Interesting lugset on eBay Paramount
 

http://cgi.ebay.com/Classic-Schwinn-...QQcmdZViewItem

Was this common on the women's frames? Or was this a variant due to the usual lack of the usual Nervex pattern in the Schwinn factory parts bin?

-Kurt

Kurt,

At one point in the mid-to-late sixties, Schwinn ran out of its stock of Nervex lugs. Nervex lugs had always been a pain to get right, requiring lots of work to get a good frame, so Schwinn switch to Prugnat lugs in the late sixties. It was not a popular change with customers, so they went back to Nervex lugs.

The lugs on the eBay bike don't look like the Prugnats I'm familiar with; maybe they're from a third lug vendor.

Those are Nervex Super Legere series. The frame was possibly a custom ordered Paramount... That was right about the time when Paramounts were coming with the uglier lugs (Prugnat?- I forgot), so I'd guess it was either a custom, or Schwinn got in a batch of the Super Legere, and used them for a while. Supposedly, the Paramount builders were growing tired of all the lug filing they had to do on the Nervex Pro series, so for a while around '67-'68 were using other lugs.

Thanks for the info there. Makes sense.

I was aware of the Prugnat lugs being used sometime in the late '60s, but I was pretty darn sure that these were some model of Nervex or another.

The Other Guy: Would there be a site you can direct me to that has a list (and photos) of the various Nervex lug sets produced?

-Kurt

Kurt, have a look here: http://www.classicrendezvous.com/France/Nervex_lugs.htm

Thanks. Pity they don't have the full list/catalogue though.

-Kurt

Maybe some day the WWInterWeb will finally have some of that old paper-based info that was once common to a bikeshop's shelf or work bench. I fear a lot of it is turning to mulch in land fills, lost forever. I'm grateful to sites like Mark Bulgier's and CR that preserve what they have for us. On a sidebar, this Paramount shows the lug-lining that got some mention in the CR list recently, notice that the paint is just a hair's distance away from the edge of the lugs, letting a thin line of the base-color paint show. Reportedly this was the signature of one of the painters that worked for Paramount for many years, and though the CR lister couldn't recall his name, he was reknowned for his fine work. Folks like that can get "lost" over time, too, it's a pity if they do.

Joe Brilando and Adam Smith are two that the Waterford site mentions. Brilando was around since the '50s.

Bob

Kurt,

I had forgotten I had a copy of the 1958 Nervex catalog, and you jogged my memory. I just scanned the head lug pages and put them on Photobucket for you. The pages are between 170 and 185 kilobytes each.

Nervex "Professional" Lug Set

Nervex Stock Patterns and Nozzle Cuts

Nervex Feature Cuts - "Serie Legere" pg 1

Nervex Feature Cuts - "Serie Legere" pg 2

Note that "The Nervex 'Professional' Lug Set is made for Gents frames only." That explains why they're not on the ladies' frame on the eBay auction.

Very nice, Stan! :)

Thanks, Guy.

The catalog has 61 pages (!) and includes bridges, seat lugs, bottom bracket shells, frame design drawings for use with their lugs, fork crowns, fork ends, rear fork ends, cable guides and clips, reinforcing parts for seat stays, parts for luggage carriers, moped petrol tanks, yada, yada...

I could scan and post a few other pages if anyone's interested, but I thought the head lugs would be of widest interest.

Stan, This stuff is GREAT. I'd say scan it all and see if Bulgier will host it or try Morgan Fletcher's wooljersey site, there's always going to be interest in this archane info...THANKS!

I scanned the rest of the interesting stuff:

Nervex Lugs (Loop, T, Bridge, Liner)

Nervex Seat Lugs

Nervex Bottom Bracket Shell "Parallel"

Nervex Bottom Bracket Shell "V" Pattern

Nervex Bottom Bracket Shells Nozzle Cut

Nervex Frame Designs

Nervex Frame Design No. 1 - Ultra Upright

Nervex Frame Design No. 2 - Upright

Nervex Frame Design No. 3 - Normal

Nervex Fork Crowns

Nervex Fork Crowns - Sport and Racing

Nervex Fork Crowns and Covers

Nervex Front Fork Ends

Nervex Rear Fork Ends - Child

Nervex Rear Fork Ends - 1

Nervex Rear Fork Ends - 2

Nervex Rear Fork Ends - 3

Nervex Rear Fork Ends - Pista

Again, Great stuff and thanks for doing this. Since it's in English, did this come from a UK importer (like Ron Kitt?) or is it straight from the Nervex factory? I find the Nervex Frame details particularly interesting...

The cover is printed "EVIAN (GB) LIMITED, 9 DRAPERS GARDENS, THROGMORTON AVENUE, LONDON EC2", and the printing is clearly part of the cover design. The list of representatives inside includes M.W. Schneck in New York City.

I thought the frame details were fascinating as well. The angles between the various tubes are only a degree or two different between the "ultra upright", "upright", and "normal" frame geometries, but each geometry requires different lugs.

I'm very tempted to take the UBI framebuilding course. Retirement is great!

Was there ever a Paramount mixte?