I wrote of the Rochet I used to have:
>>That had 48-44-38 chainrings, not a huge range by modern standards,
>>with 14-16-18-20 in back.
(http://sheldonbrown.org/rochet)
>>My 1957 OTB came with one of these on a Rosa 48/30 double, a rather
>>unusual touring setup. This bike also came with an "alpine" type
>>freewheel: 14-16-19-26.
Jan Heine wrote:
>Your Rochet, being a production bike, did not offer the gear range
>you'd find on a top-drawer cyclotouring machine. Most of the
>equipment was an odd adaptation of racing gear, which you wouldn't
>find on a well-spec'd Herse, Singer or Routens. A typical Herse
>triple from the 1950s is 48-40-32.
Yes, but these bikes, I would expect to be equipped with a
chainstay-mounted Cyclo helical derailer, the kind that used a screen
door spring, not a self-contained, dropout mounted unit.
>I have seen a Singer with 50-42-36, which makes a bit less sense. In
>both cases, with a 14-22 or 15-22 on the rear. But most of these
>bikes used doubles until the 1960s, when triples became popular,
>both in racing and for cyclotouring bikes. I suspect the Singer
>above was influenced by Anquetil's gearing when he climbed the Puy
>de Dome...
>
>The 48/30 is not unusual at all for a French cyclotouring bike. On
>doubles, the big ring usually was 48 or 46, the small one 32 or 30,
>rarely 28. Still a good choice today. (See the article in VBQ vol.
>1. No. 1)
That's the only one I ever saw. The (cottered) Rosa crank had a large diameter (maybe 2") thread at its base, and the big ring threaded onto the crank much as a freewheel threads onto a hub. The 30 chainring bolted to the 48.
I agree that it was a good setup. I found the low pretty adequate,
but the 48/14 top gear didn't satisfy me so I soon converted it to 10
speed, later to 30, and at present this bike has a 63-speed rig
http://sheldonbrown.org/
Sheldon "Nothing Exceeds Like Excess" Brown
Newtonville, Massachusetts
+---------------------------------------------------------------------+
| A man of character finds a special attractiveness in difficulty, |
| since it is only by coming to grips with difficulty |
| that he can realize his potentialities. -- Charles DeGaulle |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------+
--
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com
Useful articles about bicycles and cycling
http://sheldonbrown.com