Renaissance Bicycles has teamed up with the good folks at 4th Floor Distribution to offer an expanded line-up of Batavus bicycles to the U.S. market.

We’ve already made a few models available via the website, with plenty more to come.  We are especially excited about the two bikes specifically made for our North American market:

• The Frysland — A lightweight city bike with the classic european style.  5-speed SRAM drivetrain, full fenders and chainguard, and sealed drum brakes for all-weather ridability.  Available as a classic diamond frame or a step-through model.
• The Breukelen — An upright city bike with 7 internal gears for a swift ride.  It has an elegant and simplistic design with sensible features: Dynamo hub for lighting, puncture resistant tires, integrated lock, and alloy rear rack.

We’ve seen a serious spike in interest for these bikes as more Americans consider the bicycle as a practical form of transportation.  After all, we’ve seen plenty of evidence that a bike is simply the ultimate form of efficient transportation.

Just let us know if you are interested in bringing a little bit of the Dutch into your home.

An excerpt from a recent “What’s New” article by the racer oriented suppliers, Competitive Cyclist:

“There is a certain sort of durability to the stuff we sell — impact-resistant rims, clamp force-impervious bars, framesets with stiffness galore. But durability defined this way shouldn’t be mistaken for permanence. I can’t say we ever sold a Pinarello Prince Carbon or a set of Zipp 404′s with the assurance that 15 years from now you’ll still be eager or able to ride it. Take any of the million recent photos from the Tour of California peloton, and consider the tight fleet of bikes you’ll see there. In their speed, their iridescence, and their technology…Does any of it suggest forever?

“I don’t mean this as a criticism. When it comes to pro-quality bikes, “useful life cycle” isn’t necessarily inversely proportional to performance. Most of the stuff we sell hits a sweet spot with a reasonable life expectancy paired to desirable ride qualities. Given this balance, then, why do I sometimes crave permanency?”

Yes, this ellusive permanency is the cornerstone of Renaissance Bicycles.  From resurrecting vintage road bikes from their murky corners of the attic, to selling high-end handbuilt Moots titanium bikes, we sell bikes with an extended “useful life cycle”.

After all, what good is your next bicycle purchase if it will only be followed by another in a year’s time?  Why expend the time, energy, and money only to immediately repeat?  Sure you might have the latest / greatest for a week or month, but it will soon be usurped by the laterest / greaterest.  In other words, unless you belong to the elite cycling fraternity, the cutting edge cycling technology really has no practical value.

Rather than continue an unfulfilling infinite process, we believe in building high-quality, craftsman oriented, durable products that perform well now, and will contine to perform in the future.  After all, our mission is to build and sell beautiful bicycles that are meant to be enjoyed.

In simple terms, we have found pleasure in time-tested designs, heritage craftsmanship, and the inherent qualities of steel and leather.  We hope you will too.

In terms of renaissancing a vintage bicycle, there are a few considerations that need to be addressed.  Some “unique” frame characteristics can be an asset, others can be a real pain in the butt.  The following outlines some general factors that influence a successful renaissance:

• Lugged steel / TIG welded steel – We recommend a steel frame for renaissancing simply because the inherent properties of steel allow for some “adjustment” (see next bullet point) whereas aluminum, carbon, titanium, etc. are more or less fixed in place.  However, if your vintage Vitus 979 has the right dimensions for an upgraded drivetrain, then go for it.
• Frame spacing — Ensure that the rear width of your frame (between the drop outs) and the width of your drivetrain (over the locknuts) match.  For the most part, cold setting / re-spacing / frame spacing  / whatever you want to call it and dropout alignment is no big deal with the right tools.  However, if the difference of your original spacing and target spacing is greater than 10mm, then proceed with caution.  This change of spacing is doable, but keep in mind that chainline issues, wheel dishing, and drivetrain gremlins are a greater possibility.
• Fork Threading — Two issues arise here:

1. Assuming that the steerer has already been cut, headset stack height needs to be taken into account.  In other words, if your new headset is too tall, you may not have enough threads to safely install the fork.
2. Threading varies among different manufacturers and countries.  For example, French forks have a different thread pitch than current ISO standards.  There are some ways around this issue (usually re-threading the fork is the most efficient), but it is better to recognize the potential problems up front.

