/fdata%2F2526845%2Favatar-blog-1077722854-tmpphpfE4ptv.jpg){kind=avatar}
25. Velosolex Solex 4600 Events
Velosolex Solex 4600 Events
Upcoming Events:
2023
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Past Events:
2023
Sunday, July 16, 2023
Greater New York Citroen & Velosolex Club Bastille Day Rendezvous
New York City, USA
For Info, photos & videos from past events, Route Map, Citroens & Velosolexes "For Sale",
visit the website: https://www.greaternycitroenvelosolexclub.com/
CANCELLED because of severe weather
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Saturday, June 24, 2023
Velo Solex Rally DK 2023
Svaneke, Bornholm, Denmark
website: http://www.velosolexrally.dk/
website: https://velosolexrally.nemtilmeld.dk/
The Velo Solex Rally DK is an annual recurring event that takes place on the Saturday of the last weekend of June, on the sunny island of Bornholm, in the cozy town of Svaneke. The rally is a star race, with various tasks around the city. After each task, you have to pass by the square, and here you are hailed by the people. Of course, it is not a race that is timed, but instead depends on the participants' ability to perform the various tasks. The tasks range widely, ranging from Velo Solex puzzles, to spare parts recognition and other tasks that test the driver and his Velo Solex to the limit.
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2022
Sunday, July 10, 2022
Bastille Day Velosolex & Citroen Rendezvous, New York City, USA
Video:
https://rumble.com/v1gznaf-2022-velosolex-and-citroen-bastille-day-rendezvous-nyc-usa.html
(Music by Fairport Convention)
The weather was scorching hot.
Four Solexes, a Motobecane 50V, and a bunch of Citroens.
( a 1973 model 5000 DOT, an Impex S 3800, a 1974 Pli-Solex and my 4600 V3 )
We gathered at the General Grant National Memorial on the upper west side of Manhattan Island....rode around Manhattan, stopping at the Consulate General de France, then at a French bakery named "Bread Story", through Central Park, passed several famous buildings including the Empire State building and the Flat Iron building, ending at the FIAF Bastille Day Street Fair in midtown.
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2019
Bastille Day Velosolex & Citroen Rendezvous, New York City, USA
Video: 2019 Bastille Day Rendezvous video
Photo Slideshow: 2019 Bastille Day Rendezvous Slideshow
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2018
Bastille Day Velosolex & Citroen Rendezvous, New York City, USA
Video: 2018 Bastille Day Rendezvous video
Photo Slideshow: 2018 Bastille Day Rendezvous Slideshow
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2017
Bastille Day Rendezvous, NYC, USA, 2017
Video: 2017 Bastille Day Rendezvous video
Photo Slideshow: 2017 Bastille Day Rendezvous Photo Slideshow
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2016
Bastille Day Rendezvous, NYC, USA, 2016
Video: 2016 Bastille Day Rendezvous video
Photo Slideshow: 2016 Bastille Day Rendezvous Photo Slideshow
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Velosolex Rally DK, Svaneke, Denmark, 2016
Photos:
website:
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2015
Bastille Day Rendezvous, NYC, 2015
Video: 2015 Bastille Day Rendezvous video
Photo Slideshow: 2015 Bastille Day Rendezvous Photo Slideshow
Review by BrianSolex
The 2015 Greater New York Velosolex & Citroën Club’s Bastille Day Rendezvous was held this year on Sunday, July 12. For the event, I chose my daily driver, a blue 1977 Velosolex 4600 V3. For last year’s event, I had fitted an ATOM ignition module to replace the points and condenser and was very pleased with the performance of the module. I have used this bike almost daily for the past year, and have not experienced any ignition problems. The engine starts quickly, and runs very smoothly, even in the difficult conditions of New York City, including heavy stop-and-go traffic, icy winter cold, and scorching summer heat.
On Saturday night, I decided to treat the bike to a new NOS Michelin front tire, some fresh fuel, and a thorough lubrication of all moving parts. I finished with a full clean and polish of the frame and chrome parts. In the saddlebags, I packed a few tools and spare parts, and some water, along with the route map, registration form and rally permit. I also filled my seat-post-mounted jerry can with fuel.
I got started early on Sunday morning and was thankful for some beautiful weather…sunny with high temps, but fortunately low humidity. The ride from my home on Long Island, across the East River and Roosevelt Island to the upper west side of Manhattan Island took me about an hour and a half. Upon arrival at the Rendezvous gathering point at Grant’s Tomb on Riverside Drive, I filled my fuel tank and made a quick check of the bike, then took a few photos at the General Grant National Memorial.
