lostarchitect 

I bought this for the Stronglight crankset, but when I actually got my eyes on it, it's kind of interesting. Headbadge says "Cycles Victor", as you can see. It has Nervex lugs and Huret dropouts. CLB cantilever brakes. The crank is Stronglight, but there are no markings on the bottom bracket or headset, so I don't think they're Stronglight. The seatpost was chromed steel. Huret front derailleur, shifters, cable clips and downtube cable guide. I'm assuming the RD was originally Huret as well, but it's gone, replaced with a Suntour.

My understanding is that this marque was part of the "Paris-Sport" brand imported through New Jersey and mostly sold around the NYC area. I have found some references to a model 700 described as an "early cyclocross" bike with cantilevers, Stronglight cranks and tubing from Vitus... This all fits except I see no indication what the tubing is, and the frame actually feels kind of heavy, despite the indicators (drops, lugs) that it is better quality. The paint is very worn off, but it looks like it's also chromed underneath. It's odd.

Edit: additional info. Size is 52 x 55cm, CTC. Seatpost size is 25.4 or maybe 25.6.

Do you guys know anything? What are your thoughts? Photos below.















(more in next post)

lostarchitect 

non-fixie 

Interesting frame set. Don't know anything about it, but if that came up for sale here in my size, I'd be all over it. Thanks for the pics.

John E

I presume the seat tube OD is 28.0mm (French, as opposed to the standard 28.6 elsewhere). The seatpost OD will tell you something about the frame tubing, with 26.4 or 26.6 being a very good omen (butted moly steel). The dropouts and lugs also indicate at least a mid-range frame, not just a UO-8 equivalent.

juvela

thanks for posting this intereseting find.

curious that while front and rear brake hangers are weinmann cantilevers are clb. did it come with brake levers?

93 chainset is early type, an aid to dating. iirc launch was 1967.

shell is metric (not swiss) threaded. fittings are verot.

headset not verot.

did you get more of the bicycle or just what is shown in the photos?

lostarchitect 

I'm having a hard time getting a good reading. Maybe it's my calipers. Seat tube OD is coming back around 28.2 or 28.4. Seatpost is around 25.4, or maybe 25.6.

lostarchitect 

All I got is what you see, plus the Suntour RD. It seems to be intended to have 700c wheels.

Yeah, it's a different one. I don't know what to do with it. It's maybe slightly small for me, but not terribly.

crank_addict

Nice haul! Perhaps should share notes and pics with forum member Steve W and his 'Criterium'.

Looking at the Nervex Pro head lugs, the centers 'fish tail' is more pronounced. It was explained to me that it indicates mid-1950's and earlier. No expert here but learning as I go. Then again, there were piles of the Nervex lugs that just about all builders used and probably just as many piles of stock on hand for many years.

Regardless of the components to date it, might have been the usual upgrade through later years.

edit: Just because it has cantilevers doesn't necessarily make it a dedicated CX. Has mudguard eyelets and might have been suited as randonneur.

CliffordK

Interesting frame. Overall quite a small frame.

I think those are Nervex Pro head tube lugs, which would generally only be used on the higher quality frames.

I suppose I wouldn't get too excited about an importer using their own badges, plus they are in such bad shape. I'd be tempted to debadge it, upgrade as you see fit, then paint and decorate as you desire.

I wouldn't be surprised if it was a Motobecane or Mercier, but without a model, you can't really put those names back on.

JohnDThompson 

The bottom bracket cups look like Stronglight mod. 34:

TimmyT 

This is bikeforums. "Know anything" is an awfully broad wording. What does your cat think?

juvela

bottom bracket illustration is of a cottered set.

bicycle's chainset is cotterless.

lostarchitect 

Yes, size CTC is 52 x 55cm. I should just admit that it's too small for me. I suppose I will take it to ebay and see what happens.

The lugs are very attractive. I have never had a bike with these lugs before.

lostarchitect 

Looks close, but was there a square taper version?

lostarchitect 

He thinks: "TimmyT is getting bit next time he comes over!"

lostarchitect 

Definite possibility. That's what I was thinking it was, until I read about the CX frames. It appears to be built for 700c wheels, not 650b as well. But I really have no idea.

TimmyT 

Effin' Ziggy. Same litterbox different day.

TimmyT 

Similar to the Stronglight "Axce Creux"

Both this and the mod. 34 have the wrong number of groves. What does the NDS look like?

juvela

frame bits -

lugset: nervex professional model 49

crown: nervex pattern nr. 2

shell: gargette (rfg)

chainstay stop set unusually far forward


pillar size/tubing -

stated size sounds unusually small for a frame of this calibre. one would expect at least a quality plain guage tube set such as durifort. pillars of stamped steel sheet are easily put out of round by overtightening binder. you could try inserting pillar about 20mm and woggling it about to open the seat lug a bit. it may have been deformed by overtightening. then measure opening rather than pillar. one would expect a size of at least 26.2mm for a frame of this quality.

if machine represents a contract build for the paris sport entity one possible suspect might be manufrance.

lostarchitect 

NDS looks just like that. Could be it.

lostarchitect 

Thanks for all the info!

I am still getting 25.4 - 25.6 on the pillar and seat tube ID. Very odd, I know.

juvela

thanks for checking the pillar/seat tube i.d. again.

25.4mm is a very common seat pin size for french frames but only for ones with ordinary quality tubing. puzzling.

if you remove the bb fittings you will be able to examine the interiors of four of the frame's tubes. might be of interest to see if they are seamed or seamless.

wrt possible cx application -

one simple way to check is to measure the shell height/drop. cx frames are constructed with high shells for better clearance on uneven surfaces. the down side is that a high shell gives the machine poor "roll." which is why it is usually not done on bicycles intended for pavement use. my guess would be that frame will have a typical french road shell height of about 10 3/4". you can compare the victor's shell height/drop to that of your existing pavement machines.

wrt markings on verot bb cups -

instead of writing they have a code which was employed up through about 1977. markings did not begin until about 1978. your bicycle's fixed cup has eight flats and one ring. this code equals metric ("french") thread. on the adjustable side the coding is done by the knurling pattern on the lockring.

rhm

Those CLB cantilever brakes are interesting. Apparently they fit on a proprietary boss, different from MAFAC and modern ones. I'm pretty sure I have one, possibly two, CLB straddle hangers, well turn it/them over to you if/when I find them.

Can you estimate the max tire size?

juvela

wrt dating -

the freres huret 700 front mech should have a date code stamped in of four digits in length. the first two are the week of the year and the last two are the year.

presently leaning toward mcmlxviii.

[edit] just did some checking and realised that the four digit date code for huret did not begin until the late seventies. apologies for bum steer.

JohnDThompson 

Cup shape and grooves indicate threading:


Source: Sutherland's 4th Edition