Paris "Tour de France" frame built by Tom Board c.1980

Alvin Smith lists some factors which differentiate a Tom Board machine from an original Harry Rensch Paris:

1. The bilamination pattern seen is the shorter square ended representation which I call ET4 and which were cut by Len Phipps for the firm.
2. The bottom bracket appears to be have a wall thickness of the housing such that I believe it will have to have a screw thread cut for orthodox BB ball cups.  It remains possible that it has never been reamed out for a Baylis-Wiley or TDC Oilbath type axle system, but to do this now would be such a major cutting job that the heat generated would damage the enamelling so that I doubt anyone would do it.  One of the close ups also shows that the BB has chainstay stubs so that Rensch type chainstays could not be used.  Also the chainstay bridge appears to be made from two cantilever brake bosses -not even concieved in Rensch days.
3. The saddle pin cluster is based upon a lug with seat pin securing bolt - as far as I know all Rensch TdFs built with the 1 1/8 diameter tubing used a separate saddle pin clamp on a lugless seat pin cluster.
4. The top tube brake cable clips are typical 1970-80s fittings.
5. The twin plate fork crown was offerred by both Rensch and Paris Lightweights but Rensch never used the Eifel Tower bilamination there and of course did not use ET4 as far as I can tell.
6. The rear brake bridge has the short diamond shaped decoration around its footings on the seat stays which I identify as RBBM2 typical of Paris Lighweights.
7. The seat stays appear not as narrow as the pencil stays of the earlier Rensch era.
8. This frame has the later short Campag rear ends.

Head lugs and fork crown details

Bottom bracket lug details

Details of seat cluster

The above described frame was built under the name of The Paris Lightweights Cycle Company which was formed in 1981 and became a fully legal entity when Michael Kemp acquired the legal rights to the ‘PARIS’ name and approached Monty Young of Condor Cycles with a view to making the Galibier again. There is no doubt that Kemp, who was a business man and keen club cyclist, provided the impetus and perhaps most of the initial financing and planning behind this venture. The new firm was set up as the Paris Lightweight Cycle Company Ltd in Potters Bar on 30 September 1981. Between 1983 and 1987 frames were built by solely by Tom Board, Condor’s retained frame builder with Condor Cycles being the selling agents.  Monty Young, Tom Board and Stuart Mobley were also partners with Michael Kemp in the new firm of Paris Lightweight Cycles. The company produced a diamond frame model (the Tour de France) as well as an improved Galibier strut frame model.

Tom Board had worked for Paris Cycles from 1949 up to their closure, after which he had become a frame builder in his own right after acquiring further experience with FW Evans before joining Condors.  He worked for several years at the Condor workshops making the highly respected Condor house frames.  The Condor workshops were located in Balls Pond Road just along from where Harry Rensch had started making his Rensch and Paris machines in 1935. Board’s modifications to the design for the Paris Lightweight Cycles Galibier were to strengthen the bottom bracket assembly by using T-45 steel instead of Reynolds 531 for the lower part of the “seat tube”- the bottom bracket to main strut tube and the adoption of modern microfusion castings where needed as well as Campagnolo drop-outs.  Some customers wanted, not just the new and better metallurgy on offer, but the older pattern bi-laminations that had been so much a part of the Galibier’s appeal, so these too came back on most of the frames. Although this well publicised and financed venture was very enthusiastically driven it was not a commercial success and unfortunately had to close in 1987.  It may be surmised that the frames were too expensive and that once the small retro cycle niche market had been satisfied there was insufficient technical edge in the design to make it attractive enough for youngsters to buy. &Additionally at this time time-triallists were largely keen on hyper lightweight, so called low–pro designs, and the richer ones were beginning to invest in aluminium, carbon and titanium frames many of which were reaching the English market from the US. After Kemp had closed his venture Tom Board carried on building frames such as the Galibier (and even Bates Cantiflexframes.  These included a real one-off - a Galibier tricycle but by 1993 Board had severed his links with Condors.  Condor Cycles however still build both a Paris Galibier and a Paris Tour de France - both are illustrated on this site.

From Mick Butler

Mick Butler was the previous owner of the frame at the top of the page and he says, this was the only fully welded brazed Paris Tour de France that Tom built and it was Mike Kemp's pride and joy. I acquired it after he was too ill to carry on cycling.  It’s an out-and-out time-trial frame with a lot of toe clip overlap.  It was fitted with Simplex, Galli & Gipiemme gold anodized equipment and looked stunning when Mike owned it.  I bought just the frame from him and did a few good times on it during the three seasons I owned it.

Tom built mostly Galibiers the second time round, there was a lady’s Dame built along with quite a few Tour de France but these only had the welded brazed head the rest being lugless. A few Professionals (lugless) and some Champion du Mondes maybe two.  In all probability less than 90 frames I think Tom told me.