Could this bicycle have once belonged to the first great French rider of the post-war period, Louison Bobet? The first rider to win the Tour de France in three successive years, from 1953 to 1955? Maybe.
Hilary Stone purchased this frame, with AVA stem and handlebars, in Belgium, from a seller who claimed it was indeed Louison Bobet's personal bicycle. The one tangible clue is the "BOB" stamped in the right rear dropout. After I bought the yellow Bobet from Mr. Stone, I asked him how confident he was that this was actually Bobet's own bicycle. "Seventy-five per cent sure," was his answer.
The truth is lost in the sands of time, or perhaps the Dolomite Mountains. But such speculation--or should I say, possibility--is part of what makes collecting fun.
Once again, it was my old friend Real Le Bel who taught me about Louison Bobet. Real was the perfect teacher. For one thing, like the would-be matinee idol, Louison Bobet, Real was a handsome Frenchman who lived to ride his bicycle. And he told his Bobet stories in an inimitable French accent! In many long distance phone conversations over a couple of decades, Real recounted the victories and defeats of one of his favorite riders. I was hooked. So when this beautiful old Bobet bike frame (made by Mercier) was offered for sale, I pounced. Charlie Dixon built it for me, using period correct components.
The best and most succinct description of Louison Bobet I know comes from his arch rival, none other than Fausto Coppi himself: "He knows like nobody else how to suffer and his powers of recovery are unmatched. The bike means everything to him. It is truly his life blood and his application to his chosen way of life is an example to every aspiring champion." The bike means everything to him. What is it about the bicycle? If you have read this far, champion or no, perhaps you feel the same way.
Hilary Stone purchased this frame, with AVA stem and handlebars, in Belgium, from a seller who claimed it was indeed Louison Bobet's personal bicycle. The one tangible clue is the "BOB" stamped in the right rear dropout. After I bought the yellow Bobet from Mr. Stone, I asked him how confident he was that this was actually Bobet's own bicycle. "Seventy-five per cent sure," was his answer.
The truth is lost in the sands of time, or perhaps the Dolomite Mountains. But such speculation--or should I say, possibility--is part of what makes collecting fun.
Once again, it was my old friend Real Le Bel who taught me about Louison Bobet. Real was the perfect teacher. For one thing, like the would-be matinee idol, Louison Bobet, Real was a handsome Frenchman who lived to ride his bicycle. And he told his Bobet stories in an inimitable French accent! In many long distance phone conversations over a couple of decades, Real recounted the victories and defeats of one of his favorite riders. I was hooked. So when this beautiful old Bobet bike frame (made by Mercier) was offered for sale, I pounced. Charlie Dixon built it for me, using period correct components.
The best and most succinct description of Louison Bobet I know comes from his arch rival, none other than Fausto Coppi himself: "He knows like nobody else how to suffer and his powers of recovery are unmatched. The bike means everything to him. It is truly his life blood and his application to his chosen way of life is an example to every aspiring champion." The bike means everything to him. What is it about the bicycle? If you have read this far, champion or no, perhaps you feel the same way.
Bobet's Bicycle ©Daniel Dahlquist