• Brakes — Again, a few issues:

1. Most classic road bikes were built around 27″ wheels.  Modern road wheels have adapted the 700c standard.  In terms of wheel diameter, the difference is only about 8mm.  However, this often necessitates either a long reach caliper brake, or a “shorty” version of cantilevers.
2. Recessed brake nuts are now the standard.  This simply means that the fixing bolt is inside of the brake bridge or steerer fork for a cleaner appearance.  However, vintage bikes were often equipped with nutted style brakes.  Fortunately, there are a few ways to get around this problem.

• General frame condition –  Assuming that the frame is the right size and type for your intended riding, any frame that is straight, free from dents, and has nothing more than surface rust is a good candidate.  We like to think of the bike frame as a blank canvas.  Sometimes we go for something a little flashy, other times an understated look is really satisfying.

Please note that the above points are intended to educate about some unforseen issues in upfitting a vintage bike.  The issues / characteristics are not insurmountable, but it is better be aware of the potential problems before diving head-long into a renaissance.

Hopefully this quick overview will help to inspire people to see the potential in their classic bikes.  While the original equipment may be long gone, a solid foundation (with a few considerations) is all that is needed to revitalize an old friend.

And if this information seems a little beyond your expertise, keep in mind that renaissancing vintage bikes is what we do.  Please contact us and we’ll be happy to talk about breathing new life into your vintage bike.

Thought it is hard to believe, it has been one year since the passing of the one of the world’s most knowledgeable (and prolific) bicycle mechanics.

Sheldon Brown died the evening of February 3rd, 2008 in his Massachusetts home. His death came somewhat unexpectedly to the cycling community, although he was very public about his ongoing bout with multiple sclerosis.  Since I never met Sheldon in person, it seems strange that I keep re-mourning his death; although his “eagle” photo is a reminder of his passing, he is still alive through the annals of his website.

Like many other curious bicycle tinkerers, I constantly refer to his website.  It seems that I can always gleen some little detail that I missed before … a word of caution or maybe a subtle joke.  The breadth and depth of his knowledge is very very impressive; take a look at his articles on gearing and drivetrains and you immediately see yourself standing along side a Master.

Above all, his most impressive characteristic was a willingness to share his accumulated knowledge.  He wrote about everything … from defining crass cycling terminology to home-grown lefthand drive bicycles.   And the volume of information on his website is really staggering … between his writtings and the pages he produced for his employer, Harris Cyclery, there are approximately 3,600 individual webpages.

Although most people (myself included) only knew Sheldon through his prolific bicycle-centric writing, it is also readily apparent that he was much more.  He was active in his local community, he traveled abroad, and he was a devoted family man.  And most importantly, Sheldon was a good natured person who never took himself too seriously.

Thanks again, Sheldon.  You have inspired us all to be a little better.

Please consider making a memorial donation in Sheldon Brown’s honor.

One of the most common questions we hear regarding our vintage frames is, “What do you think about frame saver?”  Our most common answer is, “Rust never sleeps.”

Inevitably, a follow-up discussion revolves around what exactly is J.P. Weigle’s Frame Saver?  Is it a magic elixir … is it WD-40 repackaged … is it snake oil medicine?  The answer is we don’t know.

However, we do know that it does what it promises … it cleans out the old nasty loose rust particles and prevents more from forming. It provides a protective barrier against new rust, but alas it cannot reverse the effects of existing rust. And it smells funny … it must be working.

So if you are wondering if it is right for your lugged steel steed, the answer is “Yes”, but with a few caveats:

• Only use it on a frame that it completely disassembled.  In other words, a “preventative” squirt down the seattube will do more harm than good … you’ll send all of the nasty sludge straight at your bottom bracket with nowhere for it to go.
• Be careful with new paint.  It won’t eat away at your fresh coat of paint or clear, but it is not exactly good for it either.  It can leave behind a dry residue that can be tedious to remove.
• Be aware that the product needs to dry, so that means have a place and position for your frame to relax in for at least 24 hours … with cloths or paper towels ready to catch the over-run.
• Definitely thoroughly read the directions.  Applying J.P. Weigle’s Frame Saver is definitely not a difficult process, but you need to be prepared ahead of time.  Kind of like you don’t start making lasagna and then try to find a place to cook it.

On average, we thoroughly coat 3 frames with one 4.75 oz. can.  This varies by frame sizes and conditions, but if you use one can on one frame, you have really over done it.  We recommend attentive rotation of the frame every 2 hours or so, and reapplication where needed.  This is not a process that can be rushed, so plan on about 36 – 48 hours of frame down-time depending on your atmospheric conditions.

Obviously, we believe in this product and feel that it has value for our customers.  That’s why you can buy J.P. Weigle’s Frame Saver from Renaissance Bicycles.