Event organizer Howie was already there, helping Steve from Steve’s Moped & Bicycle World unload his van which contained Howie’s Solexes that he loans out for the event. The collection this year included an S 4800, an Impex S 3800, a 1974 Velosolex 4600 V1, a 1975 Solex 4600 V2, and a 1974 Pli-Solex that I had reconditioned for Howie some years ago.
Unfortunately the first mechanical problem of the day appeared when Steve filled the fuel tank of the Pli-Solex…a large puddle of fuel on the street beneath the tank. Thinking that the tank had cracked, Steve began draining the tank to put the Pli-Solex back in the van, but I suggested that we check the fuel suction pipe first. Sure enough, the flare had broken loose from the pipe at the tank fuel filter. Since I had a spare pipe with me, I traded it for two new tire tubes, and we soon had the Pli-Solex back on the road.
Coming from Staten Island were Charlie bringing one of his 1974 Solex S 3800 USAs, and Sam with his newly acquired 1974 Velosolex 4600 V1. Mathieu from the Club Spirit of Solex traveled from New Jersey to join us this year, bringing his 1974 Velosolex 4600 V1…making it three orange 1974 model 4600 V1s for this year’s event. A bunch of Citroën cars, a Saab, and a beautiful Peugeot 202 also showed up, as well as two cyclists on Peugeot 10-speed bicycles.
The ride began promptly at 10:00 a.m. with three laps of Grant’s Tomb.
The procession then began making its way down Broadway, obviously attracting a huge amount of attention as we rolled along.
Our first stop was just past Columbus Circle at Maison Kayser where we were treated to free lunch bags filled with sandwiches and bottled water. Sonia joined us at this point with her yellow 1974 Solex 5000. She had apparently forgotten to check her fuel before leaving and ran out of gas en route. She was fortunate in finding a gas station that also sold 2-stroke oil, and soon had her bike back on the road, but decided to meet us here, rather than trying to make it further uptown to Grant’s Tomb.
We soon were moving again, and made our way down Seventh Avenue through Times Square...
....and over to Fifth Avenue where we made our second stop...at L’Occitane for a potty break and to cool off inside the air-conditioned boutique with some free iced tea.
Some members also took advantage of free hand massages, and/or a Club discount to purchase items.
Howie’s 4600 V1, which was being ridden by Alex, was put out of commission on the way by a loosened clutch nut, and hoisted into Steve’s sweeper van. After an overly long stay at the boutique, we headed to the next locale, Washington Square Park, where there is the Washington Square Arch which greatly resembles the famous Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
At this point, we were very behind schedule and decided to split into two groups…one to go uptown to another L’Occitane Boutique for another potty break and free Champagne, and one to go directly to the “Bastille Day on 60th Street” French-American Street fair, where we were to put our vehicles on display as part of the Fair.
The group with which I was riding soon arrived at the Fair where we parked our vehicles for the fair-goers to enjoy.
Many tourists and enthusiasts stopped by to take photos and ask questions.
The other group of vehicles eventually joined us, and, still being behind schedule, we again split into two groups…one to stay at the Fair, and one to head downtown to the after-party awaiting the Club at Cercle Rouge Restaurant. The group at the Street Fair slowly broke away two or three vehicles at a time to join the party downtown, or to head home. I stayed at the Fair as long as possible, then filled my fuel tank and got on my way, across Manhattan Island, over the East River and Roosevelt Island, back home to Long Island…looking forward to next year’s Rendezvous and thankful for the beautiful weather, which can be brutal at this time of year in NYC.
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2014
Bastille Day Rendezvous, NYC, 2014
Video: 2014 Bastille Day Rendezvous video
Photo Slideshow: 2014 Bastille Day Rendezvous Photo Slideshow
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2013
Bastille Day Rendezvous, NYC, 2013
Who: Greater New York Citroën & Velosolex Club
What: Bastille Day Rendezvous and ride
Where: Grant's Tomb, Manhattan Island, New York City, USA
(west side of Grant's Tomb)
When: 10:00 a.m. , Sunday, July 14th, 2013
How: by Citroën or Solex
2013 Bastille Day Rendezvous review:
After every Greater New York Citroën and Velosolex Club Bastille Day Rendezvous, I like to think of a name to help me remember it, naming last year’s (2012) event “The Scorch-a-thon” because of the super extreme heat, with “Real Feel” temperatures around 110° F. To this year’s event, held on Sunday, July 14th, 2013, I have given the title “The Sauna Saunter” because of the brutally high humidity, and “Real Feel” temps around 100° F. But, once again, we got lucky and had no thunderstorms.
