Vintage French randonneuer's and porteurs.

[vcballbat]

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thanks for sharing this encounter

frame -

lug pattern BOCAMA 50/I

seat lug BOCAMA pattern H

crown Vagner pattern DP

shell BOCAMA

dropouts NERVEX Ref. 1036

fork ends NERVEX Ref.1410

curved chainstay bridge NERVEX Ref. 600 serie

dynamo mount bracket NERVEX Ref. 898AR

pump pegs NERVEX REF. 848

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kitting -

chainset: A. Duprat of the type where chainwheel threads onto a boss and is secured by a threaded lockring
example:
View attachment 1001166

LAM brakes of course a product of Ets. Maillard

grips appear to be from FELT

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Thank you for your information, great detail , I could just make out A. DUPRAT in the flutes on the cranks the ring looks rather interesting as it's normally hidden in the chain case. Think it may have seen Mafac on the lever and has an alloy seat post with round top

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Here is a gorgeous porteuer. 1966 Peugeot on Leboncoin. Translation below.

Superb original 1966 Peugeot cargo bike.

In good condition.

Size 57cm from the top tube to the bottom bracket.

Gallet 26.A leather saddle.

Rigida Chrolux wheels.

Peugeot bell.

Soubitez lights.

Torpedo rear hubs.

Bebolux front brakes.

Works very well.

A pair of tyres will be needed.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Fin.

 

[grantoury]

That is a beauty. Don't you just want to ride it to the pub on a sunday afternoon?

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

That is a beauty. Don't you just want to ride it to the pub on a sunday afternoon?

Funny I was thinking that.

 

[vcballbat]

Definitely needs new tyres, wouldn't want to push it home from the Café with egg your face

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Definitely needs new tyres, wouldn't want to push it home from the Café with egg your face

It would ruin your Brunch.

 

[Woz]

@vcballbat - that porteur will be terribly hard to identify and date. I first thought a Motoconfort, but I don't think it is.

Very similar mudguards which are very distinctive. This is a Cazenave but a very different frame and probably later.

https://www.velovintageagogo.com/t22116-porteur-cazenave-de-1968

Tend to agree this is from a smaller builder.

 

[Woz]

Gnome et Rhone - 1942



https://www.leboncoin.fr/ad/velos/3058056875

[ @sunympholepsy his your favourite girlfriend Laetitia in "Le Club du Pudding" already? ]

 

[Filochard]

While browsing the Daniel Rebour files produced by @HeikoS69 (many thanks), I came across an article that piqued my curiosity.

This article published during the 1956 summer in Le Cycle was titled:
"A French bicycle for President Eisenhower. Intelligent and opportune initiative of the Fédération Française de Cyclisme."

Here is the translation by HeikoS69:
"The plate (let's not talk about a brand) decorating the head tube of the bicycle offered to "IKE" by the Fédération Française de Cyclisme (French Cycling Federation) represents a very simplified map of France, bearing in the centre the "arms" of the Federation, cock on a blue-white-red shield and bicycle wheel, and the inscription: F.F.C. AU PRESIDENT EISENHOWER.

This bicycle is of the "city" type, enamelled by LAPIERRE in "France" blue with white and red threads, white sleeve and tricolour rings, chrome-plated fork ends, headlugs and fork head.

The frame, with lugs from the Franco-Swiss company "Sté Franco-Suisse d'Emboutissage" and SIMPLEX dropouts, was built by the Dijon specialist, Mr SCHMIDELY; the chrome plating was carried out by SIMPLEX, and the assembly of the bicycle by Mr JUY.

Note the MAVIC rims, Etienne PERRIN hubs, J. MOYNE freewheel, HUTCHINSON tyres, BRAMPTON chain, "JUY 543" type derailleur and SIMPLEX quick releases, PEUGEOT fenders, chaincase and luggage rack, STRONGLIGHT dural crankset, LYOTARD pedals, H GAUTHIER saddle, light metal A.V.A. handlebars, MAFAC brakes, CIBIE lighting, MISTRAL pump. It should be noted that the headplate, representing a stylised France, bears the arms of the F.F.C. and the inscription: F.F.C. AU PRESIDENT EISENHOWER; on the horizontal tube, the initials in white: D. E."




The article unfortunately gives no details about the reasons that motivated the FFC to offer this gift to the American president at this precise moment.
The Marshall Plan which allowed European economies to bounce back quickly after WW2 has been completed for 5 years and President Eisenhower, elected in 1953 for the first of the two terms he will complete, did not directly participate.

Perhaps the French officials saw there an opportunity to show the American authorities the know-how of the French bicycle industry in the hope of accessing their market at a time when their outlets were significantly reduced by the arrival in force of popular cars and especially mopeds (the Vélosolex and Mobylette have taken their toll).

President Eisenhower was not known as a cyclist, his favorite sport was golf.
He had just suffered a serious heart attack (6 others will follow before the end of his terms ...) and even if his cardiologist was a fervent bicycle advocate, he never managed to convince Ike to get into it.

So I wonder what happened to this bicycle.
The Eisenhower Presidential Library informed me that "unfortunately, our museum does not have this particular bicycle in the collection. We have reviewed our gift files in the archives and did not find any information on the French Cycling Federation of bicycles."

Apart from the article by D. Rebour, the only documents that I found that testify to this event are a set of photos (without date or caption) showing the presentation of this bicycle to an official couple (?) by three men, two of them in casual attire.
These photos are stored in the USA’s national archives:
https://catalog.archives.gov/search-within/18463478

Here is a zoom on this beautiful bike: