Hi all,

Does anyone know when Normandy switched from an integral aluminum dust cover to the red plastic cover for their Competition hubs? I have one of each, and both are red labels so that must not be the difference.

Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks!

I'm not sure, but I can tell you that I am restoring a 531 Puch (I suspect late 70s) for a friend and it has Normandy Luxe Competition red label high-flange hubs. The dust covers are red plastic. Other original equipment on the bike are Suntour Power Ratchet DT Shifters, Sugino Mighty Tour crank and Suntour Cyclone GT RD and Cylone FD. The other parts may help you date the hubs. I haven't overhauled the hubs yet. Is there any markings on them helpful in dating them?

Good question. I've wondered how they squeezed the races in through that little hole, but somebody recently posted that the integrated dust covers are actually removable. I haven't had any luck removing the ones on my gold band hubs.

Uh. . . so when I get around to servicing those hubs in the next few days this is going to be less fun that normal?

You don't have to remove the covers to service them. You'll probably find pitted cones. They have a reputation for having soft cones. It's well deserved based on what I've seen, yet the common Normandy Sport hubs seem to last forever.

If you look closely (I mean really close) at the side of a hub with alumnum dust covers you can almost see a seam where the cover is pressed in. It's so fine I assume they gave the hub a final polishing with the covers installed. That or I'm imagining it!

I 've read there are harder shimano cones that work with the Competition hubs, but specifics weren't given.

Anyone know about this?

None of my Competition hub sets (low flange red label/red plastic cap x2, high flange red/plastic, high flange yellow/aluminum) have any markings which could even hint at dating. I've seen the red label/red plastic cap version on late '70s-mid '80s bikes and the yellow label/aluminum cap version I have came in some Mavic Montlery Championnat Du Monde tubulars which leads me to believe that they're early-ish. I've been working under the assumption that the change happened sometime in the mid '70s but I can offer nothing other than anecdotal evidence.

headset is right about there being a seam - it's faint but it's there. I just wouldn't want to try taking those caps off without doing any damage or, better yet, putting them on without doing even MORE damage.

All I know is that they had the integral (looking) dust covers through 1974. Beyond that, I don't know. Not only are their bearing cones soft, but their axles are very prone to bending and breakage.

I replaced my rear Normandy Luxe Competition's axle and cones with a replacement set for a Miche hub that I found on eBay.

I was told this. They spin freely as is (especially the rear) so I'm holding out hope they're not in very bad shape.