# Vintage Bertin bike



## bertinbicycle (Nov 7, 2005)

Hi, 
Could anyone give me more info about Bertin bike I have? What year it might be, how many bikes like this were produced, etc. This is the page with some photos -> http://bicyclebertin.100free.com
Thanks


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## bertinbicycle (Nov 7, 2005)

Hi,
Is our web side not working or just nobody had a clue about our bike?


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## caterham (Nov 7, 2005)

bertinbicycle said:


> Hi,
> Is our web side not working or just nobody had a clue about our bike?


 Hi there,

Your site is working just dandy and I've quite enjoyed perusing it.My wife used to work for the US importer in the 80's(Inertia) and she still owns the Bertin C70 that she rode on our first "date".
The bike is Reynolds 531SL, chrome 531SL fork with a sloping crown and factory equipped Shimano EX gruppo with Dyna drive pedals, Mavic Module E's and Spidel hubs.
Lovely bike,it is.

regards,
Ken


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## caterham (Nov 7, 2005)

bertinbicycle said:


> Hi,
> Could anyone give me more info about Bertin bike I have? What year it might be, how many bikes like this were produced, etc. This is the page with some photos -> http://bicyclebertin.100free.com
> Thanks


Okie Dokie, back again...


I've been looking over your bike in closer detail and with flawed memory, what you've got what appears to be a Bertin C35 of mid-60's vintage based on it's Reynolds 531 tubing set(lower models used Durifort tubing),the quality of rear drop-out, lack of braze-ons (particularly notable is the clamp-on Campy B-Bkt guide)and shorter, more swoopy style of lug cut-outs.Later on, Bertin went to a less elaborately filagreed long point cut-out lug.
The C35 model was produced as the top of the line frameset for many years.Your particular Campy equipped bike would have probably originally come with Mafac calipers and later replaced with Campagnolo Record as was common practice at the time(Campy didn't make your alloy brakeset in 62).The paint is done in Bertin's unique metallic powder coat finish.All-in-all,you've quite a nice piece of cycling history and a very nice,classically french ride worthy of restoration.

regards,
Ken


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## Joe Steel (May 5, 2008)

*Here's one I just picked up....*

I've searched the internets with limited success for information about this bike or the manufacturer. Would love to know more.

I realize that it's not original -- such as the seat and the bar end shifters.

Here's what I know about the bike.

Berton -- model unk -- perhaps -- "Cyclo-Touriste" as indicated on a small decal on the down tube. Dropouts are not "high-end", but it does have some cool features on the lugs, pump pegs on the top tube, the triple chainring, and some kind of bracket on the seat stay (reflector bracket?, generator bracket?), Durifort tubing.


Huret front and rear derailleurs -- front = luxe super touring, rear = 700 avant.

Milremo hubs and rims Fr & Rr

170mm Stronglight TA cranks -- I believe these are the "cyclotouriste" triple chainring model 49D. Chain rings: 30/40/48 

Mafac brakes

3T stem Grand Prix and 3T bars

Lyotard pedals

Huret belt drive "Multito" cyclocomputer

Suntour bar end shifters.

--------------------

If anyone can shed some light on any of the parts, the frame, or year of manufacture, it would be great.

Thanks,
Joe


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## caterham (Nov 7, 2005)

i'm guessing your Bertin is an early/mid-70's C-32 (possibly a C34?). lovely bike & nicely preserved but you really should swap out the modern saddle & SR Laprade seatpost for something more in keeping with it's vintage frenchness.


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## Joe Steel (May 5, 2008)

I completely agree. The bike shown is exactly as I received it. I think a nice honey Brooks would go well with it. Thanks for the information and the comments.

Is anyone aware of on-line catalogs or serial number registry that might be useful in determining age/model?

I noticed that there is only one down-tube braze-on for a shifter -- located on the drive side. Would both shifters have been mounted on one side? Was there some other arrangement for the front der. shifter? It's pretty odd, given there is a cable stop braze-on for the front der. cable farther down the down-tube.

Anyone have a positive ID for the tab that's mounted on the seat stay? 

How about that TA rack on the front mounted to the Mafac brakes? It's a pretty solid / stable mount -- but fairly small. Is there some sort of "box" designed to sit there?

Would the same model (C32/C34 for example) been available in either a 2 chain-ring or 3-chain-ring configuration, or would the model have been completely different?

