Part III--French Frame Builders
In spite of the fact that France uses more Reynolds tubing than any other country in the world, the small French frame builders have not gained the popularity of the English or the Italians. Only the larger bicycle manufacturers like Peugeot and Gitane have gained any popularity in the United States.
French television is dominated by the many bicycle races that show the powerful and well-financed Peugeot and Gitane professional teams. Because of the strong exposure of "factory" frames, frame builders such as Routens, Limongi, Singer, Herse, and Fletcher produce excellent bicycles without a great deal of recognition or exposure.
Generally, the French place little emphasis on flawlessly painted frames. The French attitude on bicycles is one that values functionalism over aesthetics. More importance is placed on the quality of silk used in the tires for the bicycle than the quality of the paint on the frame. This attitude has not caught the fancy of the American market that sometimes overemphasizes the importance of a "perfect" paint job. The French philosophy can be paraphrased by the old adage, Don't judge a book by its cover.
An important consideration in selecting a French frame involves component selection. In most cases, you will be required to use French components on a French frame. The metric-size tubing that is used on most French frames requires a different-size handlebar stem and seatpost than the standard English/Italian sizes. All threads are French and they do not match the English- or Italian-threaded components.
French bicycles are well designed and built but have less attention to finishing details. Factory frames are very popular in France since they are functionally very similar to custom frames.
As a result, there are proportionately less custom builders in France than there are in England or Italy.
CNC Cycles
Fletcher-Laurent
Societe Fletcher-Ducret 42, Boulevard de Bercy
75012 Paris, France
Societe Fletcher-Ducret is a bicycle firm owned by Raymond Fletcher. It is based in Paris, where many of the bicycles are assembled, but the bicycle frames are built just outside Paris at Vitry.
The reason for the split in facilities is due to Parisian city codes which do not allow industrial welding within the city limits.
The offices of Fletcher-Ducret are located in an old Parisian house not far from the Seine and within walking distance of the subway stop, Porte de Bercy. Next door to the main entrance is a series of connecting buildings where the bicycles are assembled, packed, and labeled for delivery throughout Europe.
Although the company is virtually unknown in the United States, it is fairly large and employs about 63 people. Mr. Fletcher builds bicycles under the names of Thomann, Chaplait, and CNC.
The majority of the bicycles built are generally classed as utilitarian and children's bicycles. Although the CNC name is not well known in the United States, it has gained an excellent reputation in Europe. The CNC bicycles that Mr. Fletcher builds are top quality racing machines. According to Eddie Borysewicz, American national cycling coach, it is very common to see some of the best Eastern European and Soviet bicycle riders using CNC bicycles. For 20 years Mr. Fletcher has been supplying the Eastern bloc with CNC racing bicycles.
Of the 63 people who work for Societe Fletcher-Ducret, only five are allowed to build the good-quality frames. Of the five, only three are allowed to build the frames for the top-line CNC bicycle.
The senior frame builder at Fletcher-Ducret has been there for 25 years. Previously he was outranked by an elderly gentleman of 82, whom Mr. Fletcher refers to as "the best frame builder in all of France." Mr. Fletcher supervises the building of frames. At one time he built the frames himself, but today at the age of 70, he relies on other workers whom he has taught the "Fletcher way" of frame building.
Mr. Fletcher started building frames in 1936. His interest stemmed from the racing and touring he did early in his career.
Up until 1976 Raymond Fletcher was racing in a French veteran's class, but his doctor compelled him to stop because of eye problems.
Today Raymond Fletcher beams with pride when mention is made of the firm he has built up in the last 40 years. The quality bicycles he builds are simple, functional, well-built machines. He prides himself with the fact that he has been building with Reynolds 753 for almost two years and has not encountered any problems.
Figure 11-1: Raymond Fletcher
and his four-legged assistant Viko in the hectic shipping area at Societe
Fletcher-Ducret.
At Fletcher-Ducret, frames are custom-built to individual specifications. A touring as well as a racing model can be ordered.
But, like most European builders, they believe that a touring frame requires fenders and clincher tires, so that if neither of these are desired, it becomes essential to let the builder know.
The differences between the touring and racing models that Raymond Fletcher builds are characteristic of differences between most touring and racing frames. The racing frame has more upright angles, with a shorter wheelbase. Mr. Fletcher, however, is not very happy with some of the trends in racing frames. The angles, he claims, have become too steep in some cases, especially two years ago when the French riders wanted very upright frames.
This, Mr. Fletcher believes, created an unstable bicycle, one that would not ride straight when you took your hands of f the handlebars or one that would shimmy when going downhill. This has become a significant problem as builders have taken designs appropriate for one specific racing event and tried to make them universally applicable.
All the bicycles built by Societe Fletcher-Ducret are brazed with hand-held torches. Brass is used on all the frames except for the Reynolds 753 for which a special silver solder is used. Lugs are stamped steel and fork crowns are cast. Only Reynolds tubing is used. Mr. Fletcher has indicated that he has been tempted to try Columbus tubing but his many years of success with Reynolds has limited his experimentation.
For some unknown reason, this firm has gained very little popularity in the United States. It is interesting that many of the builders interviewed throughout Europe had a great deal of respect for Mr. Fletcher's bicycles. He is regarded as one of the few French builders who understands both the technical procedures for building and the art of properly designing a frame for a rider's individual needs.
There are two primary reasons why the CNC frames have not gained popularity in the United States. First, the language barrier in dealing with a non-English speaking country appears to be more pronounced in France than in Italy. Second, the French utilitarian frames that are well constructed but not flashy, do not have the visual appeal that is so important in the United States.