LucasHartong

I don't know. The construction is interesting, yes. As far as I can see the fork is matching to the frame. No great differences there.

LucasHartong

I'll keep you posted while progressing with the cleaning!

juvela

-----

WOW LucasHartong!

Thank you for sharing this fascinating bicycle. You might wish to consider giving it its own discussion thread.

Lugset is BOCAMA. Number 60 refers to the angle between the socket for the head tube and the socket for the down tube in the lower head lug.

Campag NGS rear mech slightly later than most of the other fittings. Cycle a bit later than one might guess if looking only at artwork of headplate and transfers. Small producer continuing to use original transfer set after graphics styles had begun to change. Can you tell what red flag in background of headplate on the left side is intended to represent? From what can be seen in photo it looks to be without markings.

Two spots not yet well shown in photos are seat cluster and fork crown.

Can you tell us what be the machine's stem & bar set?

With the likes of @non-fixie on the job all of your questions are sure to be well illumined.

-----

non-fixie 

I agree with @juvela that the frame is from a later period than the decals suggest. The cable guides on the top tube and BB shell and the braze-ons for a water bottle holder indicate late seventies or even early eighties.

I love the headbadge. Apparently the brand owner was very grateful to the Americans and British for liberating his country.

juvela

Aha!

Was wondering if the red flag seen on the left in the background was intended to represent the Soviet Union.

Thanks for the observation non-fixie!

Regarding dating - pulling a hub axle locknut will at least yield a date for the hubs...

-----

LucasHartong

Thank you for your replies! The seatpost is a Titan (alu) and the saddle a 3TTT SL. I'll post pics of the fork/crown tomorrow... in one of the brake-handles the date of january 1976 was engraved (176), but as I'm not sure which brake-handle is original I'm still at a loss. I hope to clean the pinion and back derailleur coming monday and expect to find a date somewhere on it. To be continued!

LucasHartong

As promised: pics of saddle/seatpost and fork-crown. Hope this helps.

LucasHartong

Tomorrow I'll start cleaning the back derry. Today I cycled around. It's starting to become a habit.

juvela

-----

Whoa! It certainly is much later than one would have guessed from looking at the head emblem and transfers!

Thank you for these additional pictures.

Wonder if there be any chance it could represent a respray; not asserting, just wondering...

If you have occasion to repack HS and/or BB could could check for any other paint colours.

-----

Stadjer

Use Duck Duck Go, it lets you preselect the country. That helps, although using the local words might help you more.

LucasHartong

No respray. Some chips here and there came off, but no other colours underneath.

LucasHartong

Next clue: freewheel! It's a Maillard. Any further clues? 1979?

juvela

Some iterations of these "big hole" Maillard gear blocks will have information stamped on the backside of the body. Recall them as launching mid-'70's but do not know an exact year for launch.

Since bike obviously assembled from bits and gear blocks so easily changed its date is not strong evidence in any direction.



-----

Munny

It's not that I'd like to disagree however to me, this looks like an older frame that was modernised with some brazed add on

The headset WOIT (TWF) is older and it could well be that the fork was replaced. Are the rear drop outs also old Zeus ?

The frame looks like made by Versaevelt

LucasHartong

Interesting theory! This crossed my mind too. Or: some parts just broke down after years of (intense professional?) use and had to be replaced. The bike was used by a pro-rider in the Wallon region. If only I knew who... The rear dropouts are thickly painted and I can't find any names. Yet.

LucasHartong

Do these pics help to identify the frame?

non-fixie 

Thanks for chiming in, @Munny! Would that be Jules Versaevel, of Main d'Or fame?

LucasHartong

Looks quite like a Kessels Main d'Or bike indeed: Main D'Or bicycle

Munny

No.
Nothing to do with Main d'or Kessels

Charles Versaevel, Since 1935 in Molenbeek, right in the center of the pretended hell hole (it's not a fact)
However, I would have expected better quality fork crown.
I might be wrong after all but the treatment of the sides of the fork crown looks like their work
As is the fitting for the rear mudguard (identical on one of my bike that was ordered to Versaevel)
As other details.

By the way, Tervuren is not in West Flanders.

juvela

+1

this is the direction I have been leaning.

albeit without Munny & non-fixie's marvelous knowledge of low countries mounts!

it is common with the Zeus Gran Sport frame ends for the marking on the rear not to show through the paint. here is the catalogue page for them:



Note that the nut for the adjuster is slightly different from the Campag one.

Member TimmyT has posted that these ends were made in Britain by Reynolds. Sounds odd I know.

-----

LucasHartong

Zeus Gran Sport it is! I recognize them clearly. And the derailleur group is also Gran Sport, be it Campagnolo And Munny, do you have a picture of your Versaevel that you could post? Gives me an idea... thanks for the info, you all! Wheel cleaning day today. And a ride in the afternoon through Zeeland (NL)...

Munny

My experience of biking near Zeeland is that we can't ask the way to biking kids: they only know the way to school and back.

I don't have a Versaevel. There are none.
I have 1 bike for which I know that the frame was built by the Versaevel
But you will have to wait for that one

It is not easy, nor sure to identify the builder.
There is a Versaevel (his own brand) on classic rendez vous.
However, a bent frame, sold as straight on ebay and too expensive. (Is there a dutch translation for bargaining? )
This one is very old and has totaly different characteristics
It actualy looks like another Belgian bike that I nearly completed ( See "Tour du Monde" - vélo belge juste après guerre | Forum Velo Retro Course )
But ... a lugset doesn't determine the builder.

non-fixie 

I saw the 'Fairey' on Classic Rendezvous, very nice. (link to the CR page and a link to the evidence linking the brand to Charles Versaevel)

But that 'Tour du Monde' is really gorgeous.

Munny

It is annoying me. I know that this was a belgian brand but with such a name, try to google it ...

I'd just say that the rear hub, the derailleurs, I can be proud of

non-fixie 

I know the feeling. I have a 'Sprinter' ...