robert freemans Jan Janssen

[cnighbor1]

''I ticked another box today and rode my early 70s Jan Janssen for the first time. I've had it a couple years but only glued the tires on the other day. It was a $100 ebay find so I didn't want to spend a lot of money on it, so had it powder coated and then persuaded Greg Softley to replicate the decals for me. Put together with parts box parts, but it all works well together. The wheels must have come on a complete bike I bought as they are 36 front and 32 rear, and the front was built wrong. No matter, they go around just fine. I put some ancient NOS Barums on them and remembered why I like Veloflex tires so much. The Barums are kind of harsh, and dead feeling. But overall the bike rode rather well. Jan Janssen had his bike company for many years after he retired from racing in 1972. I'm told these frames were made by Flandria. Not top of the line workmanship, but the geometry is good. His heyday was in the 60s and he won the Tour de France in 1968. After that, Eddy Merckx won almost everything. He's still alive at age 79, but retired from the bike business, though I would imagine he can still turn a pedal. There is a pic of him towards the end of this album


https://www.flickr.com/photos/837910...57688444863251

I rode with a Pelforth jersey in his honor. Weather was coolish this morning after a very hot week, The sun came out by the afternoon though and it got into the 70s. I'll take it!
Robert D Freeman
North Bend WA ''

[Spoker]

He never beat Herman van Springel in a ITT untill the last stage of the 1968 TdF where he had time to make up for.
Warmed up for 125 km that morning.
The rest is history...
As I remember it as a 10 y/o.

[fignon's barber]

Helluva restoration job. Nice work.

[buddybikes]

I rode for few years on a Flandria pro circa 1973 - I worked for the importer in his retail bike shop so I got the first generation Dura Ace bike for 275.00, I was junior in high school at the time.

[Spaghetti Legs]

Gorgeous bike. I thought it was strange a rider would have his pic on the bike wearing sunglasses but I guess, looking at the other photos, it makes sense.

[charliedid]

Are we supposed to know who Robert D Freeman is?

Hell, I don't even know who Jan Janssen is.

[ultraman6970]

Jan jensses had rebadged alans and vitus aswell... II cant remember well but i m might have a couple of those barums tubulars moving around NOS, need to check but i remember had like 4 of those NOS.

Nice story...

[Peter P.]

cnighbor1-are those pictures of the blue bike in the link, the bike you restored and rode?

[rccardr]

Wow.
Pretty darn spanky for a powder coat/parts box restoration.

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by Peter P.

cnighbor1-are those pictures of the blue bike in the link, the bike you restored and rode?

It appears Robert D Freeman did. Charles is just passing along the info?

[Hindmost]

Originally Posted by Spaghetti Legs

...it was strange a rider would have his pic on the bike wearing sunglasses...

I believe that they are corrective lenses and they became sort of his signature. At the time very few riders in the peloton wore glasses of any kind. Jansen was thought to be a stylish rider along the lines of Anquetil.

[fiamme red]

Originally Posted by charliedid

Hell, I don't even know who Jan Janssen is.

https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?p=2303974

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by fiamme red

https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?p=2303974

Right thanks. Now I recall that thread.

[dmurphey]

Originally Posted by charliedid

Are we supposed to know who Robert D Freeman is?

Hell, I don't even know who Jan Janssen is.

Bob is the guy with too many cool stories and very cool restored old bikes but when we rode together in Italy I always seemed to get the bill for coffee.

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by dmurphey

Bob is the guy with too many cool stories and very cool restored old bikes but when we rode together in Italy I always seemed to get the bill for coffee.

Uh huh. Much clearer now.