Hey! It's a "Follis".

[Methuselah]

On another thread I mentioned this old ten-speed that has
been hanging on the garage wall since the late '70's. I had
not looked at it for decades, and incorrectly thought it was
a peugot. I took a look at it tonight because I had intended
to leave it out for the trash last night and forgot to.
Noticing the fancy ferrules, etc.. I took a second look: It
appears to be a Follis 472 or some model very similar.
Should I keep it? All I recall is that we hated the seat so
much we considered it unrideable at the time.

 

[Tom Kunich]

"Methuselah" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On another thread I mentioned this old ten-speed that
> has been hanging on the garage wall since the late
> '70's. I had not looked at it for decades, and
> incorrectly thought it was a peugot. I took a look at it
> tonight because I had intended to leave it out for the
> trash last night and forgot to. Noticing the fancy
> ferrules, etc.. I took a second look: It appears to be a
> Follis 472 or some model very similar. Should I keep it?
> All I recall is that we hated the seat so much we
> considered it unrideable at the time.

You can try selling it on the Classic Rondezvous
http://www.classicrendezvous.com/forsale.htm

 

[Zoot Katz]

Mon, 08 Mar 2004 20:20:55 -0500,
<[email protected]>, Methuselah
<[email protected]> wrote:

>It appears to be a Follis 472 or some model very similar.
>Should I keep it?

Sounds like a keeper to me. Model 472: Reynolds 531, Nervex
lugs, Mafac brakes, Campagnolo derailleurs, Stronglight mod.
99 cranks....
--
zk

 

[Luigi De Guzman]

On Mon, 08 Mar 2004 18:13:43 -0800, Zoot Katz <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Mon, 08 Mar 2004 20:20:55 -0500,
><[email protected]>, Methuselah
><[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>It appears to be a Follis 472 or some model very similar.
>>Should I keep it?
>
>Sounds like a keeper to me. Model 472: Reynolds 531, Nervex
>lugs, Mafac brakes, Campagnolo derailleurs, Stronglight
>mod. 99 cranks....

Yow. Yow. Yow.

Sounds like all Mr. Methuselah needed was a patient friend
with some spanners and allen keys back in the day. Narrow
saddles are not evil; bad saddle positioning is evil.

Pretty sounding bike. Pictures?

-Luigi

 

[Rick Onanian]

On Mon, 08 Mar 2004 20:20:55 -0500, Methuselah
<[email protected]> wrote:
>etc.. I took a second look: It appears to be a Follis 472
>or some model very similar. Should I keep it? All I recall
>is that we hated the seat so much we considered it
>unrideable at the time.

I can't imagine having given up on the investment so easily
then, and now you could certainly resume trying to get an
appropriate fit.

If adjusting the height, tilt, and position of the saddle
and handlebars doesn't suffice, then a new saddle will
probably do the trick. Those old road bikes can ride quite
pleasantly, and quickly.
--
Rick Onanian

 

[Collin O'Neill]

"Zoot Katz" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Mon, 08 Mar 2004 20:20:55 -0500,
> <[email protected]>, Methuselah
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >It appears to be a Follis 472 or some model very similar.
> >Should I keep it?
>
> Sounds like a keeper to me. Model 472: Reynolds 531,
> Nervex lugs, Mafac brakes, Campagnolo derailleurs,
> Stronglight mod. 99 cranks....
> --
> zk

This sounds like a pretty cool bike. It may even be lighter
than your new one. You should keep it and use it to learn
how the bike works - if you fail to fix something, it's
okay, because your regular bike is waiting!

 

[Cheg]

"Methuselah" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> It appears to be a Follis 472 or some model very similar.
> Should I keep it? All I recall is that we hated the seat
> so much we considered it unrideable at the time.

Sounds like a nice bike. I have a Raleigh International from
the same era that I ride very often, but not with the
original brick-like saddle. It is wonderful how the
technology of seats has improved in the last 30 years. Many
bike shops will lend you a seat for a couple of days until
you find one you like. I like the Velo VL-6037 slotted,
elastomer sprung seats so much that I have 3 of them for
different bikes, but YMMV.

