A wonderful thing happened to me today...

lost_in_thought
lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
edited January 2009 in Commuting chat
I was in gay Paris, doing my job, and was in a suburb called Levallois-Perret to meet an agent (real estate, not secret) who I've known for a while. He saw me a-hobbling, asked what I'd done and how, and we spent the rest of the building tour chatting about cycling.

We finished early, at which point he said 'There's a shop right near here you'd really like if you've got 10 minutes, it sells bikes.'

Thinking that it would be some evans-esque joint, I sighed inwardly and went along.

It was not evans. It was a hand-made french retro bike heaven. An 'Artisan Cycle Builder' by the name of Alex Singer. OMFG it's beautiful.

Check out his website: http://www.cycles-alex-singer.fr/index.php

And this review of his shop with some photos at the end: http://framebuilders.toucansurf.com/alexsinger.htm

EDIT: Here's a video where you can see more of the showroom. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x20i0k ... r_creation

I may need to buy two bikes. :D

I was half an hour late to my next meeting.
FCN 7/1
Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.

Comments

  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    ooh very nice...
  • Gavin Gilbert
    Gavin Gilbert Posts: 4,019
    Indeed. Alex Singer are deeply lovely machines. The other great French builder was Rene Herse...

    There's only Robin Mather, Witcombs and Mercian producing that quality of work in the UK now. Several in the states 'lo.
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    Lovely
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • gert_lush
    gert_lush Posts: 634
    oui oui ils ont l'air très bien
    je voudrais s'il vous plaît 3 nouveaux vélos :D:D
    FCN 8 mainly
    FCN 4 sometimes
  • greg66_tri_v2.0
    greg66_tri_v2.0 Posts: 7,172
    Ok, I'll be the @sshole.

    I don't like them. Too retro, headtubes way too tall, rear triangles enormous (likely to flex?), and not a fan of non compact geometry. They don't float my boat.

    If I was in the market for a metal bike, I'd look at a Litespeed with S&S couplers fitted to make it a travel bike. Even some of them (eg thr Ghisallo) are wet noodles, though.
    Swim. Bike. Run. Yeah. That's what I used to do.

    Bike 1
    Bike 2-A
  • hisoka
    hisoka Posts: 541
    *drool* wow
    "This area left purposefully blank"
    Sign hung on my head everyday till noon.

    FCN: 11 (apparently)
  • gtvlusso
    gtvlusso Posts: 5,112
    +50Million if you buy 2 bikes (25M each!)

    Be careful on that leg!
  • Rich158
    Rich158 Posts: 2,348
    Greg66 wrote:
    Ok, I'll be the @sshole.

    I don't like them. Too retro, headtubes way too tall, rear triangles enormous (likely to flex?), and not a fan of non compact geometry. They don't float my boat.

    If I was in the market for a metal bike, I'd look at a Litespeed with S&S couplers fitted to make it a travel bike. Even some of them (eg thr Ghisallo) are wet noodles, though.

    I agree, nice as retro machines, but that geometry does look like they'll handle like boats, not my sort of thing. Give me a compact frame any day :lol:
    pain is temporary, the glory of beating your mates to the top of the hill lasts forever.....................

    Revised FCN - 2
  • hondafanatic
    hondafanatic Posts: 213
    I would have prefered the encounter if it was a 'Secret' agent and not a 'Real Estate' agent.

    Cheers
    David
    <insert witty comment here>

    Also, I have calculated my FCN as 12...although I have no idea what that actually means.
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    Rich158 wrote:
    Greg66 wrote:
    Ok, I'll be the @sshole.

    I don't like them. Too retro, headtubes way too tall, rear triangles enormous (likely to flex?), and not a fan of non compact geometry. They don't float my boat.

    If I was in the market for a metal bike, I'd look at a Litespeed with S&S couplers fitted to make it a travel bike. Even some of them (eg thr Ghisallo) are wet noodles, though.

    I agree, nice as retro machines, but that geometry does look like they'll handle like boats, not my sort of thing. Give me a compact frame any day :lol:

    Each to their own!! I love the retro look and the finishing, but it would definitely not replace the uber-bike in my affections. It would be an as well as rather than an instead of.

    I'm passing the bike love around you see, and I'm going to Bespoke and hopefully Mosquito today to look at Parlee and Crumpton. I enjoy looking at nice bikes. Oh yes I do.
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • greg66_tri_v2.0
    greg66_tri_v2.0 Posts: 7,172
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    I'm passing the bike love around you see, and I'm going to Bespoke and hopefully Mosquito today to look at Parlee and Crumpton. I enjoy looking at nice bikes. Oh yes I do.

    Bollox. I'm jealous. :evil:
    Swim. Bike. Run. Yeah. That's what I used to do.

    Bike 1
    Bike 2-A
  • snakehips
    snakehips Posts: 2,272
    I have just had a look at the site . That must have been a very pleasant experience.

    regards.jpgfrom.jpgsnakehips.jpg
    'Follow Me' the wise man said, but he walked behind!
  • Rich158
    Rich158 Posts: 2,348
    Don't get me wrong, I'll drool as much as anyone over a nice metallic paint job and chromed lugs :lol: . There's something about an artisan made bike that mass produced machines just can't match, I think it's the care, attention to detail and shear love that the builder puts into it.

    When it comes to riding them fast over a long distance however I much prefer the compact mass produced speed machine.
    pain is temporary, the glory of beating your mates to the top of the hill lasts forever.....................

    Revised FCN - 2
  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    I'm not a fan of retro road bikes (thin tube, tall looking bikes that gives me the impression it can't support my wieght/wide frame). I can't actually see me owning one. But they do look very nice and I like looking at them.

    Great find LiT.

    Question, can you speak fluent french?
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    DonDaddyD wrote:

    Question, can you speak fluent french?

    Mais oui...

    (that means yes... ;))
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    DonDaddyD wrote:

    Question, can you speak fluent french?

    (that means yes... ;))

    Right... :roll:
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    DonDaddyD wrote:

    Question, can you speak fluent french?

    (that means yes... ;))

    Right... :roll:

    :lol::lol:
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • don_don
    don_don Posts: 1,007
    Fate took you there LiT...

    ...and she is trying to tell you that there should be a hand-made French fixie in your collection :D

    What about those prices though :shock:
  • DiggingDeeper
    DiggingDeeper Posts: 225
    Nah,

    My dad's got a Whitcomb rotting in his shed - if that's the UK equivalent I never rated it, 6500 is way too much.
    I'll have 3 x 2K bikes instead

    "chacun à leurs propres"

    Auvoir
    [1]Ribble winter special
    [2] Trek 5200 old style carbon
    [3] Frankensteins hybrid FCN 8

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