Classic & Vintage - 'nother cool old bike I bought on ebay

A van Hauwaert, probably Belgian, wheels, pedals, bar and stem wrong but rest pretty original. I probably have parts to get it back right, sorta...

Oddly enough, I have another of this brand someone gave me a number of years ago, repainted but even older, so I was anxious to see one in original condition. If anyone knows anything about van Hauweart I'd love to hear! And I just met a local guy who can do this kind of boxlining for about 100. bucks.

Its a lower end bike, but in those days they didn't think, "ah, this one's cheap, let's just make junk", They made em almost as nice as the top end.

Its a lower end bike, but in those days they didn't think, "ah, this one's cheap, let's just make junk", They made em almost as nice as the top end.

I will disagree. Any 531 frame, even one that is main tubes only, is not lower end. It is mid approaching mid-upper. Gas pipe would be lower end. That has some nice looking lugwork on it.

Nice lugs and a 531 frame = nice bike.

What saddle is on there ?

Saddle = old Ideale ?

Van Hauwaert won the 1908 Paris-Roubaix, and Milan San Remo the same year.
he was called "De Leeuw van Vlaanderen" nearly a century before Johan Museeuw.
Found this in a blog:

After his homecoming, Van Hawaert maximized his fame and started building
bicycles bearing his name. The Van Hauwaert brand was built
in his workshop in Brussels, later he opened a second factory in the Congo.

In the late 1940s, he began to rack up debts, as his love
for drink and the horses ate in to his profits. By the mid 1950s he
closed the plant in the Congo and looked into selling off his brand in
order to pay off his bookies. He sold his business to a Mr. De Visscher
who continued production of Van Hauwaert bicycles in Brussels until
the early 1970's when he moved the production to Ronse, in Southern East Flanders.


Marty

hum I almost bid on that un' glad I didn't and a fellow got it!

Cool history. Seat is a Wittkop. Glad nobody else bid, it was too expensive as is! I just picked up this morning in SF, I'll get more pics after I go through it.

Any 531 frame, even one that is main tubes only, is not lower end. It is mid approaching mid-upper.

Well, I guess it depends what you were brought up on. Low-end to me means stamped dropouts, no chrome, Huret (can't get much lower than that) and a steel crankset in the alloy era. But maybe for its age its mid-level...

My Sears Ted Williams has 531 and I wouldn't call it anything but "curious".

Well, I guess it depends what you were brought up on. Low-end to me means stamped dropouts, no chrome, Huret (can't get much lower than that) and a steel crankset in the alloy era. But maybe for its age its mid-level...

Agreed, but only on the stamped dropouts. You could apply everything else (sans the Huret comment) to an early to mid '60s Paramount (no chrome; Campag crankset optional, with a steel Stronglight standard).

Had that machine forged dropouts, I'd be badgering you to sell it to me ;)

-Kurt

That's a really neat bicycle. I'd think twice before getting it painted. Build it and ride it for a couple weeks before you rush into it.

Well, I guess it depends what you were brought up on. Low-end to me means stamped dropouts, no chrome, Huret (can't get much lower than that) and a steel crankset in the alloy era. But maybe for its age its mid-level...

My Sears Ted Williams has 531 and I wouldn't call it anything but "curious".

Not so much when you were brought up, but a mindset. Huret is not always junk. Lack of chrome does not mean a thing other than the cost was kept down. Steel crankset...has its age been firmly established? Cannot argue the stamped dropouts, but then there were some stamped better than others. All of these could be considered tradeoffs.

That's a really neat bicycle. I'd think twice before getting it painted. Build it and ride it for a couple weeks before you rush into it.

Nope, I won't paint that, just clean it up and get it mechanically sound.

Not so much when you were brought up, but a mindset.

Well, I was brought up admiring my step-father's 50s Allegro, which us kids were not allowed to touch: flamboyant and faded paints, boxlining, pinstripping and chrome up the whazzo, 531, Campagnolo dropouts and Gran Sport deraillers with the 3-piece hubs with sewups, Stronglight crank, Brooks seat...

As that was my first role model as to what a nice bike was, anything less was, well, less!

I think I have a healthy mindset! Honestly, my favorite bike of all time was a 60s Carlton with stamped dropouts!

