1962 Cycle Competition Cyclotourisme by Daniel Rebour

I purchased this 1962 Daniel Rebour Cycle booklet from Jan Heine about 5 years ago.  Back then I carried it with me whenever I took public transportation to work (TriMet) so I could peruse its French language pages and stare longingly upon its Daniel Rebour drawings at my leisure. While I have never taken a French language class, I studied Spanish extensively in my youth and was at one time fluent in that language.  That made it easier to have a rudimentary comprehension of what I was engrossed in while bumping along toward downtown Portland on the bus. Eventually I realized that I didn’t want the pages of this rare vintage publication to become dog-eared, so I set the booklet aside in my special bin for special stuff not to be messed with.

Unusual through the frame cable routing for rear centerpull Mafac brakes.

I have consulted this little tome a few times since then when I needed some background information on components and bicycles produced in the early 1960’s.  Recently, I dug it out because I had remembered an odd through the frame cable routing for a rear centerpull (Mafac) brake.  And even more recently, I wondered if this little booklet contained any information about French Cyclo rear derailleurs.  I figured probably not, as these derailleurs were becoming obsolete by the late 50’s.  And, I was right about that.  But, I once again was drawn into this publication, which is organized by bicycle component categories:  Frames and tubing (Le Cadre); Bottom Brackets (Les Roulements); Cranksets (Le Pédalier); Chainrings (Les Plateaux); Pedals and Toe Clips (Pédales et Cale-Pieds); Wheelsets (Les Roues); Tubular Tires (Les Boyaux); Derailleurs (Les Derailleurs); Brakes (Les Friens); and the remaining chapters on saddles, handlebars, and accessories.

Sunglasses in your kit – 1962!

Mudflap with 3 point attachment.

Classic Rene Herse 3 arm crankset.

A 1961 Goeland.

Daniel Rebour’s treasured drawings are featured in a number of print publications.  One of these is Frank Berto’s The Dancing Chain.  I frequently consult Berto’s book for insight and guidance on setting up vintage derailleurs.

Daniel Rebour contributed significantly to our understanding of vintage bicycle components.  He left a legacy that all cyclists benefit from, especially those of us committed to preserving the legacy of vintage bicycles, and we are all the better for it. I am grateful for his contribution.

Sharing Technical Resources

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Restoring vintage bicycles is a wonderful undertaking, made more efficient and rewarding by the existence of technical resources published from days gone by. In order to legally obtain these resources, without violating copyright laws, you may need to purchase the original item in question.  But, can you share such an item, such as an old cycling magazine, without violating copyright law?  It would be great if you could, so that others could simply download the material they need and use it in their endeavors.

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Ads for Simplex and Stronglight – 1966 Le Cycle Magazine

I have occasionally shared pages from vintage cycling magazines and catalogs, such as the page shown above which is from a 1966 issue of Le Cycle Magazine. When I do so, I usually photograph the page in question in an amateur way, in order to discourage unscrupulous individuals from stealing that photo.

In the U.S. there is the “fair use” doctrine which allows using snippets of someone else’s copyrighted material in order to illuminate or expand on a particular subject. France’s equivalent of the fair use doctrine is much more restrictive.  However, I think it’s important to always attribute what you are sharing to its original creators, whether they be dead or alive, and whether legally required or not.  (Caveat:  I am not an attorney and am not giving legal advice – please seek your own legal counsel in regard to any copyright law questions.)

Daniel Rebour drawing of 1962 Lambretta

Daniel Rebour drawing of 1962 Lambretta

But what about sharing artwork?  Here is a lovely Daniel Rebour drawing of a 1962 Lambretta scooter.  Before I originally shared this item, I conducted an extensive web search to determine who owned the copyrights to Rebour’s drawings (surely, they are not in the public domain, I thought).  After finding no record of Rebour’s copyright’s on the French government’s copyright site, I tried contacting the publishers who have used Rebour drawings in their published works by various authors.  I wanted to know who owns the copyrights so that I could obtain permission to share the above drawing on my blog site. I heard nothing back.  In France as in the U.S., copyright protection extends 70 years after the creator’s death.  However, in the U.S. magazine copyrights expire 28 years after publication, unless renewed by the publisher.  That shorter time period does not necessarily apply to the individual authors in a published magazine, who may have their own copyrights which last 70 years after death.  So, let’s just say that sharing potentially copyrighted material should be done at your own peril, and that you should definitely consult a qualified attorney before doing so.

1962 Le Cycle Magazine - Daniel Rebour drawings

1962 Le Cycle Magazine – Daniel Rebour drawings

I have taken the trouble to digitize all of the vintage cycling material in my possession, but, pending advice and research from my I.P. attorney, am not able to share these resources yet.  If they can be shared, I think the images and articles (learning to read French is a good thing), will prove to be very informative and helpful to those of us who have committed ourselves to keeping these wonderful old machines alive and on the road.  And, what’s old is often new again.  I am often astounded at the innovations I see in the 1930’s and 40’s, which were long since forgotten, only to be rediscovered again.  I have especially noted this in:  rack design, crankset styles, centerpull and cantilever brake engineering, shifter applications, handlebar shapes as well as the return to steel as the material of choice for a long lasting frame and comfortable ride.

1962 Daniel Rebour drawing - Goeland randonneuse

1962 Daniel Rebour drawing – Goeland randonneuse

 

Le Cycle Magazines from 1947 and 1962

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1962 Lambretta

I thought it would be nice to share some pages from the 1947 and 1962 Le Cycle Magazines that I recently acquired.  Many pages feature the iconic drawings of Daniel Rebour, as well as informative ads from the builders and component makers of the time.

These publications revealed that Daniel Rebour, in addition to creating technical drawings for bicycles and components, also drew mopeds, scooters, and motorcycles, as well as complex engine and transmission parts.  This was something I did not know previously.  Before publishing this post, I contacted a few of the publishers who had used Rebour drawings in their printed materials, to determine who owns the copyrights to Daniel Rebour drawings.  I didn’t want to publish them without obtaining permission.  However, after months of waiting,  I have received absolutely no response.  So, I am including Rebour drawings in the photos below.  If anyone objects – please let me know!

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Various components from 1947 as drawn by Daniel Rebour

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Trade show participants

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Ads for Nervex lugs, Huret, and others.

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More Rebour drawings from 1947.

The 1962 Catalog, photos shown below, was a real gold mine:

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The cover for the 1962 edition – mopeds and cafe racers were featured along with bicycles.

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48cc Ducati engine. If I had known about this little moped as a child, my parents would never have heard the end of it. Instead, I rode around on a little Honda CT70.

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Heralding Simplex’ disastrous foray into plastic, Rebour dutifully portrays these hideous components.

 

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A sexy 1962 Benelli Cafe Racer.

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Mafac – the best brakes pretty much of all time.

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Ads for Bertin, T.A., Atax and Tank.

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More lovely Rebour drawings – the bicycle depicted is a Rene Herse.

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Cafe racer style moped from Motobecane – 1962 model.

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These are just a few of the pages from the magazine.  These resources are invaluable to me as a restorer, revealing not only the trends and developments of the age, but also technical and cultural information which aids in the restoration process.