 

[Zoot Katz]

Mon, 08 Mar 2004 21:45:55 -0500,
<[email protected]>,
Luigi de Guzman <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>Pretty sounding bike. Pictures?

http://www.classicrendezvous.com/France/Follis/follis_mod-
el_472.htm
--
zk

 

[Luigi De Guzman]

On Mon, 08 Mar 2004 23:13:43 -0800, Zoot Katz <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Mon, 08 Mar 2004 21:45:55 -0500,
><[email protected]>, Luigi de
>Guzman <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>
>>Pretty sounding bike. Pictures?
>
>http://www.classicrendezvous.com/France/Follis/follis_mode-
>l_472.htm

pretty.

Hey, uh, Mr. M, I'll take it off your hands if you
don't want it!

-Luigi

 

[David Kerber]

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> Mon, 08 Mar 2004 21:45:55 -0500,
> <[email protected]>, Luigi de
> Guzman <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >
> >Pretty sounding bike. Pictures?
>
> http://www.classicrendezvous.com/France/Follis/follis_mod-
> el_472.htm

Nice bike!

--
Remove the ns_ from if replying by e-mail (but keep posts in
the newsgroups if possible).

 

[Methuselah]

>> >
>> >Pretty sounding bike. Pictures?
>>
>> http://www.classicrendezvous.com/France/Follis/follis_mo-
>> del_472.htm
>
>Nice bike!

That's it, even to the color! Wow, that was close. If I had
not forgotten Rubbish Day it would have been gone. This
needs thought.

As I recall (Remember, it has been hanging on the garage
wall for nearly thirty years) it was basically that damned
seat it came with. I bought it used at a yard sale and never
paid attention to what it was till we bought these two
Specialized's. The seat was horrible; So much so that we
wrote off the bike as unridable, with a LOT of expletives
about the SICK SICK MASOCHISTIC deviant that designed that
seat that resembled an inverted ice skate. Neither my wife
nor I could tolerate a mile with it; She wrapped it in a
towel, before we gave up on it. Amazing how a bad seat can
ruin a bicycle which we now have found out is supposed to be
a very good one! This went beyond adjustments, really; What
were people thinking back then? That sitting on the edge of
a board had anything at all to do with human anatomy??? It
must be difficult to design a seat that is

 

[Zoot Katz]

Tue, 9 Mar 2004 08:02:58 -0500,
<[email protected]>,
David Kerber <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> wrote:

>>
>> http://www.classicrendezvous.com/France/Follis/follis_mo-
>> del_472.htm
>
>Nice bike!

Notice the tire wipers? I wonder if Methuselah's has sew-
ups. They could be a dis-incentive for getting it back
on the road.
--
zk

 

[Zoot Katz]

Tue, 09 Mar 2004 16:50:14 -0500,
<[email protected]>,
Methuselah <[email protected]> wrote:

> That sitting on the edge of a board had anything at all to
> do with human anatomy??

The saddle is designed to support your "sit bones" or
"ischial tuberosities".

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/saddles.html

Mark the above site. It's often referenced and most
answers can be found there. Answers for questions you've
not yet imagined.
--
zk

 

[Mike Kruger]

"Methuselah" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> I keep it? All I recall is that we hated the seat so much
> we considered it unrideable at the time.

From the others posters, it's clear it's worth something.
Whether it's worth something to you, or whether its a
r.b.marketplace or Ebay item is your next question.

What's the size of the frame? 25 inches by any chance?

 

[Tom]

Specialized just happens to make a very comfortable series
of saddles at an affordable price. Many of them are seen on
both Road and Touring bikes.

Tom

"Methuselah" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On another thread I mentioned this old ten-speed that has
> been hanging on the garage wall since the late '70's. I
> had not looked at it for

 

[Methuselah]

>What's the size of the frame? 25 inches by any chance?
The wheel rims are 25" diameter. Hey, I don't know anything
about bikes. Yet. The tires are conventional rim-locking
types, just as any other bike I have had...someone asked
about lace-on types. I do not know what those are. The tires
are SKINNY, with brownish yellow sidwalls.

 

[Tom Kunich]

"Methuselah" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> The wheel rims are 25" diameter. Hey, I don't know
> anything about bikes.Yet.

The wheels are probably but not necessarily 700c. They could
be 27". It will say on the tire.

> The tires are conventional rim-locking types, just as any
> other bike I have had...someone asked about lace-on types.
> I do not know what those are. The tires are SKINNY, with
> brownish yellow sidwalls.

Truthfully you aren't the sort of person that could
appreciate a Follis. There aren't even that many collectors
that would.

Get some good pictures of it and put it up on classic bike
rondezvous and sell it. You can ask there about what it's
worth but it is probably worth a couple of hundred unless
it's too far gone.