Primoinvictus

Hi everyone.This is my first post here and I hope not the last.Well.I bought this frame three months ago whit desiree to restore it.But I don't know what brand is it.Everything tells me that is a french frame,35x1 bb,bocama lugs,nervor fork, but shimano rear dropouts is something what I did not expect on french frame if it's french anyway... So,there is a pictures whit some details of particular frame and fork stamped whit a unknown logo to me.

Primoinvictus

Sorry for bad quality photos.It's cloudy day.I forgot to wrote two more things.Serial is not under the bb but brazed on a plate behind seat tube also seat post is 25.6 mm if my caliper don't lie to me...

USAZorro

Interesting. Presuming the fork is original, the design stamped into it could be a good clue. Unfortunately, I can't recall ever seeing anything like it. Maybe there would be more clues if you can get beneath the layer of blue.

Primoinvictus

Yeap,fork is a real mistery but I think is original because when I remouved the head set cups I found a bits of lite blue metalic paint on fork and the same lite blue paint on sam parts of the frame.It's obviously difrent from oli paint aplied on frame and fork whit the hand brush.So stamped logo could tell everything but what means is in question...

Primoinvictus

157 views,no one have any idea...?

88prelude

Is there a serial number? Is there anything stamped on the fork steerer? Anything on the dropouts? What does the decal say on the fork - the picture is a little too blurry to read for me? Is it a stamp or a decal on the fork crown? I can't say I recognize that symbol.

Primoinvictus

Found it.Sterne Mairag.Swiss bike.

MiloFrance

Very nice. Keep us posted!

Primoinvictus

Mairag was a Swiss frame building concern in Ebnat-Kappel,Switzerland,dating from the 1960s and owned by the Maier brothers.In the 70s Mairag was associated whit making the Hugo Koblet bicycles.Schauff bought Mairag it the late 80's to increase production capacity for steel racing frames.

I just contact Mairage.de by e mail to find out what year frame is and what equipment has back in the day...

Primoinvictus

Well it's seems I have Mairag with 3 stars,manufacturad in 1978 from Reynolds 531 butted tubes(just triangle),fork is Nervor.And indeed my caliper lie to me.Seat post is 26.2(french metric 531).I don't get what equipment bike had but I have a plan.Sunshine high flank hubs,Suntour VX(rear,front and shifter levers),Sakae Silstar crankset,Sakae stem and Sakae Road Champion drop bar,and yes,Weinmann Carerra first gen brake set.Except hubs,stem,dropbars and brakes which are refurbished,everything else are NOS.Decals will be replicated.As matter a fact I just work on it...

USAZorro

Nicely researched.

I like your equipment choices. The best vintage hubs I have ever had are a pair of Sanshin (Sunshine) high-flange hubs. Everything else mentioned is very sound. Eager to see this when you have it all built.

juvela

thanks very much for this update!

excellent detective work.

look forward to following the build.

was mairag able to show you any images of what these bicycles looked like when new?

thank you.

Primoinvictus

Thanks guys... Unfortunatly they just had informations about frame given by serial.I finished Sunshine hubs about few weeks ago.They are polished and I had to made new cones because old ones was busted.Cones are made by old craftsman and then forged to 45 Rockvels,of course bearing are replaced. Skewers rechromed and zinc plated.There is some pictures.

juvela

whoa!

matsumoto san would be most proud.

they were never so shiny ex-works.

must be mid to late '70's since they have curved qr levers, yet still appear to be 5v.

this is going to fun to follow...

Primoinvictus

Haha...yes,I think they are 77 or 78... I will continue posting.There are decals I spent almost all day making in Corel.Not finished yet but ok for now...

juvela

wow, no shortage of skills at your house!

there is something in the right dropout on the arm which connects the chainstay to the seatstay.

it is a dark line that appears it may be a crack. most likely it is just a run in the paint or a bit of foreign matter that got stuck in the paint while it was still wet. you might wish to check it.

is shell metric or ch threaded?

Primoinvictus

Thanks... Paint crack.It's oil based paint and without any primer under it cracks on some places.Otherwise frame is straight and without any cracks,dings or so.. BB shell is swiss,35x1 but fix cup is right threaded,cups and axle are Tange.

juvela

3speedslow

Nice progress ! I hope this is going to get a better coat to wear.

non-fixie 

Interesting! Subscribing.

Primoinvictus

Thanks.Of course.Frame and fork will be stripped to the bare metal and then base coated,sended,painted,decals applied and clear coated.I will probably choose red/white or orange/white colour combination like one that I found in 70s Mairag brochure.