by velocollective | Jun 1, 2017 | Vintage French Bikes
A Rare Vintage Bike: the Marque This is a rare vintage bike indeed. There’s very little information about FR Poirier bikes on the internet, even on French websites. Search for “Poirier” and you will come across an old French firm that...
by velocollective | May 29, 2017 | Repair Tips, Vintage French Bike Parts
Stronglight Crankset Removal – Video Stronglight crankset removal for pre-1982 models requires a special tool, a 23.35 crank puller. This particular tool is not easy to find these days and can be quite expensive to buy, even some bike shops won’t have the...
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 8, 2017 | Bike Histories
The Final Throw of the Dice Things looked bad for the French bike parts industry. The year was 1984, and the market was rapidly changing; the reign of French components, once so dominant in the bike boom, was now being eroded by competition from...
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