This Man Built 600 Steel Bicycles In His Shed - Meet J.P. Ryffranck
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- čas přidán 14. 05. 2016
- Portrait of “Local Legend”, steel frame bicycle maker and wheel builder: J.P. Ryffranck.
He was born in Eeklo, Belgium and immigrated to Canada as a young adult with a technical diploma in hand. He started working as a tool maker here and quickly took on leadership roles. He always had a passion for bicycle racing and some think he could have become a great champion. Instead however, he turned his attention to bike making. He had, after all, worked as youngster, in a bike shop owned by ex- Tour de France rider Camille Van De Casteele. He built frames in his spare time at first, then, after he retired from his full time job, started building bikes full time. I met Mr Ryffranck as I was a member of the local racing team, in the early 1990s. Everyone in the team, it seemed, had a Ryffranck made for them. And naturally I wanted one too. They were, at the time, among the best steel racing bikes money could buy. He made his last frame in 2011, but at 86 years old, he can still be found working in his shed, where I went to meet him.
Some of the links I used when researching this documentary:
Reynolds Bike tubing:
www.reynoldstechnology.biz/
Henry James lugs, crowns, dropouts, shells, etc. :
www.henryjames.com/
Famous Montreal Bike maker (Where Ryffranck sends his frames to be painted):
www.marinoni.qc.ca/
Columbus Bike tubing:
www.columbustubi.com/
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Hello! I made the music at the beginning of this video. If you'd like to hear some more, check out my Bandcamp page here: roxtonfone.bandcamp.com/
Great job documenting this! The older I get the more important i find it is to have stuff like this documented so it isn't lost to time.
Interesting store about an old Belgian (Flemish) frame maker living in Quebec. I like the strict Campagnolo rule.
I could watch this for hours. Nice to see a Belgian to be successful abroad. Before seeing this I never heard of him.
M. Ryffranck built me a frame from "leftovers" in 2009 to my specs which included room for 35mm tires, braze ons for fenders (!) and a few other touches that were a little out of his comfort zone. I've never been nuts about the colour (my choice, my fault) but the frame is superb.
Just found this video - thank you for making it.
I purchased a custom bike from my bike shop in 1993: it was a navy blue Ryffranck with Shimano Ultegra 600 bar end shifters. At the time it was every penny I had and I couldn't even afford to chrome the chainstay. JP just did that because "it should be done" :)
I sold the bike several years ago, and pretty much instantly regretted doing this. I didn't ride it at the time, but it was really a beautiful bike and it rode superbly well. Hopefully the current owner takes it out once in a while...
Whoa. Thanks for sharing this amazing story. I'll dream of that beautiful purple bike, tonight.
My pleasure! Thank YOU for taking the time to leave a comment :)
what a lovely zen master of a mechanic. a real machinist.
Man, it brings back good memories... I was racing in the 80. I was spending my time in the basement of an appartement building in Sherbrooke where JP had his workshop (near the carrefour de l'Estrie). We were drinking beer and talking cycling. I had my bike made by JPierre. A beauty! And I did work for him a bit (mounting mavic grise). I like that man. Would like to see him again someday...
Thanks for your comment, I'm glad to hear this took you back to some good times :)
Really nice fellow, haven't seen him in a while, hope he is doing well. Love his stories., full of wisdom.
Last I heard he is doing well. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment :)
Thank you for this wonderful history about a true artist and purist (Campy all the way). It was so cool to hear him speak of Bill Vetter, who made a relatively small number of custom bikes in the 70's and 80's. I Have 2 Custom built bikes designed for me by Bill Vetter (VT builder). They were built in 1980 and I have ridden them for 39 years (they are for sale currently on Vintage sites). I used to ride with Bill until his death on December 27, 1982. A mutual friend , Richard Scheiber from Cabot VT worked with Bill Vetter and Jean Pierre Ryffranck and I beleive helped him obtain Reynolds 531 tubing and some Campagnolo parts in VT. I never met Mr Ryffranck and if I still lived in VT I would make the trip to Canada to meet him.
That's amazing! Thank you for taking the time to leave your impressions and story, this was a great read for me, and for others I hope, who might come across this.
I still have mine had it built about 20 years ago great bike take it on group rides every week no problem keeping up with the new generation of bikes
Steel is amazing, it's gone so far in the last years in terms of weight, comfort and stiffness. From what I gather it's making a sort of come back now a days. It's got its own Reddit group.
Bicycles in general is making a return, in the US especially there are a lot of steel industry relating to the automobile industry that is moving to making bicycles, since most of the machinery is the same and as I stated, bicycles are making a big return.
As it should.
This is a gem, Ryffranck and this video. Thanks for posting.
