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Old 02-08-22 | 04:08 AM
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hwyatt
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 13
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Classic Factory Lightweights

I haven't yet done 10 posts so I can't post photos or links yet, but I thought I would draw your attention to my Classic Factory Lightweights website - classiclightweights.net - which is focused on the racing bikes that were produced by "factories" rather than bespoke builders. If you google classic factory lightweights it usually comes up.
My interest really is racing bikes built by the manufacturers who sponsored race teams. Most of the bikes on the site are or were my own but there are a few others. One bike I really like that is not on there yet is a top tier 1962 Helyett Speciale. I bought the frame NOS a couple of years ago with white paint and no decals and sold as an unidentified frame. But there is no mistaking the specific Helyett Nervex lugs and the serial number including model year on the left rear dropout. I had the frame refinished in Helyett green with decals from bicycledecals.net. The Helyett is built up with Simplex Juy Record 61 parallelogram derailleur - the metal one produced for a couple of years before the plastic Simplex Prestige was introduced. Actually Anquetil used a Simplex Prestige gear on mountain stages in the 1962 Tour de France which was his third win on a Helyett. The Helyett company went out of business that year. The next two of Anquetil's Tour wins were in 1963 and 1964 on a Gitane and I am pleased to be restoring a 1964 version of one of those, which I shall post when it's done.
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