I'm trying to determine if my Gitane has the correct Normandy Luxe Competition hubs. How do you tell the difference between them and the "regular" Normandy hubs? I know that the good ones had a red band, but I wouldn't expect it to still be there after 30 years.

If I don't have the correct ones, it will be a good excuse to upgrade to the optional Campy hubs.

The "good ones" could have had either red or gold bands. They can also be ID'd by having a slightly thicker flange, that's machined a little thinner further in towards the hub center; just like the Campagnolo hubs. The cheesier Normandy hubs were thinner flanges all the way to the hub's center.

Normandy Luxe

Thanks guys!

It looks like I got a cheap wheelset with my Gitane. The flanges are flat. I suspected that they were not the good hubs because they're not finished as well as I would expect. That's okay, I still got a great bike for what I paid. I'll save those wheels for the beater I plan to build with my left over French parts. I'm looking for a cheap French CroMo frame.

I was just looking for some high flange Campy NR hubs for it when I came across some Maillard 500s. I have 700s on my Peugeot, but I've never heard of 500s. They appear to be beautifully engraved. Can you tell me anything about them? When were they produced? How do they compare with Maillard 700s?

I believe the Maillard hub line contained the Sport, 500, 600, and 700 series in order of quality. Sport being the standard offering. 700 being professional quality.

Kranz is correct on the hierarchy. There should be an open format date code on your hubs.

You've got me thinking about the differences in hubs now. The cheap Normandy hubs I have are the ones that seemed to be on about 90% of the bike boom bikes. They feel as smooth and spin as freely as any hubs I have. I wonder if the only real difference in hubs like those and top of the line hubs is in the weight and the finish. I wonder if the expensive hubs have cups and cones that are superior in any way. If there really is a difference, I wonder if the average rider could feel it. I swap wheelsets between my bikes all the time. I can't feel any difference at all between those cheap hubs and Campy NR or Maillard 700.

The differences are not just weight and finish. If you look at the cones on a high end hub, they are machined to close tolerances and mirror polished. They also use the best quality ball bearings. The net result is that they spin with less friction.

I ride a number of old Raleigh bikes. Super Course/Competition GS/Professional. Some are equipped with Maillard/Normandy. Others Campy NR and Gran Sport. While hardly a scientific study, I've noticed I can easily add 1-2 mph on my average speed on a Campy equipped bike on my regular 40 mile training ride.

My spouse rides a Normandy equipped Raleigh and she hates it when I'm riding with her on Campy hubs because I spend most of my time coasting while she is working.

I haven't found that to be true when I ride with my daughter. Of course, I weigh significantly more and present a much larger frontal area to the wind.