For the day’s festivities, I chose my most recent acquisition, a blue 1975 Solex 4600 V2 which I have serviced for several different owners over the years and finally purchased a few months ago. Having been properly maintained for the past few years, the bike needed relatively little work to get it in shape for the ride. I reconditioned the engine, installing new bearings, seals, filters and gaskets. All brakes, cables and wheel bearings were checked, cleaned, adjusted, lubricated and replaced if necessary. The fuel system was totally cleaned, and the fuel pump was rebuilt. I installed a new spark plug and spark plug wire, then cleaned and adjusted the ignition points. Finally, I cleaned the bike, touched up the paint, set the tire pressures, and installed the correct taillight. The Solex performed flawlessly all day, and I had no problems, even in the extreme heat.
I packed the Solex's saddlebags on Saturday night, so I was able to get on the road at about 7:30 a.m. on Sunday morning. I packed lightly this year; just some very basic hand tools, a few critical spare parts, a spare tube, a couple of bottles of water, and a little bit of extra fuel in a quart-sized plastic bottle. The ride through Queens County on Long Island and across the bicycle/pedestrian lane of the Queensborough Bridge onto Manhattan Island was uneventful and enjoyable, with very few people on the road, and the temperatures still in a reasonable range. I was riding solo this year since my usual riding partner, Pierre, was in France attending to some family business. After crossing the bridge, I took the usual route up First Avenue, then crosstown on 125th Street through Harlem to the starting point on the upper west side of Manhattan Island, Grant’s Tomb. The ride took me about one and a half hours.
Howie from Velosolex-America was already there, along with his daughter Sarah who would be handling the registration table for arriving participants. Everyone signing-in received a free gift bag from L’Occitane, one of the main sponsors of the event this year, as well as a ticket for the raffle, and a placard for the vehicle. There was plenty of food and beverages throughout the day, provided by both Howie and the various sponsors. Velosolex-America also kindly loaned out Solexes for several people wishing to ride with the group. Steve from Steve’s Moped and Bicycle World transported the bikes and supplies to and from the event, and drove the "sweeper van".
This was the club’s 14th annual gathering. It is a very loose club, and the attendance at the event fluctuates from year to year. This year, there were at least 15 Citroëns, including two SMs, one Traction-Avant, one Fourgonette, one 2CV6 Club, three 2CV6 Charlestons, one 2CV6 Club Dolly, at least three standard 2CVs, as well as several DSes, including a DSuper and at least one DS 23. As for the Solexes, we had one 5000, one 1400, two 4600 V2s, one 4600 V1, one Impex S 3800, one S 4800, one Pli-Solex, and one standard S 3800. (Sorry if I missed anybody.) Unfortunately, the fuel tank on the Pli-Solex developed a bad leak before the ride got started and was therefore drained of fuel and put back into Steve’s van. Most of the regulars were in attendance, but it was nice to see some new faces, too. It was great to finally meet Mathieu from the Rapn’ Pneus forum, and Pierre from the Cyclogalet forum, and it was cool to see Fernando on his 1400 this year instead of in his 2CV as in the past. It’s not easy to drive a clutch-less Solex like a 1400 in Manhattan traffic, but Fernando made it look easy, and his bike ran perfectly.
The ride itself began at about 10:30 a.m. Two laps around Grant’s Tomb for photo opportunities by the various Press photographers who were present, then down Broadway. We picked up Seventh Avenue in midtown, and then worked our way over to Fifth Avenue where we had our first stop, the L’Occitane boutique off 22nd Street. Waiting for us there was a cooler of ice-cold lemon water, Champagne, ice cream, rest rooms….and air conditioning! After cooling down for an hour or so, we made the short hop down Fifth Avenue to Washington Square Park for some quick photos in front of the Washington Square Arch, which greatly resembles the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Fellow Solex mechanic Chester missed the start of the ride, but joined us on Fifth Avenue, en route to the Park, where we only stayed a short time before heading uptown on Third Avenue to our next stop, another L’Occitane boutique, this one on 86thStreet off Third Avenue. There was very limited parking for the Citroëns, so they took a quick pit-stop, and then headed for the next stop. The Solexists lingered a bit longer at the boutique where there was more ice water, restrooms, air conditioning and free crêpes. Several Solexists enjoyed free samples of L’Occitane sun block lotion; much needed with the blazing midday sun.
