1940 Lance Claudel
1940 Lance Claudel
Lance Claudel was a skilled frame maker and he built hundreds of stunning racing frames over his long career.
Claudel apprenticed with Willy Appelhans in the 1920’s before setting up shop and working for himself for over a decade. After years on his own, and wanting a shorter workday, Lance finally closed up his Bailey Avenue shop in the late thirties. Retirement didn’t follow, rather Lance was hired by Henry and Kay Damerell to build frames and wrench in their Bronx bike shop. Lance worked as a mechanic in their shop, “The Wheel”, until he finally retired.
Mr. Claudel built this particular bike for a guy named John Orth, and it was probably the last Claudel frame that was built before the war. It is a beautiful piece of work, but you can see that there are differences from his earlier bikes.
Great square adjustable stem
Thick chrome on the frame and the components
Purchased at “The Wheel” in the Bronx
This one is not quite as detail-oriented as a lot of the earlier Claudel bikes, perhaps reflecting that this bike was produced for a more modest price, or it may show that Lance was just getting a bit tired of all of the cutting and filing. The lugs aren’t quite as crisp as his earlier bikes, and some of the finishing touches (like a head badge) were skipped.