New look for my Mercier
 

I debated and procrastinated and finally splurged on some vintage parts for my Mercier. Glad I did it. Bike rides superb and looks great.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a5...D720/ry%3D480/
Vintage Mercier chaingaurd and Solida crank, Huret Allvit derailleur
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a5...D720/ry%3D480/
Iris, CLB Professional brakes
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a5...D720/ry%3D480/
Cadillac saddle
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a5...D720/ry%3D480/

very cool, love the cadillac and solida crank. real style.

That is one pretty chain guard . Wild attachment points for the brake pads ! Over all, a great looking bike !

nice rampinelli shift lever bootie.

there is iris of spain and iris of italy; what iris be these calipers?

is frame a 100? ca. 1972?

The brakes, I dont know. I thought they were CLB's that were branded Iris. They are like MAFACs on steroids.

As to the model Mercier, not sure.

in foto nr. 2 appears crankarms may be out of phase by ~3 degrees or so. perhaps the cut on one wedgebolt is slightly heavier than the other.

Yep. Good eye! Had to scrounge around for cotter pins. Even my local vintage bike shop didn't have french sized bolts.

all that is needed is to file the cut on the wedgebolt with the lighter cut until it more closely matches that of the other.

there are holders made to be used in a vise to clamp the cotter securely during the process such as this var nr. 371:

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=458953http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=458954

^Can I find that at Performance?^

I have an assortment if cotter but they are getting old. Used on various cranks.

Do you have a recommendation on where to get good cotters? These are 9mm, correct?

iirc the pin vise i use is a maeda one. i have had both but prefer the maeda partially for its spring action. checked online and was unable to find an image of it so posted the var.

yes, 9.0mm is the french cotter size. light and medium cuts cover everything but peugeot which has a very heavy cut. 9.0mm is also the italian size. britain and asia use 9.5mm (actually fractional but 9.5 for all practical purposes). some germanic manufacturers use an 8.5mm - somewhat rare.

if the mark on a cotter's face from the spindle is not too heavy they can often be reused by filing the mark to regain a smooth face. if one uses a press for removal it is usually possible to get them out without damaging stud.

sorry, cannot assist with sources. my tools purchased 30-45 years ago. have not purchased cotters in about thirty years. subject of cotter sources has come up in forum discussions. try a search with a phrase such as "crank cotter sources" or "cotter pin sources."

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the frame's seat binder ears appear to be damaged. this was likely due to running a too small pillar. is present shim arrangement something you came up with or did bicycle/frame come to you with this? iirc o.e.m. pillar size for these is 25.4mm.

how did tange san come to find his way into the frame's head tube?

The seat lug ears are fine. Just a big scratch from a wrench.

The fork is a Schwinn replacement. Using a Schwinn/GB girder stem.

I bought this as a frame, with misc parts attached, last fall. Really like the way these old French bikes fit and ride.

thanks for the response bc ;)

so if fork from arnie et cie then are fork and stem .833?

not something a feller encounters ever'day on a french machine!

arrestors look to be model "Racer Course":

VeloBase.com - Component: CLB Racer Course

big chainring-

The Mercier is looking good! If you need a cotterpin press or new cotters, Bikesmith Design sells them on line from here.