by Dominic | Apr 3, 2018 | Bike Histories, Other Vintage Bikes, Vintage Bikes
1986 Tour De France, mid 1980’s, and that rivalry: LeMond v Hinault. It’s become one of the great events in the history of the race, and I was in my teens at the time. I remember seeing those Look bikes and wishing I had one. LeMond’s 1986...
by Dominic | Mar 28, 2018 | Bike Histories, Vintage Bikes, Vintage French Bikes
What’s So Special About Lapierre? Dijon sits about 250km north of Saint Etienne, that cycle powerhouse of the vintage era. Famous for its mustard, Dijon is a city I’ve always wanted to visit, but never managed to see. One of France’s largest...
by Dominic | Mar 20, 2018 | Bike Histories, Vintage French Bike Parts
Challenger v Criterium It’s 1976, and you’ve just bought yourself a new French bike. Not an expensive one, mind you, as inflation is at a whopping 16% in Britain. You opted for the mid-range bike, something like the Motobecane C3, and shining on your...
by Dominic | Dec 18, 2017 | Bike Histories, Vintage Bikes, Vintage British Bikes
The Hill Special On the 31st August 2014, on the afternoon that Eastbourne’s pier burnt, I had the bizarre stroke of fortune to meet the Hill family in my back garden – the day after I just bought a 1982 Hill Special locally on Gumtree. How likely is...
by Dominic | Nov 7, 2017 | Bike Histories, Other Vintage Bikes, Vintage Bikes
The Cool Europeans Imagine walking into a bike shop in an American town in the 1970’s. For the average Joe, there wouldn’t have been much choice if he wanted a road bike made in the USA. The US bike market at that time was dominated by that behemoth...
by Dominic | May 8, 2017 | Bike Histories
The Final Throw of the Dice Things looked bad for the French bike parts industry. The year was 1984, and the market was rapidly changing; the reign of French components, once so dominant in the bike boom, was now being eroded by competition from Europe and...
