Peachy!":11wuy6yi said:
More here Peachy including a superb restoration to enjoy over morning coffee:
https://forum.tontonvelo.com/viewtopic. ... ilit=rubis
French Barn Find - Buckets of Patina!
- Thread starter Woz
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More here Peachy including a superb restoration to enjoy over morning coffee:
https://forum.tontonvelo.com/viewtopic. ... ilit=rubis
A bit more surfing reveals it is a rather clever two speed system - Hirondel patent 1902.
No levers nor gear mechanisms, one continuous length of chain and no need to mount or dismount to flip the wheel over.
To go in the high gear, you pedal forward (normal) and to go in the low gear you pedal backward.
http://bikeretrogrouch.blogspot.com/201 ... irect.html
No levers nor gear mechanisms, one continuous length of chain and no need to mount or dismount to flip the wheel over.
To go in the high gear, you pedal forward (normal) and to go in the low gear you pedal backward.
http://bikeretrogrouch.blogspot.com/201 ... irect.html
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Double the power? Hi lo torque? Both sides of the chain power the rear wheel.Peachy!":1h4kn1dl said:
Sir Walter":27usgbrx said:
I have one destroyed De Dion Bouton pedal rusted solid to a bent crank. So full on unlucky. :facepalm:
Not sure if this is like the ones you are taking about. The brand name is cut-out in the cage, fancy, but not a strong design. Photo's here for history sake.......it's going to the tip on Friday.
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Will add while I'm on the branding of rusty parts the mudguards must have been nothing short of a work of art and very costly to make. Sadly I have no photographs as the details were extremely faint.
The rear was embossed De Dion, painted yellow with blue box lining, and the front was embossed Bouton and painted blue with yellow box lining.
After too many successive glasses of wine it struck me what was going on - the rear tyre would have been blue and the front tyre yellow colour (see earlier pictures). This elaborate fan fair of rear - front inverted colours may also explain the oddity that De Dion Bouton is actually painted only once in blue on the yellow down-tube vertically central.
It seems you were meant to admire the bike looking from a close standing position, eye scanning top rear to top front. Completely unlike what is common today; a lower perspective eye scanning side rear to side front.
Obviously I can not be 100% sure, but it does make some sense. I think.
The rear was embossed De Dion, painted yellow with blue box lining, and the front was embossed Bouton and painted blue with yellow box lining.
After too many successive glasses of wine it struck me what was going on - the rear tyre would have been blue and the front tyre yellow colour (see earlier pictures). This elaborate fan fair of rear - front inverted colours may also explain the oddity that De Dion Bouton is actually painted only once in blue on the yellow down-tube vertically central.
It seems you were meant to admire the bike looking from a close standing position, eye scanning top rear to top front. Completely unlike what is common today; a lower perspective eye scanning side rear to side front.
Obviously I can not be 100% sure, but it does make some sense. I think.
Sir Walter":sfn7tq4z said:
I think I know which hubs you are talking about - the ones with the knurled outer lock-rings?
For a start I really cannot say if the wheels I have where original to the Dion Bouton. When I found the bikes, there was one wheel on one frame, and one wheel on the other. It's any ones guess really. What I can say, the hubs are not the ones you are most likely talking about.
I have not been able to identify the hubs despite trawling the web. There are no markings, and look fairly modern in appearance - you would be hard pushed not to confuse them with something from the 60s, 70s, 80s...
However, they are ancient - they are made from what appears one single block of steel. The nickel coating is the best clue to the date. All threads obsolete French. Simply cannot say if they are from the De Dion Bouton factory or something from say St Etienne.
Compared to the faff I just had redoing a XTR M900 rear hub, this 100 year old or so hub is a pure joy to work with.
The design, material quality and engineering precision is simply outstanding. The picture can do the talking.