Sorry for all of the questions, but I love projects like this -- getting something that catches your eye, then researching the heck out of it :wink5:


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

That tab on the seatstay is a generator mount. 

That rack is designed to support a french front bag- like this one- http://www.wallbike.com/berthoud/handlebarbagbasic.html

Nice bike!


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## Joe Steel (May 5, 2008)

buck-50 said:


> That rack is designed to support a french front bag- like this one- http://www.wallbike.com/berthoud/handlebarbagbasic.html
> 
> Nice bike!


Ahhh...That explains the marks on the bars -- that's where the bag was secured while it rested on the rack. Thanks.


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## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

Not a Brooks! An Ideale!


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## bicyclebits (Feb 23, 2009)

*Bertin frame bits*

Hi, 
Your Bertin looks great. It would be very worthwhile to refurbish if you haven't done so already. The model appears to be a C-31 or C-32. The tab on the stay is for a 6V generator and if you look, there is probably a hole drilled in the bottom bracket and another in the lower head lug to allow the passage of the internal wiring for a headlight and taillight. Bikes of that period often came with hammered or polished alloy fenders which were used to run the wire to the rear taillight. 

The front TA rack is for a handlebar bag as mentioned. The braze-on on the down tube is for a clamp-on rear derailleur lever assembly. The lever band holding the left derailleur lever had a cutout that wrapped over the braze-on. The right lever was then screwed into the threaded braze-on and the band for the left was secured with a nut and bolt thus completeing the assembly. Your bike would have come with an Ideale leather seat like a 39 and the TA or the Stronglight with TA rings would be period correct as a double or a triple- but not the drilling! The Huret Luxe rear derailleur is correct as well. Great bike!


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## verktyg (Dec 10, 2009)

Better late than never, a year and a half...

Joe Steel's bike is a late 1960s or early 1970s Bertin C132 Cyclotouriste model.

We imported Bertins during the 1970s and early 1980s. There were at least half a dozen other shops and wholesalers who also imported them into the US between the mid 60s and mid 70s.

It looks like it's in very nice shape and in mostly original condition except for the seat, seatpost, stem, bar end shifters later model MAFAC levers, DiaCompe brake cable hangers and the TA drillium chainring. 

The crank arms are Stronglight model 49 with TA Cyclotouriste triple chainrings - 2 different companies. This was a common hybrid back in the 60s.

The French thought very highly of Huret derailleurs back then and the long arm rear derailleur was designed to work with a close pitch freewheel and a granny gear.

The geometry on these bikes was designed for long, all day in the saddle rides. The wall thickness of the Durifort tubing was close to the most common Reynolds 531 tubing used on production bikes in those days so the ride would be similar to a Reynolds frame.

Hope this helps someone.

Chas-C


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## aptivaboy (Nov 21, 2009)

Whoa, this is an old thread! All I can say, caterham, is that that is one PRETTY frame, and I envy you. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: It looks fairly modern for a 1060s frame, as per a prior poster. Suweeeet!


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## ohvrolla (Aug 2, 2009)

caterham said:


> Hi there,
> 
> Your site is working just dandy and I've quite enjoyed perusing it.My wife used to work for the US importer in the 80's(Inertia) and she still owns the Bertin C70 that she rode on our first "date".
> The bike is Reynolds 531SL, chrome 531SL fork with a sloping crown and factory equipped Shimano EX gruppo with Dyna drive pedals, Mavic Module E's and Spidel hubs.
> ...


fap fap fap fap fap


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## verktyg (Dec 10, 2009)

The original poster has a Bertin that they are calling a 1962 model:

http://bicyclebertin.100free.com/

Nice bike but it's not a 1962! A Bertin from the early 60s would have had decals like these:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/5070489653/

It's most likely a late 1960s or very early 1970s Bertin C37 model. Bertin didn't start using Mylar® foil decals until the mid 60s and Campy brakes didn't come out until 1969!

Chas-C


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## Rum Runner (Jul 7, 2008)

Found this site......... Bertin Classic Cycles


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## ProLog_Cycling (Aug 31, 2010)

ohvrolla said:


> fap fap fap fap fap


What kind of pump is that?


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## darrch (Mar 5, 2012)

Beautiful bike. I also have that chromed, Huret Luxe Super Touring rear derailleur. Have you any idea what diameter threads and threads per inch for these Milremo hub? I have a 1970 Dawes Galaxy, and trying to determine freewheel compatibility for upgrade.


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