We all rendezvoused near the “Bastille Day on 60th Street” French-American Street Fair where all of the beautiful shade trees that we had enjoyed in previous years had been removed in preparation for the building of a new monument on the site. Having had enough of the broiling sun, I filled up my fuel tank, and began my hour-long ride home. I headed east crosstown, and then over the Queensborough Bridge back home to Long Island, and some ice cold beers!
BrianSolex
Video with music: by Kraftwerk: 2013 Bastille Day Rendezvous video
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Velosolex Rally DK, 2013
When: June 29, 2013
Where: Svaneke, Bornholm, Denmark
website: http://www.velosolexrally.dk/
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2012
Bastille Day Rendezvous, NYC, 2012
Who: Greater New York Citroën & Velosolex Club
What: Bastille Day Rendezvous and ride
Where: Grant's Tomb, Manhattan Island, New York City, USA
(west side of Grant's Tomb)
When: 10:00 a.m. , Sunday, July 15th, 2012
How: by Citroën or Solex
Video: 2012 Bastille Day Rendezvous video
Photo Slideshow: 2012 Bastille Day Rendezvous Photo Slideshow
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Velosolex Rally DK, 2012
When: June 30, 2012
Where: Svaneke, Denmark
website: http://www.velosolexrally.dk/?2011
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2011
Bastille Day Rendezvous, NYC, 2011
Manhattan Island, New York City, USA
Bastille Day Rendezvous 2011 Review:
On Sunday, July 10th, the Greater New York Citroën and Velosolex Club held their tenth annual Bastille Day Rendezvous in conjunction with the “Bastille Day on 60th Street” French-American street fair. Main sponsors for the Rendezvous this year were Air France and L’Occitane who both handed out free gifts to the participants.
The weather this year was very nice in the morning for the ride to the event, but heated up very quickly, causing the usual heat-related problems with several club vehicles as the day progressed and the traffic thickened.
Having used model 4600s at the past few events, I decided to go with something different this year, and chose a US version 1974 Solex S 3800. To see the characteristics and differences of a US version S 3800, please check out my new website, dedicated to the US version Solex S 3800s: http://solex3800usa.over-blog.com . Like this 4600 website, the 3800 website is perpetually under construction, so please check back often to see new info and photos as they become available.
I met Pierre in Woodside on Long Island at 7:30 am on Sunday morning so that we could be ready to leave by 8. As we set off, Pierre had a slight running problem with his German version 1974 Solex S 3800, and so he quickly switched rides to his US version 1967 Solex S 3800. We then enjoyed a beautiful ride from Long Island, across the Queensborough Bridge with its magnificent views, onto Manhattan Island , proceeding uptown on First Avenue, and then cross-town through Harlem on 125th Street to the usual starting point, Grant’s Tomb on the upper west-side. This year, about 14 Citroëns and about 10 Solexes showed up for the Rendezvous. Representing the Citroën section were eight various 2CVs, two Traction-Avants, two CX’s, one DS, and one SM. And the Solex group consisted of two Impex S 3800s, one 4600 V1, one 4600 V2, one 4600 V3, three standard S 3800s, one Pli-Solex, and one S 4800 that suffered a broken freewheel near the beginning of the ride and was taken out of action.
The first part of the ride took us basically down Broadway and Seventh Avenue, through Times Square and some brutal traffic, and then down Fifth Avenue to Washington Square Park where we cooled off for awhile. My ignition took a beating in the heat and traffic, and so I quickly replaced my damaged points and condenser, giving a quick Solex history lesson to the small group of onlookers that had gathered for the spectacle.
The second part of the ride was basically uptown on Third Avenue, and then down Fifth Avenue to the Bastille Day on 60th Street French-American street fair sponsored by the Alliance-Francaise.
After spending a few hours at the street fair, Pierre and I refueled our Solexes for our ride cross-town and back over the Queensborough Bridge to Long Island where we enjoyed a couple of ice cold beers while we reviewed the day’s events.
Hope to see you there next year!
