in my teens at the time. I remember seeing those Look bikes and wishing I had one. LeMond's 1986 winning KG 86...
The Mysterious History of Lapierre Bikes
What's So Special About Lapierre? Dijon sits about 250km north of Saint Etienne, that cycle powerhouse of the vintage era. Famous for its mustard, Dijon is a city I've always wanted to visit, but never managed to see. One of France's largest brands,...
1976 Huret Challenger v Simplex Criterium Review
Challenger v Criterium It's 1976, and you've just bought yourself a new French bike. Not an expensive one, mind you, as inflation is at a whopping 16% in Britain. You opted for the mid-range bike, something like the Motobecane C3, and shining on...
1981 Ti Raleigh Rapide in Team Colours – For Sale!
Glory Days In 1980, a Raleigh bike bike finally became the toast of the Tour De France. It had taken Raleigh nearly one hundred years to achieve such a road racing crown, the day Joop Zoetemelk crossed the line in as winner of the yellow jersey. Ever...
Review: 1998 Bianchi Veloce Celeste
Vintage and Modern This Bianchi was made in a time when bike technology was revolutionising how bikes were made and ridden. Gone are the downtube shifters and non-aero brake levers, the five speed freewheel and chromed forks; what we have instead is...
A Closer Look at the Triplex Professional
I, Triplex Wasn't it Claudius who said "Isn't it more important what a man says, than how he says it?". Well, can't the same be said of bicycle components? Isn't it their purpose to function efficiently, and not look pretty and expensive? Ok, if you can...
Peugeot PRL 10 – L’Orange
Frozen Frozen is the word of the week after having suffered the rude and uninvited "Beast from the East" since last Saturday. Its clear skies and icy winds have kept temperatures down below freezing and at night the windchill has been as low as -15°C. All this...
Removing Rust from a Bike Frame: Vintage Peugeot
Removing Rust from a Bike Frame I just wrote a blog about stuck seatposts, and look what happens: the bike I've just bought has a seatpost that is stuck solid. Still, all is not lost; I have yet to try all ways to get the thing moving, but the feeling I...
A Note about Stuck Seatposts
Buyer Beware I imagine it's fairly uncommon, but it's actually really important; when you are about to buy a bike, you really should check if the seatpost moves in the seat tube. I mean, why not? Ok, I suppose it could be construed as being a bit pushy...
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