What was the last year of French threaded frames?

Who made the very best French thread frames?

Perhaps I’m going about this backwards, not entirely unusual for me, but I have a collection of NOS French threaded Campy components, both NR & SR, collected back in the 70s and very early 80s that I’d rather use than sell. Thus, I need to search for and find a really nice French frame to put them on.

My goal will be a bike to keep and ride, so I’d like it to be worth “wasting” the high-value of NOS components on. If the frame is a special rider, then it will be/feel like everything has come home (or some such sappy metaphor).

I already have a '71 Gitane Tour de France and a '71 Gitane Super Corsa, so am looking to find something at least as fine or better as a rider.

Anyway, your kind knowledge and advice for such an undertaking would be appreciated.

Any photos of sublime French threaded frames would be appreciated.

I'm hunting for a 58-61cm size, BTW.

Thank You!

At least for Peugeot, I think the last year was around 1984. I think 85 was when many more models were utilizing italian and Japanese components that had English threading and the French tubing in their frames (Vitus) was also starting to fade away, quickly.

Chombi

I believe that Austro Daimler used French threads for a while. The Team and Vent Noir were the top models. They're beautiful bikes.

https://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/v/Jeff+Pyzyk/AD+VNII/

Peugeot PX10s ride nice, but they are pretty common and build quality could be pretty sloppy, just like Gitanes.

Alex Singer would be a good choice, since you're looking for sublime. However, many (all?) of the Singers I've seen went for partial Campy at best. Last one I saw had Mafac brakes, TA cranks/bottom bracket, Stronglight headset, Campy post, hubs, and mechs, IIRC.

On second thought, what's your budget? Period of parts?

Last year of Peugeot and French threading was circa 1979; then Swiss for a few years, then English.

+1. I think more into the boom years you get, the sloppier the build. Exceptions, of course, abound.

I think (but don't know for sure) that some of the last French tubing might have been Excel, very light and high quality...also very rare. It might have just eclipsed Vitus steel tubing but some real expert (Norris Lockley, Hilary Stone?) would know for sure. Seems like Post-Lawee Motobecane was the last FR big name firm that kept using Vitus after others had moved on to other (non-FR) brands...but they were employing non-FR threading by then, too (Swiss and then BSC/ISO).

Thanks, guys.

Having two Gitanes, I know the problems of their history. But I utterly love mine. I bought my TDF new and it's like my first child. True, too, about the PX10s. I just sold a '77 PX10 frame that was too big. It was in beautiful condition, but just too large. I think I'm looking for that one C&V steel frame that is beyond pedestrian.

I didn't realize that AD Vent Noir frames were French threaded. That's actually wonderful, as I am on a permanent hunt for a mixte version of the Vent Noir. (ANYONE???)

If I can find a nice 531 mixte frame (either quite small or quite large), the NR parts would go onto it.

The Singer sounds interesting. I'll admit I know nothing about them. Time to do a bit of searching.

Sublime is exactly what I'm looking to put my box of SR parts onto.

Alternatively, I'm really thinking to use my French threaded OMAS Ti bottom bracket with full ceramic bearings. Excess anyone? I've got an "almost NOS" Avocet half-step triple that needs a home, too. Lots of parts, but no great frames to use them with.

Thanks!

A-D frames can be FR threading...But they were notorious for offering all the popular flavors, I have seen A-D products with FR, Swiss, BSC and (if you include the Puchs that were contract built in Italy, maybe by Bianchi) even with Ital! You can never assume with that brand, but after awhile you can make an educated guess based on the year (if you know it) and the component group (assuming it's original)...or at least narrow down the options. The models that come with mostly FR parts usually have FR or Swiss BB threads...usually.

Sigh.

Well, good to know... that you can't know for certain.

BUT, a Vent Noir mixte is still near the top of my hunting list. For the wife or daughter.

I know I should just sell some of these parts, but I like the idea of using what I bought so many years ago.

There's no firm cut-off, but by the mid-80s most French manufacturers had gone to ISO threading.

My vote goes to Rene Herse:

Off the top of my head, for a production frame I'd suggest a high-end LeJeune or Motobecane Team Champion. As for French, if you can find something pre bike boom, should be pretty nice!

I just finished reading the Alex Singer/Rene Herse thread. Whew!

Beyond my budget, but I sure love reading and seeing the photos. And not just that thread.

Well, I still have this stockpile of French thread parts. And I will keep looking. Maybe I'll just get lucky and find my French-threaded grail bike by accident somewhere.

Thanks, yet again.

Some of the Spanish makes like Zeus and Macario also use french threading.

I have Zeus pedals and Zeus brakes on my 71 Gitane Tour de France, but I've never seen a Zeus frame in person.

They pop up from time to time on the auction site, but I've never felt confident about buying one. I would assume that some models are excellent, and others aren't, but I wouldn't know how to tell.

They're nice frames; though they offered French threaded parts, my Zeus is English as I recall. This was originally brown with chrome, but stored poorly and rusted. I had once seen a yellow Zeus track bike, so went with that for the repaint:

https://www.classicrendezvous.com/Spa..._bike_side.htm

I'd be surprised if a Zeus frame had French threads.

Wow! Very nice looking bike.

My Zeus pedals are French threaded to fit on the original Stronglight 93 crank of the TdF. But that doesn't mean anything about Zeus frames, I suspect.

Sort of a mystery, which is why I asked.

Well, Zeus made components as well as frames, and sold complete bikes fully Zeus equipped. Ron Kitching pushed the components and frames in England. Both are pretty dang good. There still seems to be quite a bit of Zeus stuff that turns up on ebay in French threads. I think I have a couple pairs of hubs here, I don't know what I'll do with them! When I first started riding in the early 70s my first good bike sported Zeus parts, until I slowly upgraded to Campagnolo. But its good stuff.

But keep watching ebay. People shy away from French threaded frames, but there's nothing wrong with them if you have the parts. I'm working on a Mondia frame, and had no trouble finding the French stuff I needed on ebay.

BTW, I don't think I ever saw a Zeus frame that was junk. Even the lower end ones are not bad...

I've loved my Zeus pedals & brakes. Still do. Just re-packed the pedals several days ago.

That said, I do need new hoods for the brakes, and they are NOT easy to find.

Robbie isn't making new ones, either. I've asked.

The Zeus that are like Mafac or the Zeus that are full?

I'd guess Mafac would fit, or Weinmann if full.

But yeah, hoods are a problem...

I pushed Robbie to make Universals, then bought a bunch of originals in white for less than his repros.

This is a superfluous shot of the Stronglight crank and Zeus pedals on my ancient TdF.



These are the brake hoods. They're workable, but getting hard and almost brittle.



Robbie asked for orders on both Zeus and Modolo hoods. I need a set of each, but the response wasn't enough.

sigh.

The Modolo seem available... I bought a bunch of pairs to sub for Campagnolo not too long ago. Honestly, I've been using ArmorAll on my 84 Campagnolo daily rider, just starting to crack...

I didn't know ArmorAll was good for hoods. Duuuuh. I've give it a try.

And are you saying the Campy-type will fit Modolo?

Yes, and vice-versa. And they fit on Zeus:

Duuuh. How did I miss this simple detail?

As noted, I tend to learn backwards.

Thanks.

I have a 1979 Team Champion that's French threaded, although the wiki page for Motobecane says they started using Swiss in the mid-70's. I've never seen a useful/credible timeline for which models used Swiss during which years, but if you're looking at Motobecanes you should take a careful look at the threading; something that might be difficult if you're shopping online auctions.