Hi,
I got a new Batavus Course in high school, mid 80's. It was my transportation before getting a drivers license. Somewhere along the line, the wheels got stolen, so I tossed it out into the garage until my mother forced me to take it to my own home years later.
My son is starting to ride, so I pulled the old frame out, took it to a bike shop for an estimate to get it road ready, and they came in about $500 - $600, probably much more than the bike is worth. Seems we paid between 200 and 400 back in the day.
Then I got to thinking, if I was going to spend some money, perhaps I should try to restore it to original equipment.
So my first challenge is trying to determine, at least as close as possible what the original equipment was. I've searched ebay, google, this forum, etc for a parts list and have not found one. This was one of the last models they produced in the US.
Some of the parts are just missing parts:
Weinmann brake handles - beautiful drilled handles. The repair technician says they are missing the cable housing stops and he cannot get them. I've seen several Weinmann handles on Ebay and was wondering if the stops would be universal (ie: could I get a pair of similar handles and use the stops). Also, I seem to recall this one having the second brake handles that came across the top of the handle bars. They obviously are not there now, but there appears to be holes in the down handles where they might attach. There is also a lever where the handle joins the mount and i'm not sure what that is for (parking brake?).
The shifters are Huret. The levers are corroded and will probably need replacing, but as you can see, they are also missing the inner bushings that hold them to the mount. The mount bolts are threaded, so it appears I need a type that will screw on. I have found 'braze on' shifters on ebay, but I presume these will not work unless I replace the mount also.
The rear derailleur is also Huret and one of the pullies is missing a tooth, I think I can replace the pully.
As for the brakes, which are also missing, I presume they might have been Weinmann also, but I'm not sure if I need center pull or side pull.
Then the wheels and sprocket. I have no clue what they might have been. I do know at least the front wheel was quick release, I dont' recall the rear wheel. They were aluminum and I think were a matte finish, not shiny. I have seen similar looking Weinmann rims on Ebay, all shiny. Some have shimano hubs, some Suntour, etc.
If I cannot get an oem parts list for the bike, I would be satisfied with similar parts from the same era / manufacturers. However If I'm going to be spending any money on 25 year old parts, I would like to get as close as possible to the original.
The crank is Intercycle.
The handlebars say 'Made in France'.
I've been to the Batavus website, which they should just take down the English version, nothing works. They do post phones numbers. Are there any Batavus owner's groups? I did a quick Google search and did not find any.
I appreciate any advice you might have.
Thanks in advance,
Jon
