Rusty bike restoration - taking on a super cool `40`s vintage Velo de Ville/Town bike!!!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- Hmmm.... this rusty old bike is not what we usually restore on this channel, but sometimes an old bike comes along and its just way to cool to not tackle!
In this video we take an early `40`s French Velo de Ville (town Bike) thats seriously down at heal, pull it apart and then take on what turns out to be an epic bike parts cleaning session, plus a pit of rusty paint polishing that is only partly sucsessful - but check out the vintage bike parts - the stem mounted lights are awesome and the original Lefal aluminium mudguards are soooo cool...
www.vintae-velo.org
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Think they used to fit those type of mudguards on vintage Jack Taylor touring bikes from memory.
I love these old bicycles they have so much character and charm great video Dan.
This one has charm by the boat load, Dan
Nice video ,Dan.
Great period piece of cycling .
Remember as a kid , workmen going to and from on bikes similar to that one.. Definitely looking forward to seeing the next part to this
rebuild.
All the best!
👍
Yep, its a cool looking bike, Dan
This is a really cool cafe bike for the summer great stuff Dan
Informative and fascinating to hear about the history of these old bikes. Your passion shines through..thanks. Look forward to the next one :-)
Thanks, so many neat details in the build, Dan
Great watch. Thanks for posting
What a really nice old bike.
Thanks, Dan
They did make bikes to last a lifetime back in the day . Depending on how old the 3 speed conversion is , it could still be classed as a resto mod.
Greetings from Germany, nice old bike, and it looks like it is in good hands.
Trying to look after it, Dan
Oh such a lovable old bike, such handsome mudguards. Not sure it’s worth so many hours of such patient labour but I enjoyed the vid and am looking forward to Part 2. You had better not take it to France the original Monsieur might spot it and want it back!
Definatly a labour of love - literally hours on the wheel cleaning up the components, Dan
love it cant wait to see part 2
Lots to come, Dan
For the last few years I have been removing and replacing cotter pins with a vice (Record Imp) with a socket for clearance. No special tools required!
while hammering on the vise like an impact tool (tlll i cracked the vise that is)
Figures theres a better way than thumping with a hammer, Dan
Try the French site Tonton Velo. A very useful resource. Through the 50s, at least, French law required the owner’s name and address be on the bike. Most used a brass plate; better bikes had their owner’s name engraved. This looks a nice bike, perhaps not quite worthy of engraving, but bespoke. I have seldom seen a rear rack like that on a French bike. Usually it’s a small affair with a front rack of equal or greater size. Good luck with the project. Enjoyable video, as always.
Engraving was nothing to do with the quality of the bike and everything to do with how much the owner was prepared to spend.
@ I didn’t make it up. See Jan Heine, et al, The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles, 2009, p. 77.
Fascinating, did not know that, Dan
Sorry, did you say L'Eroica 😉
oddly enough L`Eroica booking open this morning - booked in for the Super Heroic 210k for next year... not on this one though, figure I`ll take this to Anjou Vintage Velo next June with a bit of luck, Dan
Thanks for the advice! If I wanted (and I do, as a next project) to build up a 1940s or older vintage bike, do you have a recommendation on origin? I assume English will be the easiest to find compatible parts for?
Those old French bikes are ten a penny in France. I've seen huge skips full of them....
Those old French bikes are 10 a penny in France. I've seen huge skips full of them over there.
Hmm.... do check out the video we did on rebuilding an antique bike earlier this year - British can be easier to figure out parts and Chatter Lea are great parts to keep an eye out for but can be 100% specific to the bike - I`d go for a quality complete bike and a sympathetic rebuild, Dan
Should always remove EVERYTHING before you remove the wheels....
Probably, Dan
5:41 minutes and the first thing to happen on the bike 😮. I am off, to much talking instead of doing.
Great video Dan. Was just thinking recently of getting a town or city bike to ride around to gym and swim practice to save gas money . Greetings from Canada Mate, trying to do the miles here in the cold Canadian winter. It’s freaking hard when it’s below freezing. Only doing 30-40km rides. Super cold on mountain bikes. Cheers.