Tag Archives: 650b

1947 C. Daudon

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1947 C. Daudon I have had this 1947 Camille Daudon for a few years now, and have done nothing to it since first acquiring it from the prior owner who had done some of his own restoration work, including re-chroming the Vitus frame.  In fact, the bike is so lovely in its current form, that I am reconsidering my plans to bring it back to its original state by adding period correct hammered fenders, front rack, lighting, and a chain guard, which is what it would have originally been equipped with.  This Daudon was custom made for Irene Faberge Gunst, granddaughter of the famous creator of Faberge eggs, a special birthday gift from her husband.  In 2006, this bike won the award for best French bike at the Cirque du Cyclisme show.  As pictured, it weighs a mere 20 lbs.

The wing nuts were drilled to save weight. Double eyelets in the front, single in the rear. Designed to carry a front load.

The head tube shows a slight loss of lug detail due to re-chroming of the frame. Lam side pull brakes with plenty of clearance for fenders.

650b aluminum box style rims with surface pattern to improve braking.

Pelissier hubs.

Daudon’s customized shifter – everything bespoke on this bicycle. Shifter cable not properly set up – a one piece system is required.

Beautiful Stronglight crankset in very good condition.

Cyclo rear derailleur with wrap around cable.

Gorgeous Ideale Saddle – a bit dry and in need of conditioning.

The color matched crank arms are only still visible on the left side. Threading for all left side components is reverse, including the crank bolt, lock ring and bottom bracket cup.

You can see the slight loss of lug detail mostly on the head tube.

Perfect fork rake – a lovely bend close to the drop outs makes for a nice ride.

Re-chromed stem which is bolted to the steerer tube. All bolts are 8 mm heads.

Unbranded pedals – possibly also crafted by Daudon.

Irene Gunst’s engraved steerer tube cover. Beneath this lies the hidden tool kit.

8 mm nut heads on the seat tube clamp, simple but pretty stays.

Tool kit hidden inside the head tube.

Prior to re-chroming the frame looked like this:

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As you can see, the chrome was seriously compromised.  The prior owner decided that it would be worth it to re-chrome the frame and risk the loss of lug detail, rather than sanding it down and re-painting it.  While disappointing in some ways, I think the overall impact of the new chrome outweighs the downsides.  It’s nice to have these photos which will help me re-create the head badge and logos. There are other examples of Camille Daudon bicycles which can also help.  Jan Heine’s The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles features two Daudons, and the latest Bicycle Quarterly features a Daudon that is somewhat similar to mine. As far as restoration goes, I still need to make the bike mechanically sound and rideable.  The Cyclo derailleur uses a one piece shifter cable, and although I could have soldered a cable to work with this derailleur, I have finally located one that will work for this bike:

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And, I am still in a quandary about whether to make this bike appear as it once did – as a touring bike with fenders, lighting and front rack.  While I contemplate that, here are some of the parts I have put together – aluminum fenders, front rack which bolts to the fenders, and Simplex chain guard.  I still need to source appropriate lights for the front and rear fenders, and a dynamo.

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I welcome your thoughts and ideas about this amazing piece of cycling history.

1940’s/50’s Goeland 650b

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001 Here is a wonderful example of the work of Louis Moire, constructeur and founder of Goeland Cycles.  The idea behind Goeland was to offer a high quality hand built frame, but allow the customer to choose mid range components to help keep the cost reasonable.  Of course, high end components could also be chosen.  There isn’t much information about Goeland Cycles on the web, and there is definitely plenty of misinformation.  For example, one website claims that Goeland went out of business in the 1950’s.  Fortunately, I have a Daniel Rebour catalogue from 1962, where Goelands are prominently featured.  And, I have been able to confirm through various collectors that Goeland Cycles continued up until about 1970, having begun business in about 1935.  This Rene Herse site has some nice examples.

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One of my favorite things about Goelands are the beautiful logos.  Goeland means “gull” in french, and the headbadge and downtube logo feature a white seagull surrounded by clouds, flying over blue waves.   I can’t help but wonder if this name was chosen to combat the Raleigh Heron.

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The owner’s name tag is still intact (this was a requirement on all french bicycles of this era).  It would be fun if I could locate her family.  There is some confusion about the model year of this bike.  There are photos of this bike elsewhere on the web which identify the bike as a 1941 model, probably because there is a “41” stamped into the mounting tang of the rear rack.  However, based on discussions with the seller and by reviewing the components, I think it is probably more likely that this bike dates to the late 40’s or early 50’s.  Components include a Cyclo rear derailleur and shifter, Mafac cantilevers and levers, a Phillipe alloy bar and stem, Super Champion color matched aluminum fenders with JOS lamps, and a 650b wheelset with mystery steel rims and hubs, and a mystery freewheel as well.

