Help me remember my childhood hand me down. Pierce-Arrow?
07-05-07, 09:46 PM
#1
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Help me remember my childhood hand me down. Pierce-Arrow?
Growing up in queens NY my brother had bought a bike that I inherited when I was big enough to ride it. It was probably 1968-69 or 70 when he bought it. I probably glommed it around 75.
I remember the model, it was a tour de france and it was a 15 speed and brooks type saddle. I keep thinking the make was Pierce-Arrow, but, I'm not sure. I can't seem to substantiate that Pierce-Arrow made early boom road bikes. Maybe it was something else rebadged.
It was sky blue, shifters on the down tube, triple up front, wing nuts clamping the tires, Weinmann center pulls, no suicide levers. That's the only details I recall. I can't ask my brother, he's not with us anymore.
I flunked google too.
Anyone?
I remember the model, it was a tour de france and it was a 15 speed and brooks type saddle. I keep thinking the make was Pierce-Arrow, but, I'm not sure. I can't seem to substantiate that Pierce-Arrow made early boom road bikes. Maybe it was something else rebadged.
It was sky blue, shifters on the down tube, triple up front, wing nuts clamping the tires, Weinmann center pulls, no suicide levers. That's the only details I recall. I can't ask my brother, he's not with us anymore.
I flunked google too.
Anyone?
07-06-07, 10:40 AM
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I don't think Pierce Arrow sounds right. Gitane perhaps?
https://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...%3Den%26sa%3DG
https://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...%3Den%26sa%3DG
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07-06-07, 08:59 PM
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Originally Posted by King of Kadence
Growing up in queens NY my brother had bought a bike that I inherited when I was big enough to ride it. It was probably 1968-69 or 70 when he bought it. I probably glommed it around 75.
I remember the model, it was a tour de france and it was a 15 speed and brooks type saddle. I keep thinking the make was Pierce-Arrow, but, I'm not sure. I can't seem to substantiate that Pierce-Arrow made early boom road bikes. Maybe it was something else rebadged.
It was sky blue, shifters on the down tube, triple up front, wing nuts clamping the tires, Weinmann center pulls, no suicide levers. That's the only details I recall. I can't ask my brother, he's not with us anymore.
I flunked google too.
Anyone?
I remember the model, it was a tour de france and it was a 15 speed and brooks type saddle. I keep thinking the make was Pierce-Arrow, but, I'm not sure. I can't seem to substantiate that Pierce-Arrow made early boom road bikes. Maybe it was something else rebadged.
It was sky blue, shifters on the down tube, triple up front, wing nuts clamping the tires, Weinmann center pulls, no suicide levers. That's the only details I recall. I can't ask my brother, he's not with us anymore.
I flunked google too.
Anyone?
IF I AM NOT MISTAKEN , BESIDES FINE AUTOMOBILES , PIERCE-ARROW , STARTED OUT MANUFACTURING
BIRD CAGES ! (IN BUFALO NY) ...... MY LATE UNCLE OWNED ONE . ( THE AUTO , NOT THE BIRD CAGE ! )
( WELL , maybe one , birdcage )
REGARDS,
J T
07-06-07, 11:03 PM
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I googled different combinations of Pierce Arrow Tour De France and found another mention of that model on the web. It had to have been a short lived rebadging of another brand of bike.
10-27-07, 08:02 PM
#6
holyrollin'
Sounds a bit like what I have now. Ten speed bike with steel frame, no tubing grade label, only lugged at the headtube, tapered chainstays. Headtube lugs have a stylized "M" superimposed over an ellipse. Chrome fork crown has "M" cutouts on the sides. Paint is blue, decals white, small "Made in France" decal on toptube near stem.
Double chainring, Nervar cottered cranks, Simplex FD, Huret Allvit RD, Suntour downtube shifters, Pivo stem, Weinmann Vainqueur 999 brakes, Weinmann levers with no suicides. Normandy hubs, steel rims.
I've never had anything quite like it. The "M"s have me wondering and speculating. Educated guesses from those more informed than myself would be welcome.
Double chainring, Nervar cottered cranks, Simplex FD, Huret Allvit RD, Suntour downtube shifters, Pivo stem, Weinmann Vainqueur 999 brakes, Weinmann levers with no suicides. Normandy hubs, steel rims.
I've never had anything quite like it. The "M"s have me wondering and speculating. Educated guesses from those more informed than myself would be welcome.
05-23-10, 11:31 PM
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Hey! I still ride my five-speed Pierce Arrow Tour de France and am fifty-seven years young!! It was a gift to me on my sixteenth birthday for Christmas and will never forget it! languishing for years in my parent's basement, a sports injury compelled me to ride a stationary bike to rehab, well I thought, why not get my old Pierce Arrow and bring it to wher I lived. Long story short, i put it in a good bike shot, replacecd the front fork, tries, (I had added center pull brakes as a teenager to it), cables and i still have original shifter on the low bar plus the orig italian-made brake levers. The frame is solid! I have replaced the frone laarge sproket and pedals with clamp-in pedals and the deraileur, but it still says a slightly subbed-out "Tour de France" and I have the orig front Pierce Arrow emblem!
04-17-17, 12:59 PM
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My father in law's pierce arrow/tour de France is in my garage
If you email me at mcevoykeith@hotmail.com, I'll send you a picture.
Growing up in queens NY my brother had bought a bike that I inherited when I was big enough to ride it. It was probably 1968-69 or 70 when he bought it. I probably glommed it around 75.
