guygadois 

I found this Pierro Cycles on CL today and couldn't resist it with its cool touches. I have looked high and low and I couldn't find ANY info about it. There was one post on C&V but with really no info. It seems to be a somewhat rare bird. I own a Bertin C 37 and it looks to be a bit older than it. Here are some photos to see if you can help identify any info about it. The BB shell has a some markings on it and a serial number maybe indicating a the size of 58? The frame also has a "58" on it on the head tube. There are lots of places where there is hand painting on it (pin-striping, lug outline, colored stripes). I love the racks but I am not sure they are period correct.

Frame:
57x56
BCM (Bocama) lugs
RFG (Gargette Bros.) BB shell
Bulge-formed forkcrown (Dave Moulton's explanation) https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...ket-shell.html

Components:
Crankset: Nervar (3-arm, cottered, steel) - https://www.velobase.com/ViewComponen...m=115&AbsPos=9
Brakes - CLB Racer Course - https://www.velobase.com/ViewComponen...=117&AbsPos=33
Brake Levers - CLB Course Alpes - https://www.velobase.com/ViewComponen...m=118&AbsPos=9
Deraileurs & Shifters: Huret Allvit
Stem: AVA

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

GG

(sorry about the large images)

David Newton

Interesting! That is a common Pletscher rear rack, but I've never seen a Pletscher front decaler.
Why don't you call over to Roy's, he's in L.A. He used to sell these.
I believe his # is CR6-5124

Stevensb 

Very nice. Can't provide any info but there is still a Roy's in LA according to Google. Would like to see the fork crown and the balance of the pinstriping on the fork once that rack is removed. Is that a shadow or crease in the head tube just above the head badge?

Brad

John E

That sticker, with the CRestview (Beverly Hills and adjacent parts of Los Angeles) phone number, predates 1958, when the conversion to all-digit dialing began. Nice find!

That rear Pletscher rack is period-correct and loved by many of us, hated by others.

Nice find. Probably a Peugeot AO-8 or UO-8 equivalent.

greg3rd48 

I love French bikes, especially obscure ones! Great find.

guygadois 

I took off the front rack to see if it was hiding any damage and curious about the fork crown. Here it is. Not the head tube lug stamp. Does this crown look familiar? This is what I found for BCM lugs: https://www.classicrendezvous.com/France/Bocama_lugs.htm

JohnDThompson 

"58" stamped on the lower head lug (not head tube) would indicate lug angle, not frame size.

Looks like a decent, mid-level bike-boom era bike, in any case.

italianbiker

Nice find!

unworthy1

yes BCM (Bocama) lugs and a RFG (Gargette Bros.) BB shell...the bulge-formed forkcrown is similar to some seen on Motobecanes, but that may mean nothing...it's all French, bebe!

guygadois 

Thanks for everyone's replies. Any guess as to the year this was made? The BB shell has what I believe is a serial number of "02058" Could the 58 be the year? Or, is that the angle similar to the headtube "58" imprinting.

Thank,

Guy Gadois

juvela

Hello Guy,

Congratulations on your interesting find. Thank you for sharing it. Good job with the pictures btw.

You asked about dating.

The bicycle's rear derailleur launched about 1962 so it is unlikely to be earlier than that.

Her wheel hubs are first generation Normandy Sport; second generation launched about 1968.

This yields a roughly five year window of ~1963-1967.

You mentioned the bicycle has an RGF (Gargette) bottom bracket shell. Her bottom bracket fittings are from this firm as well. The center section of the spindle with have some markings, but probably not a date.

There is not quite enough res in photo to identify the wheel rims. They are either SAMIR Saminox or Rigida Superchromix. In case they are Rigida they will have a two digit date code in a diamond, seen on the right in this picture:



You asked about the name Pierro.

Here is another example. It is somewhat earlier than your bicycle, tentatively dated as 1959, and a bit higher up the ladder:



Have no information on the company, alas.

MZilliox 

cool find, i think i was watching that one on the bay/ anyway, dig it, how do you plan to fix her up?

juvela

wrt date narrowing -

The bicycle's Huret Allvit Model 1900 rear derailleur has the all metal pulleys characteristic of the early examples.

Here is a Huret catalogue page from 1966. The Rebour drawing at the top of the page shows an example with the early all metal pulleys but the exploded parts drawing below it shows the later type pulleys with their black plastic "tires." Going by this, date is unlikely to be later than 1965.



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one thing which puzzled me from the outset was why a manufacturer would fit an Allvit front mech to a bicycle with three plateau gearing. an upgrade to a model 700 would cost only a few centimes at o.e.m. circa the mid sixties. so i checked at velobase and they give a launch date for the 700 of 1966 which would tend to support a date for the cycle of 1965 or slightly earlier.

https://velobase.com/ViewComponent.as...=113&AbsPos=92

juvela

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The headset seen on the yellow Pierro bicycle posted above is a Torevess model Course:

https://velobase.com/ViewComponent.as...111&AbsPos=207

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