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Velosolex Rally in Svanecke , 2011
Svanecke, Bornholm, Denmark
http://www.velosolexrally.dk/?2011
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2010
Bastille Day Rendezvous - 2010
Manhattan Island, New York City
Bastille Day Rendezvous 2010 review:
Broiling hot. There’s the weather report for the 11th annual Greater New York Citroën and Vélosolex Club’s Bastille Day Rendezvous, which took place on Sunday, July 11th, 2010. Well, maybe broiling is not the right word. How about scorching? Sweltering? Take your pick. But at least it didn’t rain!
All-in-all, it was a great day, though. Good people and beautiful vehicles, as usual. Joining me as he did last year was nearby Solexist, Pierre, with his 1968 Solex S 3800. And riding with us this year was Pierre’s son, François, on his father’s 1974 German version Velosolex S 3800. Not having any time this past year to prepare a new ride for myself, I decided to once again use my trusty and speedy, blue 1977 Velosolex 4600 V3.
The three of us hit the road at 8 am and decided to use the same route to get to the event as last year; through Woodside, Sunnyside and Long Island City, over the Queensborough Bridge from Long Island to Manhattan Island, then uptown on First Avenue, and finally cross-town through Harlem on 125th Street to Grant’s Tomb.
A slight mechanical problem struck just as we approached the bridge. After bouncing our way over a cobblestone street in Long Island City, one of my fuel pipe connections loosened, and fuel started leaking from the tank. I quickly pulled out my 9 mm open-end, tightened the fitting, topped off the tank, and we were soon on our way.
The ride across the bridge is always beautiful, with spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline and the East River. Once across the bridge, we picked our way around the potholes and bumps as we made our way up First Avenue and across town through Harlem on 125th Street, then pedaled our legs off getting up the steep incline on the approach to Grant’s Tomb, ultimately arriving at the starting point for the ride, with Howie of Velosolex-America greeting us as we neared. Sponsors for the event this year were L’Occitane, Cercle Rouge restaurant, and Crusty’s Bakery, with L’Occitane being the main sponsor and handing out free gifts, along with the event placard to be mounted on the vehicles. L’Occitane is a worldwide company that sells beauty products.
Present for the ride were 12 Velosolexes, including two new S 4800s, three standard S 3800s, one Impex S 3800, one German version S 3800, two Pli-Solexes, one 4600 V1, one 4600 V2, and my 4600 V3. As for the Citroëns, there were 22 of them, including 12 2CVs, five DSs, two SMs, one Traction-Avant, and two CXs.
The ride began at 11:00 am and was soon the usual chaotic free-for-all, with the large group getting splintered into numerous smaller groups, and one group of Solexists getting lost for about an hour. The club basically headed downtown on Broadway and Seventh Avenue, stopping at our first rendezvous point, the Highline Park, an old railroad trestle converted into a park. After a rest at the Park to cool down our over-heating vehicles, we headed cross-town on 18th Street to Third Avenue, hooking up with the lost Solexists on the way, then uptown to our next rendezvous point, the “Bastille Day on 60th Street” French/American Street Fair. Pierre, François and I cooled down in the shade of some Central Park trees, and then got under way for our two hour trip back home to Long Island to have some beers, review the day, and watch the World Cup on TV, stopping once on the way to re-fuel.
Many thanks to the Greater New York Citroën and Velosolex Club for another enjoyable Rendezvous. And many thanks to VeloCruz for their help in keeping my Solexes on the road.
Hope to see you next year!
by Brian Solex
Photo Slideshow: 2010 Bastille Day Rendezvous Photo Slideshow
3-part Video:
Vélosolex Randonée Internationale - New York City - May 2010
Review:
With Solexists coming from as far as Brighton, England, the Vélosolex Randonée Internationale was a huge success,...excellent weather, friendly atmosphere, and 2 beautiful Solex 4600s. The group ride took place on Manhattan Island and Long Island, through the counties of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, with stops at Times Square, Washington Square Arch , Katz Bookbinding, and Juniper Valley, ending with food and refreshments at a quaint French/American bistro, Patrick Murphy's Publik House. See you at the next Vélosolex Randonée Internationale!