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The original white rubber block pedals are lovely.  The crankset is unbranded except for this sweet logo of a bicycle stamped on the back side of the chain ring, along with “46” to indicate the number of teeth.

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The frame’s lugs are very fancy, and there are lots of nice features such as braze-ons for the Radios dynamo, chain guard, and pump pegs, an RGF bottom bracket, as well as double eyelets front and rear.  And, there is blue box striping on almost all the tubes.  The paint is in very good condition for its age.

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Unfortunately, there is damage to the frame – the drive side rack mount braze has failed.   There are also two other spots that need repairs as well:  the rack has one joint that needs re-brazing, and the sloping top tube lug has a small crack at the connection point to the seat tube (see below).  Sometimes it is hard to know whether one should proceed to make the repairs, not only because of the expense, but also because the bike will be “less original” when finished.

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Even though I have completed a frame building class, I know that I am not the one to do these repairs.  Frame building and this kind of problem solving are best left to those with many years of experience.  Fortunately, I have my favorite builder and I am hoping that he will help me select the right frame painter for this project.  The frame only needs to be re-painted in the areas where the repairs are made, fortunately not anywhere near the logos.

017While the frame is being repaired and the paint touched up where needed, I can start cleaning and overhauling the components.  A project like this can have many stops and starts, but I hope I can have this one completed before the end of the year.  My goal, of course, is not only to preserve this rare machine but to also make it rideable again.  While not a bike I will ride regularly, I plan to keep it in my permanent collection, for now.

A Slow Ride on Sauvie Island

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In my youth, I often rode my bicycle with no particular destination or purpose in mind.  I never tracked my average speed and never worried about how many miles I covered. Even on my touring rides, I would rarely attempt an all out effort – 4 or 5 hours in the saddle at a reasonable pace while touring was plenty for me.  In fact, this way of riding was so normal for me, that I was not even aware that it wasn’t how you are “supposed” to ride.

Now, some decades later I find myself returning to that natural sense of wonder and peace that a slow and meandering bike ride can provide.  Sights, smells, and sounds are all  uniquely experienced while riding.

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Sauvie Island, about 10 miles from Portland, is an amazing place.  There is a basic loop that’s about 13 miles, totally flat, and there are side excursions that can be added and explored.  Many cyclists ride to Sauvie Island from Portland, make the 13 mile loop, then ride back, giving them 33 miles or so.  Since I was doing a low mileage day I decided to drive my bike to the island and begin the loop counter clockwise.  There are a few nice stops along the way, but my favorite is the Pumpkin Patch – a place with something for everyone, including a cafe, store, fresh produce, a petting barn for kids, and best of all – decent bathrooms.

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It was a hot day, so taking it slow on my Meral 650b turned out to be just right.  I’ve put enough miles on this fresh build that it’s almost time for the bike’s first tune-up.  I was passed by many riders in pace lines, and was greeted by no one except a group of women cyclists going the other way, and a few lone riders dressed in “normal” clothes.  There is no shoulder, but all cars I encountered gave me plenty of room.  That was nice.

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Along the way, there are Llamas (or Alpacas?), cows and horses grazing, beautiful fields of grain, corn and vegetable crops.

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While riding, my bike developed a few unpleasant noises.  The rear fender began to rattle, and the rear derailleur began to squeak!  Then, I became acutely aware of the fact that I need to use a front derailleur designed for a triple crank, not the Ultegra derailleur I am currently using (not designed for a triple).  Also, I could never really find my cruising gear, which I think is best when it is located on the big chain ring.  This is the gear that I define as providing a comfortable cadence on a totally flat surface.

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Part of the trouble is this 48/40/26 T.A. triple crank.  The 8 tooth difference between the middle and large chainrings means much more front shifting than I normally do.  Rather than replace the chainrings, I am planning on ordering a custom cassette.

But hey, I am getting off track here…

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If you take a side trip off Oak Island Road, and travel about 4 miles, you’ll come to a trailhead and parking lot. Once you are off the main road, you’ll encounter very little traffic. The last mile is gravel – hooray for 650b tires! From there you can take a 2.5 mile hike.  It was nice to be wearing regular shoes and another good reminder that not every ride is a race, so there’s no need to dress like it is.  On the hike, you’ll get a view of a number of different lakes, which draw canoists and birders.  You’ll also see Mt. St. Helen’s in the distance.

The last part of my trip involved the brief time on Sauvie Island Road – the busiest leg and most stressful part of the trip, relatively speaking.  Returning home in my car, I feel relaxed and ready to go back to work.