Help Identifiying my Bike

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Any stampings at the bottom of the bottom bracket?

There are thee stampings on the bottom. The only one I can make out is Nervex. One stamp directly below the Nervex stamp but it is very small and I cannot make out what it is. I can also see a stamp about an inch below the other two stamps but I can not make it out either.

Zack

By the butting and the lack of lugs for the shifters and front water bottle holder, I would say it was no newer than 1970's. As per Faxpas, the bottom bracket stamp may give some clues. The Butting is an older design and it is probably a quality frame. What is really interesting is the above bottom bracket guides for the derailer cables.

As you have mentioned, the drive trian looks newer than the actual bike. What is on the shifters?

Does it have 700c wheels or 27 inch wheels?

braze-ons on top of the top-tube were still being used at least up until the late 80s.

the lugs are ancient, unless someone wanted a retro lugged frame.

What makes me think that's a really old frame are MASSIVE chainstays!

after some quick Googling, it seems Nervex were good lugs, and French 🙂
http://www.classicrendezvous.com/France/Nervex_lugs.htm

http://www.classicrendezvous.com/France/Nervex_lugs.htm

According to this site, nervex lugs are french...

From Sheldon Brown site;

Nervex ®

Noted manufacturer of lugs, no longer in business.

http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_n-o.html

mikesbytes said:

By the butting and the lack of lugs for the shifters and front water bottle holder, I would say it was no newer than 1970's. As per Faxpas, the bottom bracket stamp may give some clues. The Butting is an older design and it is probably a quality frame. What is really interesting is the above bottom bracket guides for the derailer cables.

As you have mentioned, the drive trian looks newer than the actual bike. What is on the shifters?

Does it have 700c wheels or 27 inch wheels?

Above-bracket guides were still in use in the eighties - my 1981 Barry Chick/Shorter Rochford has them. It was also delivered without front bottle cage mounts. I'd agree with your dates though mike - probably early seventies - although it could be sixties, or it could have been an '80s retro!
Zack, are you sure about the dates on that DA kit? The chainset looks newer than 1980 (IIRC the current then was the DA EX, which looked more like a Campag Record design), and the front changer doesn't look the way I remember my very late seventies DA kit looking. Late seventies DA rears were partially black body too, I think. Maybe 1980 was a crossover year though. Worth re-checking the date codes? Shimano had a two-letter code, with the first letter being the year (with A starting at 1976) and the second letter the month. So June 1980 would be EF, stamped o the back of the crank arms, and maybe the backs of the cages of the derailleurs.
The frame's worth having, definitely, and regardless of whether the drivetrain's contemporary, it's all good stuff - you owe it to yourself to ritually burn that hideous saddle though! Oh, and the obnoxious cheap crappy brake levers too.

kaboom!! said:

Hello,

Can anybody help me to identify what I have here? What I know already is:

- The dura-ace drivetrain was manufactured in 1980 (determined by date code).
- Has Nervex lugs and has Nervex stamped on BB shell.
- The brakes are made by Campagnolo

I was told the frame was older than the components. I'd really like to find out who made the frame, how old it is and if it is worth anything. I was tld it could possibly be a Raleigh International frame.

Any info you could give me would be great. I am currently trying to get it back in ridable condition.

IF the bike's BB has French threads and a 26.6 seatpost, then it may be a mid-70s Motobecane ...

In which case, the fork would probably have French threads, too ...

I'm going to say there is a 99% probability that the threading is French (steerer AND BB) because, AFAIK, the bike has a French headset (rarely used on non-French bikes).

As pictured, the bike currently has tubular wheels (700c equivalent) ... those were probably added when the bike was randomly upgraded with the Campagnolo brakes & Shimano DA drivetrain (yeah, what's with those probably-Weinman brake levers?!?) ...

Eastway82 said:

... The chainset looks newer than 1980 (IIRC the current then was the DA EX, which looked more like a Campag Record design), and the front changer doesn't look the way I remember my very late seventies DA kit looking. Late seventies DA rears were partially black body too, I think.

The crank is (probably) contemporary with the drivetrain ... it has those oversized pedal spindles which the AX also had (so, ~1980 sounds right).

I remember THAT rear derailleur & front derailleur ... in fact, I've got two of the front derailleurs, still -- one that was briefly shimmed onto my Gitane, and then moved to my Holdsworth as a substitute for a Campy NR front derailleur. The "instruction" sheet was printed in 1980 (I have "spare" which I bought BEFORE the age of indexing that is still in its box -- who knew?!?).

The upper pulley wheel probably has steel teeth capping the plastic core ... I thought THAT was a great idea since the cheap (probably-Delrin) pulley wheels on my old Simplex rear derailleur chipped easily.

I think the particular component upgrade to the original DA group may have been introduced as early as 1978 (or, maybe that's when it was announced/previewed) ... Obviously, it was made for two-or-three years before the rear derailleur was updated to the one with the "black" painted parallelogram.

Whatever it is, please do pitch the seat and the funky brakes with the pseudo cyclocross additional levers. :eek:

"pewjo"?

other French stuff

http://www.classicrendezvous.com/France/France.html

+1 on ditching the brakes. those cruser brakes are plain dangerous, never use them!

There are some really nice pictures of your lugs on the web and someone is still making them using that brand name. If you are into resotration, the lugs would look really great chrome plated.

BTW ditch the sofa, you can't lie down on it while you are watching TV (thats cycling.tv of course).

I'd love to see that in Celeste Bianchi colours...

Did you want to know if its worth anything to sell it or to see if its worth restoring?

Thanks for all of the input.

The date codes on the cranks, chain rings, pedals, seat post, and rear derailleur all start with E. I believe that means the parts were made in 1980. I could not find the code on the front derailleur.
Here is some more info on the bike.

- The seat post size is 27.2 but it is a really tight fit
- The shifters are made by Suntour
- The dropouts are Campagnolo

How do I find out if the bb & fork threads are French or English Threaded? I have always ridden mountain bikes and this is my first road bike. I plan on cleaniing it up and riding it for now, but I may sell it someday.

Thanks,
Zack

btw, The sofa and cheezy Dia-Comp levers will be disposed of very soon.

italian dropouts and french lugs...hmmmm?

perhaps an swiss allegro? they used some unusual combinations of lugs, tubes and dropouts.

Schwinn Paramount with Nervex lugs. 60's to early 70's.

You should see two holes on the head tube where the Schwinn badge would be.

Most of these bikes are modified to be fixie or single speed bike these days.

lw

[quote="kaboom!!"]Hello,

Can anybody help me to identify what I have here? What I know already is:

- The dura-ace drivetrain was manufactured in 1980 (determined by date code).
- Has Nervex lugs and has Nervex stamped on BB shell.
- The brakes are made by Campagnolo

I was told the frame was older than the components. I'd really like to find out who made the frame, how old it is and if it is worth anything. I was tld it could possibly be a Raleigh International frame.

Any info you could give me would be great. I am currently trying to get it back in ridable condition.


The guides are the same as on a tange frame that I have..