Je suis aller voir le 3 Août 2017 l'homme que je considérer comme mon grand père adoptif, Jean-Pierre Ryffranck. Il étais tellement heureux de me voir... (bien a sa façon). Il va bien et j'ai eu un énorme plaisir d’échange avec lui. On as fait le tour de mes amis Facebook que j'avais en commune avec lui. Quelle bonheur. J'ai regarder ce vidéo CZcams avec lui car lui-mémé ne l'avait pas vu. Enfin le monde entier pourra écouter ce que cette homme avait a dire sur comment il a fabrique des vélo.
Parmi ces visiteurs j'os croire que je suis celui qui est allé le plus le voir. A 14 ans je passer des journaux et je lui est commander mon vélo de course est j'allais lui porte a chaque 2 mois $100.00 pour sa construction. Mes ce que je retient le plus c'est ça façon ouvert a porter des réflexion ouvert sur sont cheminement de vie personnelle. Parmi les gens qui m'on influencer a devenir quelqu'un de bien je me doit de lui dire un grand MERCI. Et je me suis donner la penne d'aller lui dire.
Même s'il marche avec un canne et bouge moins vite a 88 ans, sa porte est toujours ouvert. Ce vidéo est tout en son honneur.
Robert Guindon (47 ans)
Vraiment? Je voulais lui envoyer un lien après avoir mis en ligne la vidéo, mais il me fit comprendre très vite qu'il n'était pas du tout type email/internet/techno alors je me suis résigné à penser qu'il ne la verrait jamais. Je suis touché de savoir que vous ayez regardé la vidéo ensemble! Merci :)
Lusted after a Ryffranck for many years, beautiful bikes. I use to hang out with his daughter Pat in the late 80's.
Well done, Sir.
Enjoyed the part how Mr Ryffranck had to travel to VT for Reynolds tubing...
Well done, fascinating story. Someone should get him to teach them how to build frames.
+Bruce Goett Thank you Bruce. Hopefully your message will be passed around!
Thank you, what an amazing craftsman
My Ryffranck is 20 years old!
very nice! i raced in New England in 70s -80s and surprised i never saw one of his frames.
Lovely story and beautifully made bikes..he can be proud of what he has achieved.
Respect pure and simple Respect
it would be privilege to talk and to watch working, a master like that...
As a bicycle guy, I sure am proud to be Belgian, us Belgians do build some great bikes!
I'm studying Industrial product design and engineering at the moment and am hoping to design my own bikes soon as well :)
At the moment I've built 3 bikes from the frame up, and I've gotten compliments about all 3, so it seems I have a good start.
All 3 have been singlespeed bikes.
One women's classic turned semi race bike, one singlespeed race bike I built yesterday evening in an hour because my women's frame cracked and the first one was a singlespeed mountain bike which got stolen about a year ago and I got so many compliments about that bike.
HoWest? I've been there as well. (dropped out)
You seem to have a similar taste in bikes as me :D
@@hydrusje Yes, IPO!
nice :D
Excellent video of J.P. Ryffranck. thanks.
I love this. watching him lube the cables always almost made me shed a tear of joy and respect.
Cool little story, thanks for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it
WOW! very cool story. Thank you for sharing.
Such a nice video. Thank you!
The colour of the bike in the video was one of two I chose for my frame of the 90s viva biciclet
Quel beau reportage - j'en ai quatre vélos de Ryffranck, mes meilleurs cadres de toute ma vie de cycliste. Des autres produits de marques italiennes, françaises, suisses, hollandaises, ne sont que de la cochonnerie par rapport à ses cadres et ses roues. Oui, il a monté des excellentes roues aussi. Merci mon ami, un énorme merci.
4 vélos Ryffranck? Voilà la preuve que ceux qui l'ont connu ne jurent que par son travail impeccable :)
@@dominiqueryffranck Alors, il faut que je vous passe un de mes cadres RYFFRANCK.
What a great story.
What a master at his craft. I cannot imagine an owner of his bikes ever selling one.
Been on the lookout for years, yet to see one for sale.
Beautiful video. I recently have come to learn about his frames. What an amazing story!
I'm glad you liked it! It's great to get feedback like this, thank you 😊
Génial!! Superbe vidéo! Merci beaucoup!
+giantpedro Merci pour le commentaire, je suis heureux que tu aies apprécié!
Great video. I also build bicycle frames in my shed but I'm only on number 4!
Keep it up, only 596 to go!! I'm kidding but keep on building and thank you for commenting :)
Many thanks, great video, I recognized that jersey.
Great interview. Inspirational.
Thank you!
Great video, thanks for making it.
+miles whitmore Thank you! It was a pleasure to see Mr. Riffranck again, I must say.
super vidéo et sacré personnage. J'espère qu'il y a quelqu'un à qui il puisse transmettre sa science.
Wow, purely fantastic!
Great frames, great craftsmanship
You can tell he enjoys and is still passionate about his work. Also he used his skills as a tool maker to building these bikes. I think we need to take our skills and then transform them into something we are passionate about. I have a Casati frame made from the El oversize tubing he uses. I had several Italian made road race frames.. selling them off just keeping one and a 90s trek 970 mountrain bike. Japan also make good components etc , as does France and other countries. PS. The comments about him teaching is void. Why, because it is an art . You cant teach an art...
