Finally got the 100-year-old racer back into ridable condition and out on the road!
02-05-22, 04:05 PM
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Finally got the 100-year-old racer back into ridable condition and out on the road!
Rides pretty well for a forty-pound bike! 
Riding a 100-year-old Racing Bicycle: The Claude Delage French Racer. - YouTube
Riding a 100-year-old Racing Bicycle: The Claude Delage French Racer. - YouTube
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02-05-22, 04:45 PM
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Spectacular! How did you come by it? Love to hear the story there.
02-05-22, 04:53 PM
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Hi Joe! Fellow wet shaver and bike enthusiast here. What a delightful video! Thanks so much for sharing so much about the brand and for restoring that beauty. The head badge alone is a work of art in my opinion.
And if you haven't yet, I hope you try Stirling Soap Co.'s products. They are a family-owned company in Arkansas and both husband and wife are veterans. Their soap is the best bang for the buck I've found anywhere. Super slick and a tub lasts a long, long time. Anyway, thought I'd share that with you. They also sell coffee on their site in the even you want to try a really special brew. I am just a happy customer, I don't benefit from spreading the news other than the satisfaction I get from sharing it.
Great video and a worthy project!
And if you haven't yet, I hope you try Stirling Soap Co.'s products. They are a family-owned company in Arkansas and both husband and wife are veterans. Their soap is the best bang for the buck I've found anywhere. Super slick and a tub lasts a long, long time. Anyway, thought I'd share that with you. They also sell coffee on their site in the even you want to try a really special brew. I am just a happy customer, I don't benefit from spreading the news other than the satisfaction I get from sharing it.
Great video and a worthy project!
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02-05-22, 05:19 PM
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We'll, I'll tell you by way of a warning. Stay away from eBay France. Found it for a good price over there and thought I was getting a bargain, but after the shipping and the work to get it ridable, it turned out to probably not be that great of a bargain after all. Hey, how can you put a price on something like this anyway? That's what I keep telling myself. And yet I still can't stop myself from looking at eBay France!
Found it for a good price over there and thought I was getting a bargain, but after the shipping and the work to get it ridable, it turned out to probably not be that great of a bargain after all. Hey, how can you put a price on something like this anyway? That's what I keep telling myself. And yet I still can't stop myself from looking at eBay France!
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02-05-22, 05:20 PM
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Hi Joe! Fellow wet shaver and bike enthusiast here. What a delightful video! Thanks so much for sharing so much about the brand and for restoring that beauty. The head badge alone is a work of art in my opinion.
And if you haven't yet, I hope you try Stirling Soap Co.'s products. They are a family-owned company in Arkansas and both husband and wife are veterans. Their soap is the best bang for the buck I've found anywhere. Super slick and a tub lasts a long, long time. Anyway, thought I'd share that with you. They also sell coffee on their site in the even you want to try a really special brew. I am just a happy customer, I don't benefit from spreading the news other than the satisfaction I get from sharing it.
Great video and a worthy project!
And if you haven't yet, I hope you try Stirling Soap Co.'s products. They are a family-owned company in Arkansas and both husband and wife are veterans. Their soap is the best bang for the buck I've found anywhere. Super slick and a tub lasts a long, long time. Anyway, thought I'd share that with you. They also sell coffee on their site in the even you want to try a really special brew. I am just a happy customer, I don't benefit from spreading the news other than the satisfaction I get from sharing it.
Great video and a worthy project!
02-05-22, 05:28 PM
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Beautiful bike. Great video
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“One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"
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02-05-22, 05:32 PM
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I almost never click on these youtube links. But I'm glad I did this time. Interesting and quite a bike.
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02-05-22, 05:47 PM
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Looks great. What did you have Ed do to it?
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02-05-22, 05:49 PM
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"Looks like something out of Metropolis." 
Did you have two guys on a motorcycle help you? Great video.
Did you have two guys on a motorcycle help you? Great video.
02-05-22, 07:35 PM
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Forty pounds, huh? So basically it's a Schwinn Varsity with 6 or 8 fewer gears (depending on the vintage). 
All kidding aside, that's very cool I very much enjoyed the video. Both that and the refurb were obviously labors of love.
All kidding aside, that's very cool I very much enjoyed the video. Both that and the refurb were obviously labors of love.
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02-05-22, 11:56 PM
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While I like YouTube, how about a few pictures for here?
02-06-22, 07:32 AM
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Lovely. I had never heard of the brand, but I looked up to see if there was any connection to Delage cars ($$$); nope, that company's founder was named Louis.
Neat feature under the bottom bracket; so many complain about French BB cups backing out, perhaps that design feature should have persisted?
