Late 40s / Early 50s René Herse tip find

[Jonny69]

Made some nettle soup which my kids are HYPER excited about trying for the first time. It’s my first time too and I’m also quite excited (I’ve only ever made nettle wine or tea before). I left it a few weeks too late to pick my nettles though, so I’ve got stung to ****, bad enough that I actually went back to my flat and got some gloves!

Anyway, I needed some onions and bread for the soup and I actually kinda needed to put some miles on this bike before committing it to my commute, because it’s hard on any bike let alone a 75+ year old one, so it seemed fitting to get all my vintage gear on and try out the front rack as well with a bit of shopping at the supermarché which is on the route to work. Bag of onions and I felt a French boule badly squashed by a bungee seemed more fitting than a sourdough. I got passed on a downhill bit by a fella in full Rapha on a carbon bike who, to his credit came up next to me quite fast and hit the brakes and looked me up and down and was nodding in approval and we exchanged pleasantries, but I caught him up on the next uphill bit where I was in that embarrassing position where I was riding faster and I didn’t have the heart to pass him. Luckily he turned off and I could continue at my own pace.

The soup was good. The bread was the right choice. Also, the elder is out early this year - I wasn’t sure if it would be any good this early but it is!

 

[KayOs]

What a rescue story, awesome!!
Have a safe journey on it at all times!

 

[PhillB]

It’s taken me HOURS to find a new chain today. Halfords didn’t have one of their basic ones, my old LBS had closed down when I got there and then after a bit of head scratching I remembered where there’s another bike shop. Unfortunately I could only get a SRAM 6/7/8-speed which has slight ramps on the side plates. I was hoping to get a more basic chain than that because I still think it’ll perform better on this older drivetrain. Anyway, it’s on and it shifts across the whole range. Test ride time.

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This is the oldest derailleur system I’ve used, by quite a margin. All my older bikes have been fixed or hub gear, so I’ve got no comparison point like a Benelux or anything. The closest I can describe it is it’s a bit like an older friction 5-speed, whereby the lever has a lot of throw and on the block there’s space for the chain to slip if you don’t hit a gear. This is where I think an older-style chain would be advantageous. The original chain measures 6.8mm across the plates and 8mm across the rivets. The 8-speed SRAM has flush rivets and is 7mm across the plates. I think the extra 0.5mm of rivet sticking out is probably a good thing in this case.

The suicide front change is a surprisingly long way down when you’re up on the saddle. I was worried about this one but it’s actually a pretty slick, accurate change. I haven’t even tweaked it, it just works!

What does feel really alien, though, is having gearing like a 28 up at the front. You just don’t normally get old bikes with that sort of gearing. I think I mentioned before that this bike doesn’t like being ridden out of the saddle. The wild gearing brings it alive though, you just sit back instead and push the pedals round!

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That chain definitely looks out of place. Anyway, I think it’s ready to go back into service. Current commute is 14 miles each way with a few hills which I think it’ll deal with just fine. I’ll take it easy on Monday until I’m used to the gears and brakes, but it should fly along.

I love seeing these old survivors back on the road - awesome!

 

[Woz]

Love it !

Great work with the rear mech. Absolutely an older style more basic chain will work better.

Yeah, the suicide levers are pretty low, and the Huret is even lower - beer belly not allowed, plus taking your eyes off the road finding the thing. In fairness though the height more or less corresponds to toe straps.

It's a fantastic save and write up too. A winner.

 

[Jonny69]

Didn’t manage many bike commutes this week in the end, but I did finally do today on the RH. Proof:



It was definitely a lot harder work than any of my other bikes and my legs are roached! I’m hoping it was just the headwind.

 

[PhillB]

Didn’t manage many bike commutes this week in the end, but I did to today on the RH. Proof:

View attachment 964328

It was definitely a lot harder work than any of my other bikes and my legs are roached! I’m hoping it was just the headwind.

Bringing a bit of class and refinement to the bike shed...

 

[Woz]

Bringing a bit of class and refinement to the bike shed...

Best comment.

There's something about this picture which also makes me think the original Rene Herse would be so proud if he saw it. Revived and used.

The latest re-carnation of Rene Herse of today in todays world I doubt would feel the same.

Time does strange things.

Personally, reading about the finding, whole approach of going along with this bike and where it's at today represents a stunning achievement.

I'm sure anyone who enters that bike shed would spontaneously pause and take a double look. Form and function of it all is so distant now.

 

[Imwit]

Didn’t manage many bike commutes this week in the end, but I did finally do today on the RH. Proof:

View attachment 964328

It was definitely a lot harder work than any of my other bikes and my legs are roached! I’m hoping it was just the headwind.

Great to see it in use. I wonder how many RH’s still get used as commuters?

Two questions.. how are you finding the brakes? And do you lock it up with something serious?

 

[legrandefromage]

Best comment.

There's something about this picture which also makes me think the original Rene Herse would be so proud if he saw it. Revived and used.

The latest re-carnation of Rene Herse of today in todays world I doubt would feel the same.

Time does strange things.

Personally, reading about the finding, whole approach of going along with this bike and where it's at today represents a stunning achievement.

I'm sure anyone who enters that bike shed would spontaneously pause and take a double look. Form and function of it all is so distant now.

As a bikey person, I'd be bouncing around like loon if I saw that and would definitely be leaving my number Or waiting around for the ownerr

It would be like turning up for work in a citroen ds or traction avant, an outrageous railing against the slurped out borefest that is the workplace carpark

I would definitely lose my shit seeing that in a bikeshed