Video - Brian's View: Velosolex Randonée Internationale, Brian's View
Video - Pete's View: Velosolex Randonée Internationale, Pete's View
Photo Slideshow: Velosolex Randonée Internationale Photo Slideshow
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Randonée en Forêt de Laigue - 2010
Le Pressis Brion (Oise)
There were at least two 4600s at the event...an orange 1974 Velosolex 4600 V1 and a yellow Solex 4600 V3...look for them in the photos and videos posted on the Solex Millenium website:
http://solexmillenium.fr/solex-compiegne-1.php
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2009
Bastille Day Rendezvous, NYC, 2009 - review and photos, videos
Video: 2009 Bastille Day Rendezvous video
Also the route map, some photos and videos here: 2009 Rendezvous Route Map, Photos, Videos
REVIEW:
Bastille Day Rendezvous 2009 - review, photos & videos
2009 Greater NY Citroën and Velosolex Bastille Day Rendezvous in NYC
Incroyable! Unbelievable! Two years in a row with perfect weather! Saturday night and into the early hours of Sunday morning, the thunder crashed and the lightning flashed, and the rain came down torrentially. I’m sure that, like me, most of the Citroën and Velosolex owners were watching the weather and wondering if it would end in time for the event. But, as the sun rose on Sunday morning, July 12th, 2009, the rain stopped, and the clouds made their exit, and out came the Atoll blue skies to match the color of the ride that I had chosen for the day, my Atoll Blue 1977 Velosolex Solex 4600 V3.
Saturday was spent battling flood waters, and preparing my ride for the event, which was the same one that I used two years ago. I installed a new white fuel tank, new 4600 engine hood, spare fuel tank, and new white saddlebags, so the bike was looking sharp. A quick tune-up and a check of the tire pressures had the Solex running as nicely as it looked. And to make sure that I could get out of trouble as quickly as I could get into it, I replaced the 31 cc fuel jet with a 32. A new battery for the digital speedometer, and fresh fuel filling the tanks, and we were set.
This year, I was not to be alone on my journey to and from the event; brothers Pierre and Jean-Philippe would be joining me. Pierre actually lives relatively near to me, and had recently purchased a Solex on ebay, a late ‘60s model S 3800. Although the previous owner had spent a lot of money painting and re-chroming everything, there were many mistakes made in the re-assembly of the bike, and so it was necessary for me to reconstruct it properly. Pierre’s brother Jean-Philippe lives in California and decided to ship his 1974 model S 3800 here to ride it during the event, definitively winning the long-distance award.
We decided that the best route would be riding through Woodside, Sunny side and Long Island City, up and over the Queensborough Bridge onto Manhattan Island, then uptown on First Avenue and cross-town through Harlem on 125th Street to the Upper West Side and Grant’s Tomb, starting point as always for the Rendezvous. We enjoyed a nice leisurely hour and a half ride to the Rendezvous where we were greeted by event organizer, Howie Seligmann, owner of Velosolex America and the VS Velosolex trademark. Steve from Steve’s Moped and Bicycle World, and some of his employees, were busy unloading the “Van-o-Solexes”. There were plenty of bikes and free VS Velosolex helmets for anybody wishing to participate. A petite déjeuner was also setup, although there was no major sponsor for the event this year, other than Velosolex America. A minor sponsor, Julien Farel, raffled off a $250 spa treatment later in the day.
It’s always a good time seeing familiar Club Members and their vehicles again, and meeting new ones. For reasons unknown to me, the starting time for the ride itself was bumped up from noon to eleven o’clock, and so we were soon making our traditional lap of Grant’s Tomb before heading down Broadway.
Many people waved and cheered at us as our bell-ringing, horn-tooting group made our way downtown to the first stop, the recently opened Highline Green Space, which is an old abandoned elevated train line transformed into a park. We refueled our Solexes, took a few photos, push-started one of the Citroëns, and then headed for our next stop, the “Arc de Triomphe of New York”, the Washington Square Arch in Washington Square Park. Like last year, we were joined at the Park by the members of the Brooklyn Solex Club, with Riad leading the pack as usual, riding his recently finished gold S 3800. We now had a total of 14 Citroëns and 16 Velosolexes. The Velosolex line-up consisted of two new S 4800s, one Pli-Solex, one S 2200, eight standard S 3800s, one Impex S 3800, one 4600 V1, one 4600 V2, and my 4600 V3. For you Citroën fans, there were nine 2 CVs, one SM, one DS, and three Traction-Avants.
