Jean-Pierre Routens (spelling!) is the son of Jo. He took over the shop in the 1970s. Today, it's a modern, large bike shop. A few custom frames, plus a lot of far-eastern imports labeled J-P Routens. I visited after Paris-Brest-Paris in 1999 and was very disappointed. The staff hadn't even heard of the TA crank washers I wanted to buy - it was Shimano or Campagnolo for them.
The bike ride from the Mediterranean to Grenoble was lovely, but the shop wasn't worth the visit. Any high-end U.S. bike shop basically looks the same.
Like so many recent French builders, Jean-Paul Routens tried to improve upon the work of the older constructeurs, but those who have ridden both his and his father's machines unequivocally prefer the older ones. Maybe it is stifling the younger generations' creativity, but following the act of Jo Routens, Rene Herse and Alex Singer/Ernest Csuka is tough. Today, the superior ride of the old bikes is embodied more by some U.S. makers, like the Peter Weigle tested in the last issue of VBQ, than in the "spiritual heirs" J-P Routens and G. Berthoud. Most of the newer French bikes are good, but not great.
Jan Heine, Seattle Editor/Publisher Vintage Bicycle Quarterly c/o Il Vecchio Bicycles 140 Lakeside Ave, Ste. C Seattle WA 98122 http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com
>Is Jean Pierre Routen the same person as Jo Routens? Lou Deeter, Orlando FL
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Michael Butler <pariscycles@yahoo.co.uk>
>To: CR Rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
>Sent: Wed, 7 Dec 2005 17:17:46 +0000 (GMT)
>Subject: Re: [CR]"Bespoke" French Builders of RACING Bikes
>
>
>Jean Pierre Routen Grenoble. Or JPR as we could never
>pronounce it.
>
>
>Thats all for now. Keep those wheels spinning, in your memories if
>not still on
>the road. Be lucky Mick Butler Huntingdon UK.