Just returned from France with another load of goodies which more than make up for the time I need to spend to sort through the 5564 emails awaiting me.
However on skimming through the columns I came across Dirk Feeken's reference to the Geliano Randonneur that was for sale on German Ebay about a month ago. Try as I might I cannot raise the Ebay picture..but know that the bike will be quite attractive.
To add to the general stock of knowledge about French bikes on the CR List, I thought I would just point out that Geliano..the marque is very alive and well, and thriving in the back streets of the small French town of Argent-sur-Sauldre, not too far from Orleans. The shop trades under the official name of Cycles Duret, and is currently run by Franck Duret, the grandson of the founder, his own father, Jean-Marie, having just retired...in a sense at least a couple of years ago.
My own house in France is situated about 40kms from Duret's - and the reason that I bought a house in that area is that I imported Duret/Geliano frames into the UK from 1983 onwards for some twenty years...and have been back to see the Duret family several times a year since the outset of trading with them.
During the first week of this year's TDF the stage to Montargis passed very close to Argent..through the cycling-mad village of Vailly ( which, in the heyday of French cycling used to host one of the post-Tour criteriums, and which was the start town of the former classic, the Vailly- Paris race.
On that day I was fortunate in having the company of two delightful American lady cyclists, friends of the List's own Nelson Miller, who were spending some leisure time at the wonderful old house that a group of family and friends had recently bought on the ramparts of the hill town of Sancerre. Such was the ladies' enthusiasm on all- things- cycling, that I suggested that we should take a trip up the road to see Franck..and the Alladin's cave that is Cycles Duret. I doubt whether Lee and Laura could have been more overwhelmed if that had actually stepped into that cave. Duret's is simply wonderful....no other word can describe that shop. Everything from the ultimate in carbon frames down to the fully-equipped child's racing bike..complete with Columbus tubing frame and 600mm tubs..holding pride of place in the shop's main window.
Whenever I get just downright jaundiced about the damned awful stuff that is currently being paraded about these days by the cycle industry..which is very little better now than the fashion trade...I get myself down to see Franck ..and Jean-Marie, and Laura..and Christine..and Monique..and Jacques. I really doubt whether there is another bike shop in the whole of Europe with such a wide variety of stock and model ranges..and materials.
Norris Lockley, Settle UK...but already missing the back streets of Argent-sur-Sauldre