After push-starting another Citroën, we all headed uptown. New for this year’s ride was the route uptown. We took Park Avenue all the way to 96th Street, passing around Grand Central Terminal on the elevated roadway, then down Fifth Avenue, ending at the final stop, the French-American "Bastille Day on 60th Street” fair, with three blocks filled with French-American food and entertainment. While I repaired one of Riad’s Solex’s brake shoes, other members worked on one of the Citroëns, and soon both were back in running order. The vehicles were setup for display as an extension of the Street Fair, and many, many people stopped by to check them out and ask questions. A lot of people ask us if the Velosolexes are for rent and/or where they could buy one.
We all enjoyed each other’s company, the beautiful weather, and the great food, then moved on to our next destinations. The Brooklyn Solex Club and several of the Citroën folks headed over to Brooklyn and the Pétanque Tournament at Bar Tabac on Smith Street. Pierre, Jean-Philippe and I topped off our fuel tanks, then got under way for our long journey cross-town and back over the Queensborough Bridge onto Long Island. Pierre’s wife was waiting with beers and snacks, and we had a nice time recollecting our stories of the day and planning for next year’s event. Hope to see you there!
En francais:
Unbelievable!! Incroyable! Deux ans de suite avec le temps parfait! Samedi soir et dans les heures premières de dimanche matin, il y était beaucoup du tonnerre et de la foudre, et la pluie est descendue torrentiellement. Je suis sûr que, comme moi, la plupart des propriétaires des Citroën et des Velosolex regardaient le temps et se demandaient s'il finirait à temps pour l'événement. Mais, quand le soleil est monté dimanche matin, le 12 juillet 2009, la pluie s'arrêtait et les nuages a fait leur sortie et les cieux Bleus Atoll apparaissaient pour correspondre à la couleur du cheval que j'avais choisi pour le jour, mon Atoll Bleu Velosolex Solex 4600 V3 de 1977.
Samedi a été passé en luttant contre les eaux d'inondation et en préparant ma machine pour l'événement, qui était le même machine que j'ai utilisé il y a deux ans. J'ai installé un nouveau réservoir blanc, un nouveau (d'ancien stock) capot moteur 4600, un réservoir supplementaire, et des nouvelles sacoches blanches, donc la bicyclette semblait magnifique. Un réglage rapide et un chèque des pressions de pneu avaient le Solex roulant aussi bien qu'il a apparu. Et m'assurer que je pourrais sortir du problème aussi vite que je pourrais y entrer, j'ai remplacé le gicleur de 31 cc avec un de 32. Une nouvelle batterie pour le compteur numerique et le mélange frais remplissant des reservoirs, et nous étions prêt à rouler.
Cette année, je ne devais pas être seul sur mon voyage à l'événement; les frères Pierre et Jean-Philippe me rejoindraient. Pierre habite vraiment relativement près de moi et avait récemment acheté un Solex sur ebay, un modèle S 3800 des années 60. Bien que le propriétaire précédent ait passé beaucoup d'argent pour le peinture et le rechromage, il y avait beaucoup d'erreurs faites dans le réassemblage de la bicyclette et donc c'était nécessaire pour moi de le reconstruire correctement. Le frère de Pierre, Jean-Philippe, habite à Californie et décidé pour expédier son Solex S 3800 de 1974 ici pour le monter pendant l'événement, en gagnant irrévocablement le prix à longue distance.
Nous avons décidé que le meilleur trajet irait par Woodside, Sunnyside et Long Island City, sur le Pont de Queensborough à l'Île de Manhattan, alors sur la Première Avenue et la trans-ville par Harlem dans la 125ème Rue au Côté Ouest Supérieur (Upper West Side) et au Grant’s Tomb (Tombeau de General U. S. Grant), le point de départ comme toujours pour le Rendez-vous. Nous avons apprécié une ballade très agréable d’une heure et demi au Rendez-vous où nous avons été accueillis par l'organisateur d'événement, Howie Seligmann, le propriétaire de Velosolex-America et le proprietaire de la marque VS Velosolex. Steve du Steve’s Moped and Bicycle World, (Monde de Bicyclette et de Vélomoteur de Steve) et de certains de ses employés, était occupé en déchargeant le "Van-o-Solexes" (Fourgon-des-Solex). Il y avait l'abondance des VeloSolex, et des casques VS Velosolex gratuit, pour quelqu'un voulant participer. Il y avait aussi un petite déjeuner bien qu'il n'y ait aucun sponsor important pour l'événement cette année, autre que Velosolex America. Un sponsor mineur, Julien Farel, plus tard dans la journée, a mette en tombola d'un traitement de ville d'eau de $250.
