Early 50s La Gazelle - Eau-de-Nil 🛠️ The Merlot Aftermath 🍷

If the tube doesn't have a kink or crease line a little ickle squeeze with some wooden blocks with a close enough diameter to seat tube will improve that 👍 it's not far off...
The old grouch in me is detecting the wif of neo eau de nils retro....🧐
 
The future ....

How I see this bike going forward, it will get a light restoration, everything will be re-greased and smoothed out.

There's three steps that will happen:

1) Get it road worthy with any old bits I can come across. I will really want to try this close ratio lark, scratch that itch, check the position etc.

2) Full dismantle, light frame clean-up restoration, re-grease head-set and bottom bracket.

3) Build it up gradually into something less racey and more orientated to gentle summer day outings.
 
The end target ....

Something less racey means:

1) A fairly decent and robust wheel set to be made. Tyre clearance looks excellent without the mudguards.
2) No drop bars. Like the idea of wide curly whirly moustache bars that will give me something a bit more upright but not something cramped up either. I may be forced into a new-ish bar and stem set-up. The old bar clamp diameter is a weird 25mm thing.
3) Some Mafac center pull brake calipers and nice brake levers.
4) Fix the gearing. The lowest tooth count for the front using the Stronglight 3-arm crank seems to be a 45/47 combo, I'm thinking of taking it down to a single ring crank around the 38 or 42 ball park. I want to push that Simplex rear mech to see in practice if I can get away with a 6 speed and a 27T large sprocket.

1663938883245.webp
 
Woz said:
The end target ....

Something less racey means:

1) A fairly decent and robust wheel set to be made. Tyre clearance looks excellent without the mudguards.
2) No drop bars. Like the idea of wide curly whirly moustache bars that will give me something a bit more upright but not something cramped up either. I may be forced into a new-ish bar and stem set-up. The old bar clamp diameter is a weird 25mm thing.
3) Some Mafac center pull brake calipers and nice brake levers.
4) Fix the gearing. The lowest tooth count for the front using the Stronglight 3-arm crank seems to be a 45/47 combo, I'm thinking of taking it down to a single ring crank around the 38 or 42 ball park. I want to push that Simplex rear mech to see in practice if I can get away with a 6 speed and a 27T large sprocket.

View attachment 665050
Click to expand...
200w (2).webp
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Woz
6 speed 🤨
Ok ....hmmm I'm thinking woz....let's get kinky!
I don't think 26 will go....I will investigate on mine what it will take!
6 cogs at 3/32 chain I don't think it will have the travel....but.....what about.....🤨........cassette hub with a chopped about 11/12 speed cassette?
So early HG hub at 126 mm....6 from an 11 or 12 should fit...
Next stop is chainring....hmmm if it were thinned on side of tooth profile it'd match!
As for stem.....if I had it in my hand...maybe it could become a 25.4.....😉
If you really want to mod this....I'd really like to help 😁
When's ratched coming round with the green gooey stuff and the purple pills?
 
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