Nervex lugs...lets talk
 

Everyone loves the beautiful Nervex lugs. Looking into the literature raised a few questions. As I was only to find one old brochure I figured I should ask here.

The 49/192 prefessional lugs, did they make something other than that? say, perhaps, a 49/191 or a 49/193 or was it exculisively a 49/192 set?

Angles. Is it safe to assume all 49/192 lugged frames have either a 72 or 75 degree head tube? In later years did they introduce new angles or where frame builders forced to use a different lug set if they wanted different angles?

Does anyone have links to Nervex catalogs? I found this nice article:

http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk...ts/nervex.html

Thanks,

Jim

check out these catalog scans:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/strongl...782099/detail/

i believe it is quite easy to modify a pressed lug like the nervex to accommmodate a range of angles

The Nervex pro lugset has at least two versions in style, angles were "standard" for prototypical designs, but blacksmithing of lugs to get different angles was typical, not as easy with investment cast lugs but can be done, just finding originals today is costly, I have seen full sets with fork crown and BB shell garner big dollars on ebay.

Schwinn has commented that for a time lug quality control was poor, I can attest to that, I have a 3 lug set that is poor, the seat lug ears are 3mm out of alignment to each other. Not for sale though.

In addition the lug "pattern" was popular, so popular there were copies out there even back then. Some Motobecanes appear to have Pro lugs but if set side by side are different.

Richard Sachs has a modern interpretation of them, well done but I am not adapted to the top head lug extension (appears about 15mm) for use with modern threadless stem extensions. Quite a bit of slice and channeling would be needed to bring back the classic look more.

I guess its safe to assume that a mass builder wouldnt be 'blacksmithing' the lugs and that their frames would be one of the standard angles.?.

Sometimes blacksmithing was required even to use them at all.

Peugeot probably did the least to them before or after brazing.

In looking at the pressed lug examples I have seen and the finished products made with them, bikes required quite a bit of hand labor to produce, especially for the price points at the time.

slobber
http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk...s/nervex10.jpg

http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk...s/nervex16.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1123/...20e78d.jpg?v=0

me mariposa (serie legere model 48/161, i believe...old pics, sorry for the crustiness)

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...6_01080012.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...6_01080010.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...6_01080014.jpg

I would also be interested in old nervex catalogs - I am familair with the link you gave.

My heart has beat fast over a couple old Windsors I've found - because of seeing ornate chromed lugs from afar (assuming they're nervex) only to find that it's a low end Windsor frame.

nervex was a company that made widgets for the bicycle frame industry.
they were also called etablissents aime dubois. their catalog included
hundreds of lug types, and other small parts, for all types of bicycles.
the ref 49 and the ref 32 are the most well known here in the lower 48.

here are some pics and links atmo:
http://www.veloworks.com/lug_referen...ery/index.html
http://www.richardsachs.com/articles/rsachscrown.html
http://www.richardsachs.com/articles/rsachslugs.html
http://www.richardsachs.com/articles/rsachslug1.html

Heres a question..

Do all type 49 frames from say, 1960 through the 70's have identical head and seat tube angles? Was there a time at which they introduced new angles for the type 49 lugs or has it always been 75* 73-30* and 72* from the beginning?

It seems the 75* would be for track frames the 73-30* for road race frames and the 72* for ????

Jim

all parts made by nervex (etablissments aime dubois) were pre-ordered
by makers, importers, and/or distributors in whatever angles and dimensions
that were needed. each part was available to order in at least 4 different
angles. the same part was used each time, and the only difference was
how the angle was bored through the part. i used to import all lugs in
72, 73.5, and 75 for the upper parts, and 57, 58.5, 59, and 61 for the
lower parts.

For the professional series its always been those same 3 top angles and nothing else? I'll assume the bottom angles were choosen based on frame size?

Jim

....

I understand that....I didnt know they could be bored out to custom angle. Taking into account boring out the lugs a frame could be built with any angle.

any angle atmo -
all parts made by nervex (etablissments aime dubois) were pre-ordered
by makers, importers, and/or distributors in whatever angles and dimensions
that were needed. each part was available to order in at least 4 different
angles. iow, the orders preceded the manufacture.