Awesome video
Would love to hear his opinion of the new generation of steel tubing... Spirit, Spirit for lugs, 853, XCR, 953 etc.
Très bon vidéo. J'ai encore le mien aussi construit en 1997. Il est rouge avec le fourche et le triangle arrière chromé. Les tubes sont du Colombus Genius avec des raccors Henry James, monté en Campagnolo Chorus de l'époque.
The finest frame I ever saw was a Ryffranck. Un jour.
Wow quel beau documentaire je viens du Nouveau Brunswick et j’avais j’avait jamais entendu parler de ce messieurs qui construisait des vélos de courses au Québec très impressionné merci pour ce documentaire très intéressant.
Belle video, il me rappelle mon grand-pere, lui et son atelier. Merci
Fantastic, I've seen one for sale, but it needed repainting. I wonder If Mr Ryffranck still has the down tube decals for sale?
A true craftsman ‘
Something special about a hand built steel frame from a master frame builder. The carbon frames today just don't have the same appeal to me.
That's my uncle 🥹 ❤️
lovely artisan
Tres Interesant o-o
Do you have links to those articles?
Those are gorgeous frames. Apart from the technical aspect the old guy has an eye for line and form. A modern superbike just can't touch his frames with regard to beauty. I don't care how light and responsive they are, they can't compare.
I'm not sure UCI did cycling any favors when they relaxed their stance on aero or permitted bikes below 9Kg. Has racing really gotten more interesting, aside from those with a tech fetish, since the early nineties when Indurain won the TdF on steel bikes Pegoretti made him.
Still even a very good brazed steel frame is amazing but I am sure the custom frame is lighter because he has not had to compensate for what happens to the tubeing at the joint and unions due to temperature.
I had him build me a custom bike and I still have it and yes it is built up with Campy Record groupo
Most 'roadies' these days wouldn't have a clue about this sort of thing.
Yawn........yes we would and we respect it too!
j love steel if I ever went pro I would ride carbon but for now and probably for ever of the price is right I will ride steel
Does he attach the bicycle to the ceiling?
I think that's his workstand. He would just have to remove the seatpost, and slide the frame onto it. Being the maker of the frames he services, it would only have to be one size!
I had that same jacket at 3:35 of the video! LOL...
Always grease cables never oil
I believe you now own a classic work of art. Since he is now retired and no longer building new frames.
It would have been great if he took in an apprentice. So his frame building knowledge and legacy is passed on to the next generation.
Campagnolo only! Listen and learn yong shimano and sram kids.
vic tor
SunTour was awesome in the day...Campy was damn pricy
One example: The Campagnolo (Chorus) hubs are very nice after 150 000 kms. I have had fix the Dura Ace front hub after 34 000 kms only. And the shifters by Campy, easy to fix, are much, much better than the shifters by Shimano.@@jeffreyknecht5230
if you care and look after them SRAM , Shimano and Campay will last.. I have run all of them with no problems. I have a Shimano sealed BB from 1995 thats still running fine :-)
I really hope Mr. Ryffranck had an understudy or apprentice. What a shame it would be for his knowledge/skills to be lost !
Hi lives in ......Québec/Canada, that's it !!!!!!!!!!
Très bien! Est-ce qu'il a continué la marque Ryffranck ou a-t-il établi son propre marque, cet apprenti?
@@C345OFR à ce moment-ci je crois malheureusement qu'il n'y aura pas de continuité pour la marque. L'intérêt général est aux vélos en carbone et donc peu de gens intéressés à la construction en acier. Je ne crois pas qu'il ait un apprenti. C'est bien triste, mais au moins il a laissé une trace indélébile dans l'univers Québécois du cyclisme.
Quel dommage :-( !
@@C345OFR Jean-Pierre Ryffranck a arrêté la construction de cadres il y a quelques années - le dernier cadre (le vélo complet), il a fait pour sa fille. Portant, il monte de temps à autre de très bonnes roues et continue des réparations. Oui - Cycles Ryffranck est sa propre marque mais, pas de continuation.
salut ostieguy,
pourrions-nous poster ce vidéo dans notre groupe de vélo sur facebook? je donnerais les crédits, bien sûr! voici où: FB.com/group/SteelBikes (ou www.Velo76.com comme raccourci simple)
Oui vous pouvez, il n'y a pas de problème. Plus de monde le vois, mieux c'est!
Wow. A Flemish guy speaking canadian french. 😂
This is pure art,I own a Trek madone now,I had a Vitus bike back in the days, would love to have one of these beauties, these artists are a dying breed,I am happy to see he is still here with us.
I had a 992 and it unglued at the chain and seat stays non drive side but was repaired. Now I ride a Marinoni custom steel as well as a custom carbon