Originally Posted by
Timmi
...Columbus TreTubi means that only the 3 main tubes are made of Columbus tubing.
Possibly Zeta if it takes a 26.4mm seatpost, Aelle if it takes a 26.6mm, SL 27.2mm (or it's SP version for frames over 60cm, taking a 27.0mm)...
Assuming the tubing decal is correct, we know it's not Zeta or Aelle as these were plain gauge tubesets and the decal says "rinforzati " (i.e. butted). I don't think I've ever seen a Zeta tretubi frame but Aelle tretubi had it's own decal that said "Aelle Treubi". The subject decal definitely indicates tretubi SL or SP.
Originally Posted by
Timmi
...Regarding some of the comments about Japanese imports, don't assume that Canada made no bike frames. There are some reputed builders here (Marinoni for example), and in quality bikes for the masses, Norco definitely is one (Monterey SL having been a great value priced at 100 less than similar competition). Sure, some were sub-contracted framesets. But when tariffs were introduced in the 80s, even Peugeot was having their framesets manufactured in Canada (at the Velo-Sport facility in Quebec). In fact, there are many Velo-Sport models that are identical to the Peugeot (Urbano, for example, which I own, but many others - and it was a great way to get a Peugeot with standard tubing sizes and standard threading). Of course there were other Canadian Manufacturers at the time, like CCM, but they never had any quality offerings - only low-end models and higher low-end models - not even in present in the mid-range - the CCM Targa was a very heavy clunky attempt at nipping at the heels of the lower mid-range, and it did have success with the masses that didn't know how to discern a good bike from another. There was Raleigh too, which also opened plants in North America (not sure where the Canadian one was), which made road and mountainbikes.
To the best of my knowledge, Norco never made frames. They were all contract manufactured, typically in Asia. However, Norco did preform design assembly. Depending on the era and Canadian content rules of the time, this would have permitted the Made in Canada label to be applied to some models.
Procycle/Velo Sport started manufacturing Peugeot in 1978 though they initally manufactured only the entry level models. All the higher end models with Reynolds tubing had frames manufactured in France. That continued through the early 1980s. Sometimes in the late 1980s, they started manufacturing mid-range models with Ishiwata and Tange tubesets but I've never seen any high end Peugeot frames manufactured by Procycle/Velo Sport.
CCM was bankrupt by 1983 and the assets and brand were acquired by a holding company associated with Procycle. Thereafter, Procycle manufactured the vast majority of CCM through to circa 2008-2009, when they sold the brand. Procycle never ventured into the high end with their CCM models, as they had other brands for that market segment. However, there were some lower mid-range road models with Reynolds tubesets but these were contract manufactured in France.
CCM did market a high end model concurrent with the Targa. From 1972 to 1976 they offered the Tour du Canada with the full Reynolds 531 butted tubeset, Campagnolo Nuovo Record group (save for the Weinmann or Universal brakes) and a tubular wheelset. During this era, there were also mid-range models with Reynolds 531 plain gauge tubes, like the Mistral (aluminum, wired-on rims) and Silver Ghost (Fiamme tubular rims). However, these were all poor sellers with consumers. I qualify this statement because the TdC found willing recipients in some large metropolitan dealers, who could not buy a Campagnolo Nuovo Record group for the dealer price of a TdC. They would buy TdC, then strip the components.
The Targa (and it's Turismo predecessor) were the only boom era, lightweight models to sell in any large quantities for CCM, whose well established corporate image found disfavour with the 13-29 year old age category that was the largest market for 10 speeds. Those with their own money bought newer (to them) and more exotic brands. The Turismo and Targa were purchased primarly by the parents, for their kids. These parents wanted to but Canadian from a company whose name they recognized and shell out as little as possible on the new fangled 10 speeds, which they considered to be a fad.
Basically, once the early 1970s bicycle boom arrived , CCM quickly expanded their product line back to a full range, something they had done since the 1950s. However, poor sales of the mid-range and high end models forced them to scale back the product in the late 1970s and early 1980s. When Procycle took over, they already had Peugeot and their own Velo Sport brand to cover the higher end market.
Raleigh's Canadian manufacturing facility opend in 1972, in the old Lines Bros. factory in Waterloo, Quebec. Like Procycle, frame manufacturing concentrated on entry level models, though they did assembly of higher end models. Manufacturing ceased in 2013, though parts of the facility were still used for sales/distribution.
Canada did have a remarkedy resilient bicycle industry in the 1980s and beyond. In addition to Procycle and Raleigh, there were good size operations like DeVinci, Guvin (Miele) and Vittoria Precision. Then there were dozens of smaller operations like Cyclops, Gardin, Limongi and Marinoni. New companies appeared in the 1990s, like Argon 18, Cervelo, and Guru. However, don't fool yourself into believing that these smaller, more exclusive operations did all their own frame building. Even Marinoni resorted to contract built frames for some models.