1950’s Rochet Touring Bike

1950s Rochet touring bike

Grant Peterson did not develop his Rivendell or earlier Bridgestone bikes in a vacuum.  Rivendell’s aesthetic sense was formed from bikes like this French Rochet.

Rochet and similar randoneering bikes were made to be comfortable and stable for a few blocks or hundreds of miles.  Sensible extras like fenders and luggage racks are standard.  Headlights and taillights would let you ride safely around the clock, if that’s your thing.

Although this bike is a bit faded and rough, you can see that it was once a real beauty.  Great care was taken to design simple and elegant luggage racks for the bike (check out the integrated headlamp cage).  A small custom chainguard shelters the riders’ pant cuff from the rod-actuated front derailleur and chainrings.  The front fork is heavily raked, a design meant to soften the ride across rough cobblestone roads.

Front rack with a cage around the head lamp

Lever actuated derailleur and chainguard

I think that’s a lion on the headbadge

Rochet print advertisement

Edouard Rochet and his father produced automobiles as well as fabulous bicycles.  In Between 1895 and 1901, the company built approximately 240 cars, mostly with single cylinder engines.  The motor car production and bicycle producing arms of the company eventually split, with automobiles joining the Berliet company after World War II, and bicycle production continuing under the Rochet name.