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Ebykr celebrates classic and vintage lightweight bicycles through provoking imagery and opinion. Ride along with us.
A reference guide to the Idéale saddle and clip lineup, covering model number, category, top material, rail material, size, weight and technical notes for dozens of historic models. Use this table to identify, compare and date saddles from the Idéale catalog.
This feature article provides an unprecedented visual window into the industrial soul of the Idéale brand, presenting rare archival photographs of the F. Tron & Cie and Tron & Berthet facilities and the generations of artisans who defined them. The images trace the company's journey from its hydraulic roots at a former wool mill to the height of its mid-century power.
The history of Idéale is a century-long narrative of industrial perseverance and technical mastery that transformed a modest Parisian stamping workshop into the emblematic brand of the French saddle. Founded in 1890 by Jean-François Tron, this timeline traces its pursuit of extreme lightness through Duralumin and Titanium chassis and its racing pedigree under Marcel Berthet.
Idéale saddles remain among the least understood classic bicycle components given their standout prominence and frequent exorbitant value. This feature unpacks the dizzying array of models produced under the Idéale marque, 82 and counting, and the collapsing French cycling industry that nearly ended the brand before its recent revival.
André Maury Frame #3603 André Maury Fork Cyclo Rear Derailleur (4 Speed) Cyclo Derailleur Lever (4 Speed) Le Chat Front Derailleur (2 Chainrings) Rosa Chainrings (Front: 48T, Rear: 30T) Brampton Course Chain (French, Half Inch) French Freewheel (4 Speed, 14T-16T-19T-22T)…
Custom Handmade Frame Upright randonneuse arrangement and geometryFine build by accomplished constructeurOriginal twin top tube design is nicely uniqueWonderful lugwork throughout, like early NervexArtistic caps on seat stay tangsChain stays reinforced with tangsCenter mount bridge for rear sidepull brake2x fender/mudguard…
FRAME: Automoto Concours Sportif, Hand Cut Ornate Lugs, Chrome Finish FORK: Automoto Concours Sportif, Clover Coin Inserts, Chrome Finish HEADSET: Automoto, French Threading HANDLEBAR: Automoto, Olympic Bend, 36cm STEM: Automoto, Stayer Style, Adjustable ~50mm-170mm BRAKE LEVERS: MAFAC, Lower Open Back…