René Herse
was a highly regarded builder of ultra high end touring

Touring bicycle

A touring bicycle is a bicycle designed or modified to handle bicycle touring. To make the bikes sufficiently robust, comfortable and capable of carrying heavy loads, special features may include a long wheelbase , frame materials that favor flexibility over rigidity , heavy duty wheels , and...

 and racing bicycle

Racing bicycle

A racing bicycle, also known as a road bike, is a bicycle designed for competitive road cycling, a sport governed by according to the rules of the Union Cycliste Internationale...

s. His works are still sought after by collectors and riders.

Career

Herse was what is known as a "constructeur", meaning he built not just the frame, but the entire bike. A number of the components were hand-fabricated. He was an early adopter of silver soldered

Brazing

Brazing is a metal-joining process whereby a filler metal is heated above and distributed between two or more close-fitting parts by capillary action. The filler metal is brought slightly above its melting temperature while protected by a suitable atmosphere, usually a flux...

 lugs and sealed bottom brackets.

His hand-built bicycle

Bicycle

A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....

s were described as "the pinnacle of French

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 cycling

Cycling

Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...

" from the 1940s until his death.

Family

His daughter, Lyli Herse, won several national female cycling championships in France.

External links

• http://www.jitensha.com/eng/herse_e.html
• Classic Rendezvous
• article by Sheldon Brown
  Sheldon Brown (bicycle mechanic)
  Sheldon Brown was an American bicycle mechanic and technical authority on bicycles. He contributed to numerous print and online sources related to bicycling, bicycle mechanics and maintenance, including his own website — and received numerous awards for his contributions.-Biography:Brown...
  
  
• René Herse Project Inventory and photo gallery of René Herse bicycles
• René Herse Bicycles Inc. Boulder, Colorado company that carries on the René Herse brand