Originally Posted by
TenGrainBread
I see
repechage point about the fenders. While it wasn't the fashion to put fenders on race bikes in the US, the 700C "Sportif" with fenders was a common style in France. A competition bike designed for long rides where weather is unpredictable and comfort is somewhat important. Still considered a race bike but designed for more than just crits.
The fender mounting braze-ons on the bike indicate it was designed to be able to take fenders.
My 1972 Raleigh Professional has fender eyelets and room for 32mm tires at least, but the geometry is so tight that I have to let air out of the 23mm tire to fit into the dropouts between the front derailleur anyway!
Just because some features are included doesn't necessarily mean that they were practical or meant to exemplify the ideal build around a frame set. The geometry on this Singer is also tight, and I'm sure would have been excellent for crit racing in its day, fender eyelets and room to spare or not.
-Gregory