Sabliere
LATE 70s (?) A. SABLIERE
AS FOUND IN SO. FLORIDA GARAGE, UNTOUCHED FOR AT LEAST 15 YEARS
The workmanship on the frame is not as consistent as what I expected from a “constructeur” bike. Some of the welding is very nice, but some is quite crude; for example, the non-drive side of the seat lug has what looks like a crack, but it’s just gaps in the welding with grime inside (you can see this in photo 30). On the plus side, there are some funky frame details (like the top tube cable routing and the gear cable stops), and the unusual stem, which I assume was made by Sabliere as well (it has no identifying marks at all).
The bike was owned by an elderly Frenchman who stopped riding at least 15 years ago, and the bike sat in the gentleman’s garage here in South Florida, untouched, until now. It looks like it was ridden and well cared for, at least until it was put away.
I know next to nothing about French bikes in general, but I have the impression that this bike is largely original, except for the Campy Record/Mavic GEL 330 wheels which were probably added soon before the bike was retired. I say that because the sidewalls show very little brakewear.
I am thinking of keeping the bike in as-found condition, but I suppose a more correct set of wheels would be an acceptable change. Since I know so little about French bikes, any comments and suggestions would be most welcome. By the way, I’m sure the aluminum can be polished to a beautiful shine, but I like the “survivor” look the bike has, and I don’t even want to think about trying to polish around the seat tube decals without damaging them (especially considering how incredible it is that they are still almost intact).
Thanks for looking.
Ray