I know that a lot of you have been waiting for our reproduction Herse-style hangers. The final prototype just arrived by Fed Ex. They are now going into production. They will sell for around $20-$25 a pair and will also be available at wholesale prices to bike shops.
Functionally they are not a great improvement over other hangers, but they did adorn most Rene Herse bikes and many from Singer and other constructeurs. Even today they are used by Toei. And they are pretty enough to hang from your Christmas tree. How's that for bike bling?
Update: I forgot to thank Mike Barry of Mariposa, one of the world's finest constructeurs, for providing us with details, measurements, and photographs of his original RH hangers that are the basis of our reproductions. And thanks to Peter Weigle who arranged all that.
BTW, Mike is retiring today; there will be no more Mariposa bikes.
Looks great, Chris.
ReplyDeleteNow, please make sure all these fantastic projects are finished 14 months from now... :)
I like these very much. What makes them three times less expensive than the Toei ones?
ReplyDeleteAlf
Alf, Ha! Isn't the question really, "Why do the Toei hangers cost three times as much?"
ReplyDeleteThe VO hangers are made on a CNC mill in a fairly large production run (large for such an odd component). This means that once the process is figured out the machine will just keep doing it over and over with no human input, so there is little labor cost. Perhaps the others are machined by hand and made in small batches? This would mean a machinist has to "operate" the machine. But that's just speculation. I really don't know.
Chris, I was just trying to be polite ;)
ReplyDeletePicture-wise, I don't see too much difference in the quality. I know what you mean by CNC, but whoa, if Toei makes theirs one by one, that'd take ages.
I'll be interested in two sets for now. Will do some more shopping at your online store over the Christmas break.
Alf
Unique and affordable. Another winner!
ReplyDeleteThey're really beautiful! I'm going to need at least 2 sets, whether they're made in China, Taiwan or Maryland. Just a great job.
ReplyDeleteGee, I feel dumb.
ReplyDeleteWhat's an Rh Hanger? Does it connect the brake cable to the wire straddling cantilever brakes?
I hope I'm not the only person who would ask this. Just the first brave enough to ask.
I've been waiting for an affordable set of these hangers for a while now. Thank you very much for making it happen!
ReplyDeleteThose are pretty. I may have to buy two pair and get my ears pierced ;-)
ReplyDeleteDan, Look here to see how the work:
ReplyDeletehttp://tinyurl.com/2jzfcr
or here:
http://tinyurl.com/3cosn3
It's interesting to go through that site and see how the hangers changed over the decades.
Thank you, Chris. My guess was better than I thought. Nice bike bling, like so much of your VO offerings.
ReplyDeleteRH must stand for something, though, huh?
RH stands for Roller-Hanger! You can put them on your Rene Herse, Rivendell Hilsen or Rock-Hopper.
ReplyDeleteHow well would these work when using road type levers such as Campy with traditional older or retro canti brakes? The Dia-Compe roller hangers I have been using seem to require more travel in the road levers. Those roller hangers really do look cool though.
ReplyDeleteBarry retiring?? What a loss for the cycling world but I wish him the best and many flat-free miles as he rides off into the sunset!!
ReplyDeleteI too wish Mike a happy retirement. I was on the list for a Mariposa bike, and they were, until yesterday, absolutely my favourite randonneur bikes in production. I'll have to try to find a used one in my size!
ReplyDeleteThose roller hangers look truly wonderful.
Fantastic Chris. I'll have to get a pair to put on my Toei! :)
ReplyDeleteDang, those are cool. Happy holidays everybody!
ReplyDeleteMark Petry
Bainbridge Island, WA
Those roller hangers look neat. However, I have found that with modern road levers and center-pull brakes, a regular hanger of this type doesn't give you enough cable travel. For a couple of years, I've used a Campy Ergo setup with Mafac brakes, and to amplify the cable pull I've used those really wide cable hangers often found in cyclocross. They won't win any awards for elegance, but they seem pretty much required.
ReplyDeleteBittersweet news about Mike. He certainly deserves a long and happy retirement.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad there will be no more Mariposa bicycles. Mike had an uncanny sense of proportion. His bikes are not minimalist, nor are they over adorned. Seems every bike he made had a unique touch that perfectly suited the owner.
I hope some of our fine young builders devote a lot of time studying what Mike did.
Oh. And some builder ought to check and see whether Mike is willing to sell his rack designs.
ReplyDeleteThey are beautiful in the French tradition but unique and very practical.
Cool Rene Herse posted here:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.reneherse.com/RHtinyblack.html
I agree with david nj about rollers (also about China - another story, especially considering our opposing political stances). I shorten the straddle cable as I can. This geometry requires more hand pressure, but reduces the required pull distance.
ReplyDeletecount me in for at least one pair
ReplyDeleteAs someone who got their Mariposa bike last year (after the full 18 months), I am feeling pretty fortunate to have got in ahead of Mike's retirement date.
ReplyDeleteThe 18-month wait drove me crazy at the time but all was forgiven when the bicycle arrived. Best of all was living in Toronto and getting to ride it home down ravine trails from Mike's Cranfield Road workshop.
Karl