René Louis Théodore Herse (1908–1976)

was a French builder of high-quality touring, randonneur and racing bicycles. His works are sought by collectors and riders.

Career

Herse was born in Caen. He started working on prototype aircraft at the aircraft maker Breguet. In 1938, he introduced lightweight aluminum bicycle components: pedals, cranks, cantilever brakes and stems. In 1940, he began making complete bicycles. Herse was a "constructeur", meaning he built not just the frame but the entire bike. Herse died in Paris.

Competition successes

Herse bikes won technical trials in wartime and post-war France. His riders and especially his daughter Lyli Herse (see below) won numerous times in the Polymultipliée de Chanteloup hillclimb races.

Family

His daughter, Lyli, won eight national female cycling championships in France. After René Herse's death, Lyli Herse and her husband Jean Desbois, who was one of Herse's best framebuilders, continued the René Herse company until 1986. They also completed back orders of bicycles, so the last classic René Herse bikes were made in 1988.

Today

In the early 2000s, Lyli approached Jan Heine, the editor of Bicycle Quarterly magazine and founder of Compass Bicycles, with the request of taking over the René Herse trademark and assets in order to safeguard them for the future. In late 2018, Compass Bicycles officially changed the company name to Rene Herse Cycles, to fully safeguard the trademark and legacy.

References

  • René Herse Project Photo gallery of René Herse bicycles
  • Resource including original catalog and pictures