deep_puddle

My dad got this bike while he was in France on a mission. This was in the 60's. He has had it since then and hasn't updated any parts, so they are all original. I am just wondering on where I would start to restore this. I was thinking of making it a fixed gear, not to ride, just for the simplistic look. But that might be too pricey or hard to find the right parts. I am not selling this. Thanks for the help

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dbakl

Looks like a slightly better than entry level French 10-speed, depending what the wheels were... if you're not going to ride it, why not just rebuild and keep it all together as is? Start by carefully disassembling, clean all the parts, clean and wax the frame, lovingly reassemble and adjust to perfection. If its more or less all there, you should be able to find simple maintenance parts for no great cost.

kpug505

If it were mine (I wish it was)......I'd get a fresh cotterless crankset like a TA Pro 5 Vis, Nervar 631, Stronglight 49d or maybe even the TA Tevano's. Simplex SLJ derailleurs, a different stem, Simplex alloy seatpost, and a nice set of wheels with high flange hubs, new freewheel and fresh tires. Clean, touch up and wax the frame. Polish the Mafac brakes and get new pads. Service the headset if it's still serviceable (or buy a new one). New cables all around, some cotton handlebar tape and take it for a spin! Maybe even ad some hammered alloy fenders like the Honjo's.

Sweet ride! Is there a tubing sticker on it anywhere?

Grand Bois

It looks to me like a much better than average sixties road bike and worth restoring, not modifying with more modern cotterless crank and SLJ derailers.

Charles Wahl

The right rear dropout looks like it's splayed open (jaws not parallel). If that's the case, then you should have a good bike shop that knows how to do frame work look at it.

Nice bike, indeed!

USAZorro

I like it. Has lots of character. I noticed the right rear dropout also. Have the shop see about servicing the bottom bracket while they're looking at the dropout.

Definitely do not paint it.

Do you still have the original wheels? If not, folks here will have suggestions about what would be appropriate (I'd think Normandy hubs and either Mavic or Wolber rims).

It's screaming for an Ideale saddle and shellaced bar tape IMO.

Huret or Simplex Rear derailleur.

jeffieh

Hey, no-one's mentioned the wallpaper!!!!!!
I feel the Theme from Shaft coming on.

deep_puddle

haha its not wallpaper, i painted it. ive got the original wheels.

pastorbobnlnh 

What kind of hubs and derailleurs? The shifter looked to be an early '60s Huret but it was hard to tell. Pictures please! Those look like Nervex lugs and a fork crown which would point to a better bike made with lightweight tubing. Has the saddle been replaced?

rotharpunc

its a nice bike, it deserves a restoration. Why would you want to make it into a fixed gear and not ride it?

deep_puddle

the simple look of fixed gear, but i decided to keep it geared.
i can get pictures, my cam is dead now ill post tomorrow. they are nervex, and it is light, and no the saddle has never been replaced.

unworthy1

a fine looking bike and well worth restoring (glad you are keeping it geared, if not just save all the parts for the future). I have never seen one of this make, but it might be something Norris Lockley could ID: he knows a great deal about French bikes and their builders, both historical and contemporary. He rarely posts here but is pretty active on the CR list. AFAIK, the only major cycles manufacturer connected with Reims (the shop location on the decal) are Gitane who manufactured in Reims for some period, tho this does not look like any typical Gitane, and Jacques Anquetil rode for them after riding Helyetts...

stronglight

Very kool looking old bike. And the Marque is something I have never seen. Perhaps never exported at all - which makes this all the more a good bike to keep in original (not re-painted) condition. As the saying goes... "Its only Original once!"

Be sure to save every nut and bolt which you may remove, too!
- some folks may greatly appreciate this minor consideration... if you ever do decide to pass the bike on to a new owner.

The forged Simplex dropouts and Nervex Professional lugs were found only on better quality French bikes, and even the presence of a derailleur hanger was definitely another quality trait back then. Even if this did not use the very lightest weight tubing available, the frameset was far from low-end.

The rear derailleur in the photo appears to have a "claw" adaper - which would not have been at all necessary with the derailleur hanger on the frame... but, not a great surprise since original plastic Simplex derailleurs of the 1960s seldom survived for very long. You can still find French derailleurs with the back-mounted 9 mm. bolt to fit the hanger... but they're not that frequently seen these days.

Do replace all the cables and housings especially if you or anone else plan to EVER ride the bike once cleaned up. You can still find white cable housing online - which might be a nice touch, but basic black goes with anything. The Simplex top tube brake cable guides are nice and the rust can be carefully removed... but look for some 3 mm. stainless steel nuts and bolts from a local hardware store to replace the rusted originals.

You can easily find replacement 4-bump pads for the brakes, but you may want to just replace them with sets of new simple black pads made by Kool-Stop which are much better quality and are still under $20 for a set of 4 (they are the ones intended to replace early vintage Campy pads) - a good investment if you plan to ride the bike.

The old "Dural Forge" Mafac calipers were the predecessors of the simply re-named "Racer". They work well and if any parts are badly worn or rusted they can be easily found - even cannibalized from "good" sets of used Mafac "Racers".

The Mafac half-hoods with cable adjusters are also commonly available (and fairly inexpensive), and would be good to replace.

That narrow range Simplex chainring set attached to the generic looking (maybe Duprat?) cranks was a "half-step" setup. You would shift alternately front and rear derailleurs all the way through the gear range. This gave no overlap around the middle gears (as on more modern cross-over style shifting) so you would have 10 distinctly different gears... albeit within the limited range the chainrings allowed. A pain for those of us who were not raised with this style of shifting, but it was quite common, and not bad... unless you live in a very hilly area.

The Lyotard (model 36) pedals can be easily overhauled if they seem gritty. Use a 23 mm. open-end or just an adjustable wrench to unscrew the dust covers. Later models had the cheap press-on steel dust covers, so these are a nice pair of pedals to save.

Just take your time... and have fun working with the bike. Certainly worth the effort. And, I think your Dad would feel proud and pleased to see it all cleaned up and appreciated once again.