I remember the model, it was a tour de france and it was a 15 speed and brooks type saddle. I keep thinking the make was Pierce-Arrow, but, I'm not sure. I can't seem to substantiate that Pierce-Arrow made early boom road bikes. Maybe it was something else rebadged.
It was sky blue, shifters on the down tube, triple up front, wing nuts clamping the tires, Weinmann center pulls, no suicide levers. That's the only details I recall. I can't ask my brother, he's not with us anymore.
I flunked google too.
Anyone?
I remember the model, it was a tour de france and it was a 15 speed and brooks type saddle. I keep thinking the make was Pierce-Arrow, but, I'm not sure. I can't seem to substantiate that Pierce-Arrow made early boom road bikes. Maybe it was something else rebadged.
It was sky blue, shifters on the down tube, triple up front, wing nuts clamping the tires, Weinmann center pulls, no suicide levers. That's the only details I recall. I can't ask my brother, he's not with us anymore.
I flunked google too.
Anyone?
09-02-23, 06:48 AM
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Yes. I still have this bike.
I just found this 15 year old thread. I still have my 1970 Pierce Arrow Tour de France. It is in great shape and the only thing I just changed was going from a drop down handle bar to an upright bar which means I had to get brake handles and new cables. It was called Tour de France but that label is long gone. It's incredibly durable and was a fast bike in its day. I did change the seat a couple of years ago. I was going to sell it but thought to just make some changes instead. OF course the tires have been changed a couple of times but the gear shifts have not been touched and still work great. I am not allowed to post a photo...oh well.
Growing up in queens NY my brother had bought a bike that I inherited when I was big enough to ride it. It was probably 1968-69 or 70 when he bought it. I probably glommed it around 75.
I remember the model, it was a tour de france and it was a 15 speed and brooks type saddle. I keep thinking the make was Pierce-Arrow, but, I'm not sure. I can't seem to substantiate that Pierce-Arrow made early boom road bikes. Maybe it was something else rebadged.
It was sky blue, shifters on the down tube, triple up front, wing nuts clamping the tires, Weinmann center pulls, no suicide levers. That's the only details I recall. I can't ask my brother, he's not with us anymore.
I flunked google too.
Anyone?
I remember the model, it was a tour de france and it was a 15 speed and brooks type saddle. I keep thinking the make was Pierce-Arrow, but, I'm not sure. I can't seem to substantiate that Pierce-Arrow made early boom road bikes. Maybe it was something else rebadged.
It was sky blue, shifters on the down tube, triple up front, wing nuts clamping the tires, Weinmann center pulls, no suicide levers. That's the only details I recall. I can't ask my brother, he's not with us anymore.
I flunked google too.
Anyone?
01-01-24, 02:57 PM
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Pierce Arrow
Growing up in queens NY my brother had bought a bike that I inherited when I was big enough to ride it. It was probably 1968-69 or 70 when he bought it. I probably glommed it around 75.
I remember the model, it was a tour de france and it was a 15 speed and brooks type saddle. I keep thinking the make was Pierce-Arrow, but, I'm not sure. I can't seem to substantiate that Pierce-Arrow made early boom road bikes. Maybe it was something else rebadged.
It was sky blue, shifters on the down tube, triple up front, wing nuts clamping the tires, Weinmann center pulls, no suicide levers. That's the only details I recall. I can't ask my brother, he's not with us anymore.
I flunked google too.
Anyone?
I remember the model, it was a tour de france and it was a 15 speed and brooks type saddle. I keep thinking the make was Pierce-Arrow, but, I'm not sure. I can't seem to substantiate that Pierce-Arrow made early boom road bikes. Maybe it was something else rebadged.
It was sky blue, shifters on the down tube, triple up front, wing nuts clamping the tires, Weinmann center pulls, no suicide levers. That's the only details I recall. I can't ask my brother, he's not with us anymore.
I flunked google too.
Anyone?
01-05-24, 10:23 AM
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Sounds a bit like what I have now. Ten speed bike with steel frame, no tubing grade label, only lugged at the headtube, tapered chainstays. Headtube lugs have a stylized "M" superimposed over an ellipse. Chrome fork crown has "M" cutouts on the sides. Paint is blue, decals white, small "Made in France" decal on toptube near stem.
Double chainring, Nervar cottered cranks, Simplex FD, Huret Allvit RD, Suntour downtube shifters, Pivo stem, Weinmann Vainqueur 999 brakes, Weinmann levers with no suicides. Normandy hubs, steel rims.
I've never had anything quite like it. The "M"s have me wondering and speculating. Educated guesses from those more informed than myself would be welcome.
Double chainring, Nervar cottered cranks, Simplex FD, Huret Allvit RD, Suntour downtube shifters, Pivo stem, Weinmann Vainqueur 999 brakes, Weinmann levers with no suicides. Normandy hubs, steel rims.
I've never had anything quite like it. The "M"s have me wondering and speculating. Educated guesses from those more informed than myself would be welcome.
your machine a Motobecane product
the chrome fork crown cap is something which was fitted also to their products which had non-Motobecane badging such as Astra, Orly, Dynamax, Monfort, Motoconfort, etc.
the crown itself. beneath the cap, is NERVEX pattern Nr. 4
the frame's seat cluster & bottom bracket shell are lugless
the shell is CH threaded
the manufacturer's use of this frame construction was current in the 1960's and very early 1970's
they as well contract produced cycles for department store chains such as Sears & Roebuck and Montgomery Ward
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Last edited by juvela; 01-05-24 at 10:28 AM. Reason: addition
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