Derycke 3-speed

[nateyboy]

I’m hoping someone can provide a little more info on this one as I’m not finding much. I picked up this Belgium Derycke 3-speed a while back. It was last licensed in 1966 in Brabant, a former province of Belgium. The headlight mount and rear rack being part of the frame drew me to the bike.

A little about the bike:

• Steel frame with integrated headlight brackets and rear rack
• Sturmey Archer 3-speed drivetrain
• Soubitez generator headlight
• 26” Rigida Chrolux rims
• Lux aluminum fenders
• Weinmann brake calipers and levers
• Belio aluminum chainguard
• Brabant bicycle license plate

From what I’ve been able to find, Germain Derycke (2 November 1929, in Bellegem – 13 January 1978, in Kortrijk) was a Belgian road bicycle racer. Derycke was a classics specialist. In his second year as a professional he came second in Liège–Bastogne–Liège. In 1953 he won Paris–Roubaix. He twice stood on the podium at the world road race championship, second in 1953 and third in 1955.

After his racing career he created a bicycle line bearing his name. There is still a Derycke Cycles in Belgium, but I haven’t received a response to my inquiry for information about the bike. This bike is for sale if anyone is interested. In the meantime I’d love to learn as much as I can. Thanks in advance!

 

[juvela]

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Hello Nate and thank you for sharing this marvelous find with the forum!

Very fine research on your part.

The frame's demi headlugs and fork crown appear they may be an EKLA item.

The chainstay plate style bridge is an ESGE item.

The pedals appear to be an Atom model from Ets. Maillard of Incheville FR.

Its a little bit hard to make out but suspect marking on chainset to be Agrati - is that correct?

Although not marked with the name suspect chainguard to be an Ardex item.

Brabant is also the name for an amusement park ride.

Forum member @non-fixie is the payes bas expert here on the forum - he should have a good deal of solid information to share on the cycle...

Thank you again for posting.


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[non-fixie]

Nice pick-up! Looks to be very original and in excellent shape, too. Great color and some lovely Belgian details, like the rear rack and the lamp bracket.

What you've found out about Derycke is pretty much what I know about them. I don't know who actually built these frames. I have seen a Derycke racing frame which was made by Martens, but this does not look like a Martens product. Royal Nord is a name that comes to mind, and might be worth looking into.

BTW, there is a braze-on on the NDS fork blade. That's there for mounting a tax plate.

 

[juvela]

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Stem appears it may be Titan.

Headset appears it may be Woit.

You should be able to read a specific date marked on the shell of the SA hub.

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[nateyboy]

@juvela @non-fixie Thank you SO MUCH for the information! It’s encouraging to know that with all of the information available to us nowadays there are still some mysteries!

• The SA hub appears to be an AW model with a date of 1965.
• “Made in France” is the only marking I see on the pedals.
• The kickstand says “ESGE.”
• No markings on the headset, but I’m attaching a closer photo.
• I can’t quite make out the full markings on the crank arm, but it looks like a partial “ngrall.”
• I’m also attaching a photo of the stem. It might be a Titan, but I can’t decipher it.

@non-fixie I did find a Facebook group for Royal Nord bicycles. It’s a small group, but some of the bicycles shown have identical pinstriping. And you are 100% correct about the braze-on on the left side of the fork—I’ll move the tag over there asap!

What else can I check or provide that might shine some more light on this one?! Thanks again!

 

[juvela]

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Thanks very much for this response with additional information & imagery.

The font employed for the marking on the stem looks just like the Titan one - @non-fixie will be able to comment. The colour anodised sleeve on the bar also looks like a Titan feature...

Royal Nord is a very fine candidate for the manufacturer of the cycle - probably me favourite marque in the entire world from as aesthetics perspective.

On some of their contract builds a small transfer with the RN initials can be found. Here is one on a Garage Indesteege cycle belonging to non-fixie -

note the many correspondences with your machine:

rear rack, headlamp mount, chainset, pedals, stem & bar, mudguards

Garage Indesteege, Landen (Belgium). Anybody recognize anything? - Bike Forums

Classic & Vintage - Garage Indesteege, Landen (Belgium). Anybody recognize anything? - Picked this up yesterday out of curiosity. I'm sure it was built by someone else, if only because of the serial number. But by whom? One clue could be the initials 'RN' on the seat tube.

www.bikeforums.net

Here is a detailed discussion thread on one beautiful example posted to the bikeforums discussion site -

Royal Nord President circa 1967 - Bike Forums

Classic & Vintage - Royal Nord President circa 1967 - About two years ago, I was picking up some boxes of parts at a fellow collectors shop when he showed my friend and I a three speed he had picked up in Daytona Fla twenty years earlier. I was intriqued and took some pictures and offered him...

www.bikeforums.net

This is one marvelous piece you have taken in - prize it closely!


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[non-fixie]

Titan was quite popular BITD, and their style was copied by other makers at the time. Yours is one of the nicer ones. Nicer than this combination, anyway:

And this is on the Indesteege which @juvela linked to: