Binky

My wife picked up this 58cm 10-speed today and I am not familiar with the brand. Anyone know what this is or who made it ??

The little silver band under the seat says "Made in France" and the bike has only one word on it: france.

It has ::

Mafac alloy brake levers & Mafac Racer callipers
Stronglight alloy crank arms & Stronglight alloy chain rings
Belleri alloy handlebars
Belri Course alloy stem
Simplex forged (not stamped) dropouts
Simplex derailleurs
Simplex metal gear levers
Rigida SuperChromix rims dated 1973

bertinjim 

Binky-

ManuFrance, perhaps?

oddjob2

Worth more as a part out.

OldsCOOL

"Is this a PX-10" in 3...2...1......

Binky

Thanks for this.
Your opinion is worth note...

What on the bike is worth taking off to flog ??

Binky

oddjob2

All the components have decent value, except for the rims. Just look up the ebay sold comps. Polish them up, net yourself $180-$200. Lyotard pedals?

gbi

Depending on condition, you could possible get ~$50 - $100 for the Stronglight crankset.

zukahn1 

This is a a somewhat interesting French bike very typical of the boom just OK frame with unknown mystery brand with a mix of fairly nice French components. There have been a lot of similar bikes that I came across where I have only seen the brand ounce. I had a Flying Dutchman that was basically the same pretty sure it was made by manufrance also. They threw a lot of bikes together with contract built frames seemingly random French components and stuck anyone of a dozen or more brand decals on them. As for value I would agree that most of the value is in that parts $200 or so which is about what the whole bike would be worth fixed up a bit and ready to ride.

Binky

The Stronglight crank arms look good but the chain rings are well worn.

It has a nice simple Stronglight head set and pretty Lyotard pedals....

The handlebar stem bolt in the Belri handlebar stem wants an uncommon 7mm allen key, which I will have to find.

And of course, I will also have to find/borrow a Stronglight crank puller. - which I also do not have.

I like the Belleri alloy bars... and the Lyotard pedals.

The seat post is 26.4mm.

Binky

gbi

The crankset is probably the most valuable part/s on the bike, if it is very worn you may not get much $$ for it.

The frame might be 531, although there does not appear to be a tubing sticker on the frame.

It might be better just to spiff it up a bit (clean it, new handlebar tape) and sell it whole.

Perhaps another forum member will recognize this bike and share more info.

juvela

+2

have a silver Manufrance from 1973/74 which looks to have the same downtube transfers. appears as though someone has excised the "Manu" portion here.

mine a lower model more like a UO-8.

gbi

I should have known better, if anyone would have recognized or had an example of this bike, Juvela would be the go to guy!

bertinjim 

Binky-

There's a very similar one for sale on Kijiji Toronto here. Looks similar and is supposedly 531 PG.

juvela

Ha! That's funny. I ended up with this partial in an odd way. My next door neighbour was a contractor/carpenter/builder who decided to remodel his house. As a helper on the project he brought in an older journeyman carpenter. The fellow brought this by one day to see about getting it put running as he had taken it in as a frame with some bits hanging on. When he got an idea of the total cost of all the parts/work it required he was most unhappy and gave it to me, almost in spite. Have always felt a little bit bad about the exchange.

My town became a real "bike town" during the boom of the early 1970's. All of the well known and sought after marques were tied up by existing retailers. When a new shop started in at the height of the boom there was not a lot available in the way of product lines for the territory so they ended up with Manufrance. Would assume this example I have is one sold by them.

Harbear

RE: handlebar stem uses a 7mm hex wrench: welcome to the wonderful world of French bicycles.

juvela

a small firm called Tecno Tubo Torino has made many hundreds of thousands of stems which take a 7mm key...and they are located in...Italy.

Harbear

The good news here is that someone has a 7mm allen wrench on sale at ebay.........for $36!

rootboy 

As Juvela sez, not always the case. Cinelli 1A stems before 1973 used 7 mm hex socket bolts, if I'm not mistaken. Mine does.

But it's on a French bike.

rootboy 

Or you can get a whole set from Craftsman for about ten bucks. Which includes the 7 mm wrench.

Craftsman.com

Binky

The better news is that I am a millwright - and a toolmaker - so I made a 7mm allen key, using a 5/16 allen key as stock.

Binky

Binky

Plus $16 shipping and handling... plus $10 UPS customs inspection fee plus 13% GST.

juvela

costly to buy junque from south of the border, eh what?!?!

Binky

As a Canadian, we try to be polite and not show our envy but every time I find something I like on eBay.com or from an American parts supplier in upper New York state it does irk me when the say "Free shipping to anywhere in the CONUSA ... but twice the price of the item for shipping just across the lake to Ontario".

If you Americans could end this silly experiment in representational democracy you call the Constitutional Republic - and agree to become our 11th province - that would simplify everything.

Binky