A little off topic but I'd like to comment on the whole quality issue from what I remember and have learned over the years since I got into vintage bikes. For some reason I seem to have gotten a different take on this than a lot of people. Here's my take of late 60's - mid 70's bikes:

Junk = department store bike with heavy steel tubes welded, not lugged, construction, crimped tube ends instead of dropouts, often with all steel Japanese components, weighed 40-lbs+ - many Sears Free Spirits (not the Austrian bikes), Murrays, Huffys, etc. The XMart bikes of the day.

Next step up = Schwinn Varsity/Continental, similar to above but much nicer electroforged frame construction. Great for teenagers. Bullet proof but 40-lbs.

Entry level decent quality bike you'd find at a bike shop = thinner walled hi-ten steel tubing, lugged frame construction, steel components of European manufacture, steel wheels, weighed around 28-lbs.

Mid-range bike for cycling enthusiast = lugged frame constructed of maybe still hi-ten steel, maybe straight gauge 531 main tubes, stamped dropouts, some aluminum components EXCEPT the crank which would be cottered steel, maybe aluminum rims, weighed around 26-lbs.

Hi-end bike for serious cyclist/amature racer = full 531 or Columbus frame, all aluminum components including cotterless crank, aluminum probably tubular rims, mixture of components with probably little Campagnolo other than perhaps Tipo hubs. Maybe 22-24-lbs.

Top of the line flagship bike - same 531 or Columbus frame as above with full Nuovo Record or comparible French components. 21-22-lbs. Equivalent to a manufacturer's top of the line $6000 - $10,000 bike today in market position.

Agree? Disagree?

Agree? Disagree?


I agree.

I guess my interests lie mostly with hi-end and top-of-the-line, though I avoid the big buck, holy grail bikes (not that they're not nice, just out of my price range).

Are the dropouts indeed stamped, or are they "cut"? I think that there's a difference. I have a frame with what I'm led to believe are cut dropouts. Edges are very square, and they're 4 mm thick in the rear, almost 5 mm in the front. I think that Dirtdrop referred to them as being made by Cyclo -- suggesting that they're an item that a manufacturer would order from outside, like forged dropouts, rather than stamping in their own factory.

In any event, I think it qualifies as a bona fide "find."

Cyrille Van Hauwaert:

So, dug into this bike last night, pretty much disassembled. In my junk I found a Pivo stem, some flat Lyotard pedals, and some Weinmann brake levers that seem more right that what was on there. Seatpost seems too small from how the clamp looked but measures 27.0.

A little baffled on what to do for wheels. It came with a set of sewups with large flange hubs marked "Peugeot Trophy by Malliard" by those seem late 70s to me, so not really right. I have a couple pair of round hole high-flange 3-piece that might look more right, a no-name pair and a set of Cindeo, but they're both Italian.

What were the French hubs? I guess the 60s round hole Normandy would work, but I don't have any, and I saw some sweet Simplex high-flange on ebay but they're bringing tall dollar...

Anyone who knows 50s-60s French stuff want to offer any advice for hubs?

Are the dropouts indeed stamped, or are they "cut"? I think that there's a difference. I have a frame with what I'm led to believe are cut dropouts. Edges are very square, and they're 4 mm thick in the rear, almost 5 mm in the front. I think that Dirtdrop referred to them as being made by Cyclo -- suggesting that they're an item that a manufacturer would order from outside, like forged dropouts, rather than stamping in their own factory.

In any event, I think it qualifies as a bona fide "find."

Thanks, I'm jazzed about it! I love old crap!

I've had Cyclos on a few Carltons. Honestly, I'm not sure how to distinguish "cut" from "stamped". I doubt someone would cut them individually, even with a power saw when stamping is capable of leaving a square edge plus imparting some of the other 3D features.

So, dug into this bike last night, pretty much disassembled. In my junk I found a Pivo stem, some flat Lyotard pedals, and some Weinmann brake levers that seem more right that what was on there. Seatpost seems too small from how the clamp looked but measures 27.0.

A little baffled on what to do for wheels. It came with a set of sewups with large flange hubs marked "Peugeot Trophy by Malliard" by those seem late 70s to me, so not really right. I have a couple pair of round hole high-flange 3-piece that might look more right, a no-name pair and a set of Cindeo, but they're both Italian.