C'est toujours un bon temps en voyant des Membres de Club familiers et leurs véhicules, et en rencontrant des nouveaux. Pour les raisons inconnues à moi, le temps de départ pour la ballade a été changé du midi à onze heures, et donc nous faisions bientôt notre circulaire traditionnel du Tombeau de Grant avant le Broadway.
Beaucoup de personnes ont fait signe et nous ont acclamé. sur notre route au premier arrêt, the Highline Green Space, récemment ouvert, qui est une vieille ligne de train élevée abandonee et transformée dans un parc. Nous remplissions nos reservoirs de nos Solex, prenions quelques photos, demarrions un des Citroëns en poussant, et ensuite nous roulions vers notre arrêt suivant, le "Arc de Triomphe de New York”, l'Arc de Washington Square dans le Parc de Washington Square. Comme l'année dernière, nous avons été rejoints au Parc par les membres du Club de Solex de Brooklyn, avec Riad la conduite du paquet comme d'habitude, en montant son récemment fini S 3800 en or. Nous avions maintenant un total de 14 Citroëns et de 16 Velosolexes. L'équipe Velosolex s'est composé des deux S 4800 nouvelles, un Pli-Solex, un S 2200, huit S 3800 normaux, un Impex S 3800, un 4600 V1, un 4600 V2 et mon 4600 V3. Pour vous les fans de Citroën, il y avait neuf 2 CVs, un SM, un DS et trois Traction-Avants.
Après le poussant d’un autre Citroën pour le demarrer, nous tous roulions uptown. Nouveau pour la ballade de cette année était la route uptown. Nous avons pris l'Avenue de Parc entièrement à la 96ème Rue, passant autour du Grand Terminus Central sur la chaussée élevée, alors sur la Cinquième Avenue, finissant à l'arrêt final, la Fête français-américain de “Bastille Day on 60th Street”, avec trois blocs remplis des aliments et les amusements français-américains. Pendant que j'ai réparé un des mâchoires de frein du Solex de Riad, d'autres membres ont travaillé sur un des Citroëns, et bientôt tous les deux sont prêt à rouler. Nous faisions étalage des véhicules comme une extension de la Fête, et beaucoup, beaucoup de personnes ont passé pour les regarder et poser des questions. Beaucoup de gens nous demandent si les Velosolexes sont pour le loyer et/ou où ils pourraient acheter celui.
Nous tous avons apprécié chaque compagnie d'autre, le beau temps et les grands aliments, sommes ensuite repartis à nos destinations suivantes. Le Club de Solex de Brooklyn et plusieurs des gens Citroën roulaient à Brooklyn et au Tournoi Pétanque à Bar Tabac dans Smith Street. Pierre, Jean-Philippe et moi avons rempli de nos réservoirs, sommes ensuite arrivés en cours pour notre longue voyage trans-ville, sur le Pont de Queensborough sur la Longue Île. La femme de Pierre nous attendait avec les bières et les casse-croûte et nous avions un temps agréable en se souvenant de nos histoires du jour et en planifiant pour l'événement d'année prochaine. L'espoir de vous voir là!
BrianSolex
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2008
2008 Bastille Day Rendezvous, NYC
Video: 2008 Bastille Day Rendezous video
Photos: http://solexmillenium.fr/solex-new-york.php
Solex 4600 V2 and Citroën 2CV at the Bastille Day Rendezvous 2008
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2007
2007 Bastille Day Rendezvous , NYC, USA
Photos from 2007 Bastille Day Rendezvous: http://solexmillenium.fr/BastilleDay07-1.php
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2006
Bastille Day Rendezous, NYC, 2006
Photo Slideshow: 2006 Bastille Day Rendezvous Photo Slideshow
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2005
Velosolex & Citroen Bastille Day Rendezvous in New York
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2004
Velosolex & Citroen Bastille Day Rendezvous in New York
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Photos from past Bastille Day Rendezvous events:
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Citroen 2CV & Solexists at Washington Square Arch, NYC
4600 V2 in front of Grant's Tomb, NYC...Bastille Day Rendezvous 2008
Solexes belonging to the Brooklyn Solex Club at the Bastille Day Rendezvous 2008
Velosolexes and Citroën driving down Broadway
Solex Gang
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