Orange Batavus frame
 

Hey guys,

I found a frame I might want to buy for a conversion project...looks like a pretty good deal at $95...can anyone tell me anything about this company/frame? I already have a new crank/bottom bracket to install on it, what size considerations would I have to keep in mind to make sure it fits? Thanks in advance for your help!


http://images.craigslist.org/3ne3m83...d1f4351509.jpg

I can tell you a little about it, I did business with them
 

in the 1980s and still own one. Batavus though more popular for their mopeds is a huge mfg of bikes in Holland. Their factory had a large automated assembly line that could assemble prepared tubes into lugs and braze them using a little slug of filler inserted during the lug prep. They powder coated their cheaper frames then. They also maintained a small hand crafted frame shop inside the factory which created their top-of-the-line Professional model and the model below that. The Pro used Columbus SP/SL tubes and I believe they were partial to Dura Ace dropouts and fittings at the time. We ordered ours with Camp dropouts but they came with the Dura Ace shifter bosses - go figure. (I modified a set of Campy shifters to work with those bosses). The frames were of high quality construction but the finish details that set apart the American and some Italian frames were not as good.
To answer the 2nd part, Their bottom brackets all had English threading.

Batavus (NL) is a highly respected, quality bicycle manufacturer since 1904. It is now owned by the Accel Group European Cycle conglomerate, but is still one of the last remaining manufacturers to use traditional methods of production on some of their models. I am primarily interested in their classic Dutch bikes, which they still produce in lugged steel.

I spoke with their North American Sales Manager who
 

I spoke with their North American sales manager who visited to see the large industry show in Las Vegas. He had never seen a Mountain Bike which were becomming more and more popular here. I do like their 3 speed battle bikes that haven't changed for 75 years. They have tried to penetrate the US several times from the 70s boom until now but have had little success.