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Bikes to see in France

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That’s a beauty! Love to see these older guys like me still doing it.

been checking out the Anjou VeloVintage site as well. Nice bikes in there. I saw the shellac on the handlebar tape and knew I was on the right place.
Unfortunately the Anjou VV event is cancelled again this year. Not because of Covid-19 however.
Apparently none of the bids from prospective organisers met with the Mayor of Saumur's approval.
Shame, as riding alongside 3,000 others on vintage bikes is an amazing experience.
And the weekend long bikejumble is superb.
Oh, and the wine.
Maybe next year!
 
I always like to show this for French bikes. This was Labiche's bike in the movie The Train, borrowed by his engineer Pilzer to ride back to Paris.
I will always take the stand that racing didn't make the modern bicycle, but Paris during the occupation.
There was no gas, no automobiles, and people spent their transportation budgets on nice bikes built in basements by Jews hiding and working for Rene Herse and Alex Singer. Every day was a bike race get to outlying farms and return with produce to Paris markets.
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Also hard to go wrong with Irina Demick in The Longest Day, though you may not notice the movie bike above is much nicer.
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Charrel built most everything for his bikes, including brakes and racks.

Older guys, hmm. Grimacing in the sun at the greenways summit, and my shirt sticking to my sweat after climbing the switchbacks, but this old man makes a pretty good showing at the Sunday morning Alamodome sprint. Always in the lead group, and occasionally first. Last Sunday I was 3rd on this Merc, riding with younger riders on newer bikes, and about half of them USAF officers.
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My buddy Lou with the Charrel makes an annual trip to France. His retirement job is riding 100+ mi/wk on the city parks greenways.
Hey bulldog, I may be old, but I’m also very slow 😁. Nice to see you still doing it. I can’t say this kind of riding was in my rear view mirror because I was always slow. I’ll get there, eventually.

I also can’t speak French, except to say “je regrette”, “je suis desolee”, “pardon”, etc. I hang my head in shame.
 
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