Neat feature under the bottom bracket; so many complain about French BB cups backing out, perhaps that design feature should have persisted?
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02-06-22, 08:11 AM
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Very cool bike and video, Love to see some detailed pics too so I can drool over it more!
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing.
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02-06-22, 06:23 PM
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Terrific video of the Claude Delage bike.
Love the history and pix.
Also a pleasure to see it getting loved the best way !
Love the history and pix.
Also a pleasure to see it getting loved the best way !
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02-06-22, 06:52 PM
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You were lucky to find a full set of intact, unbent wingnuts -- nice touch!
About the only thing I would have done differently would be to use KoolStop brake pads. My first-generation Campag. calipers were as dreadful as you say, but KoolStops and modern low-compression, low-friction cable housing made a huge difference in safety.
One reason I like classic frames, albeit less classic than yours, is the relaxed frame geometries, which accommodate wider tires and provide a smooth, stable ride.
About the only thing I would have done differently would be to use KoolStop brake pads. My first-generation Campag. calipers were as dreadful as you say, but KoolStops and modern low-compression, low-friction cable housing made a huge difference in safety.
One reason I like classic frames, albeit less classic than yours, is the relaxed frame geometries, which accommodate wider tires and provide a smooth, stable ride.
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
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02-06-22, 09:27 PM
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Very cool! It’s fun to think that my bikes have so much in common with bikes from 100 years ago. I kinda want to move to riding something from that era.
My Schwinn Sprint is less than 40 years old but, as a single speed, about the only new technologies on it from 100 years ago are quick release levers and a sealed bottom bracket.
Interesting though that mine weighs more like 23 pounds before I add tools, tube and water bottle. I guess the other new tech is that so many components are aluminum alloy.
Otto
My Schwinn Sprint is less than 40 years old but, as a single speed, about the only new technologies on it from 100 years ago are quick release levers and a sealed bottom bracket.
Interesting though that mine weighs more like 23 pounds before I add tools, tube and water bottle. I guess the other new tech is that so many components are aluminum alloy.
Otto
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02-06-22, 10:38 PM
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A wonderful story on the bike and a great restoration. I have always imagined bikes of that vintage being collected but not ridden. It was a treat to see one in motion.
That brake caliper mounting to the fork was certainly unique-- looks a bit like the ancestor of cantilever brakes but with variable-height posts.
Thank you for sharing.
That brake caliper mounting to the fork was certainly unique-- looks a bit like the ancestor of cantilever brakes but with variable-height posts.
Thank you for sharing.
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02-07-22, 10:46 AM
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I was struck by how much the outline of the dropouts on this bike look like the Nervex dropouts used on basic French 10-speeds in the 70s - the cutout between the top and the upper edge of the dropout slot is smaller, but the outer contour looks identical!
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02-07-22, 05:07 PM
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You were lucky to find a full set of intact, unbent wingnuts -- nice touch!
About the only thing I would have done differently would be to use KoolStop brake pads. My first-generation Campag. calipers were as dreadful as you say, but KoolStops and modern low-compression, low-friction cable housing made a huge difference in safety.
One reason I like classic frames, albeit less classic than yours, is the relaxed frame geometries, which accommodate wider tires and provide a smooth, stable ride.
About the only thing I would have done differently would be to use KoolStop brake pads. My first-generation Campag. calipers were as dreadful as you say, but KoolStops and modern low-compression, low-friction cable housing made a huge difference in safety.
One reason I like classic frames, albeit less classic than yours, is the relaxed frame geometries, which accommodate wider tires and provide a smooth, stable ride.
02-07-22, 05:09 PM
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Very cool! It’s fun to think that my bikes have so much in common with bikes from 100 years ago. I kinda want to move to riding something from that era.
My Schwinn Sprint is less than 40 years old but, as a single speed, about the only new technologies on it from 100 years ago are quick release levers and a sealed bottom bracket.
Interesting though that mine weighs more like 23 pounds before I add tools, tube and water bottle. I guess the other new tech is that so many components are aluminum alloy.
Otto
My Schwinn Sprint is less than 40 years old but, as a single speed, about the only new technologies on it from 100 years ago are quick release levers and a sealed bottom bracket.
Interesting though that mine weighs more like 23 pounds before I add tools, tube and water bottle. I guess the other new tech is that so many components are aluminum alloy.
Otto
02-07-22, 05:12 PM
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Yep, I don't think they changed much over the years. From what I've seen, bikes from around 1915 to 1940 especially, look very similar.
02-07-22, 05:19 PM
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Most excellent video. Most excellent.
The bike and your efforts are now truly one-of-a-kind and historic.
The bike and your efforts are now truly one-of-a-kind and historic.
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