BQ 14 (Winter 2005)

Vol. 4, No. 2

Goëland; Riding with Classic Derailleurs

Goëland was the “brand of the middle ground”, offering relatively affordable, yet well-made cyclotouring bikes. We look at the history of this famous maker, reprint one of their catalogs and portray two exceptional Goëlands.

We ride almost every classic cyclotouring derailleur, including such rarities as Vélocio’s twin-chain, the Funiculo and the Spirax. What is it like to backpedal when going uphill on the Retrodirecte? Why does the Nivex shift better than the Cyclo? How does the secondary parallelogram of the Huret Duopar work? This fascinating article brings derailleur history to life. Illustrated instructions show you how to set up a Cyclo rear derailleur.

Two French friends also bring classic bikes to life, taking their Herse and Dujardin on a three-day tour of the Morvan, a little-traveled region of France. A modern classic is the very first J. P. Weigle randonneur bike that we test in this issue. In the Builders Speak series, Brian Baylis shows us what he likes in lugs, and points out details like the filing of the lug’s surface to smoothen the transition between the tubes.