What were the French hubs? I guess the 60s round hole Normandy would work, but I don't have any, and I saw some sweet Simplex high-flange on ebay but they're bringing tall dollar...

Anyone who knows 50s-60s French stuff want to offer any advice for hubs?

Peugeot Trophy is rebadged Maillard 700 Pro. Very nice hubs. Agree they do not seem right on this bike. I may have some small flange Atom hubs that I could throw your way. Nice basic hubs. I need to make sure I still have them.

The headbadge alone is worth whatever you paid for the whole bike!! Classic stuff.

Ok, now all I need is a straight seatpost in 27.2 (for a clamp). Anyone know who still sells those?

OK, coming along nicely.

Got all the parts cleaned up, installed a Stronglight spindle for a 49 crank I have, found an old/new 50 foot roll of gray ribbed cable housing on ebay for 20 bucks, located a 27.2 straight alloy seatpost online and ordered a bunch of small parts from Loose Screws. Cleaned a set of round-hole Gnutti hubs I had that fit the part, need to lace to some Sun rims I have.

Funny, after I polished up a French Pivo stem and bars, turns out the Belgian bike is English dimensions and threads! So, have an oldstyle GB bar and stem I'm going to use, actually from the OTHER Van Hauweart I have.

Almost done, new pictures soon. Nothing like a new set of built up wheels with new tires and tubes!

Finished this last night. Still not thrilled with the functionality of these Huret deraillers, but...

Frame, seat, seat post, headset and bottom bracket as I got it. Stronglight spindle, crank, handlebars, stem, pedals, hubs and brake levers from my stash of parts. Water bottles, cages and mounts from Velo-Orange. Straps, bar tape, rims, cable housing, one hub quick release and white Huret lever covers from ebay.

Paint is a little rough, but I won't change it. Wonderful detailing: I bet it was a beauty when new! I'd like to copy these graphics as I have another of these frames.

edit: Ha, ha, I just sent these pics to the guy I bought it from, he was blown away! He's going to send them to the guy in Belgium he bought the bike from! "Thanks for the go ahead on all the photos. Vincent will be pleased
knowing one of his old favorites is still loved."

that is one nice bike. Love the handlebar mounted water bottle,
and the paint on that is marvelous. . .
very nice find.

Marty

Those "Peugeot Trophy" Maillard 700 hubs are correct for my '74 PX10. Please let me know if you decide to get rid of them. I opted for the low flange version in the seventies when low flange was "cool".

What a beauty...the box pin-stripe detailing is reminiscent of what Dr. Deltron for PastorBob's "Sporty (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=423860&highlight=sporty+d+dr&page=2)"


stan
.

Those "Peugeot Trophy" Maillard 700 hubs are correct for my '74 PX10. Please let me know if you decide to get rid of them. I opted for the low flange version in the seventies when low flange was "cool".

They're laced to some sewup rims with tires (I think), they look like good wheels but I haven't studied them. I haven't made any decisions on what to do with them... hubs are hard to find these days, but clincher rims are harder... got any 700 or 27" rims?

Anouther fan of your bar mounted bottles and bike! Are you going to keep the Huret deraillers or thinking of a change?

What a beauty...the box pin-stripe detailing is reminiscent of what Dr. Deltron for PastorBob's "Sporty (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=423860&highlight=sporty+d+dr&page=2)"stan
.

OUCH! Campagnolo on a fillet brazed Schwinn? Crazy hippies on dope and free love I think!

No, the boxlining is pretty traditional from the old days.. I've done a few frames with a ruling pen, but want to try some pinstriping brushes. I have the card from I guy I ran into in Berkeley that will do it for about 100 bucks he said...

Are you going to keep the Huret deraillers or thinking of a change?

My next step is to rebuild the bearinged jocky wheels to see if that helps. I had a set of the same on a Bertin I sold years ago that certainly worked better.

I know you guys think I'm a snob, but most my experience is with Nuovo Record, and that stuff just runs sweet. But I'm trying to be open minded...

If I was going to change them I guess I'd use some old Gran Sport. But I'll probably leave them as original.

Well, I just bought another set of these Huret deraillers on ebay, so I'm trying, I'm trying.

Maybe I'll replace the Simplex on my Raphael Gemniani...