Originally Posted by
Amocat223
Here's mine before and after .. I believe its a 1974 model 'Service des Courses' but uncertain , it has a 'Competizione Special' decal on the left hand chainstay and no it not a typo 'Competizione' with a 'Z' ! Frame is light and not sure of tubing but guessing 'Vitus 171 / 181 ' or '531' maybe , 'Vitus' drops and 'BCM (Bocama)' lugs , seat tube angle 73deg / 75 deg head tube , also has 'Campagnolo Produti' decals i believe are also original . Lugs are gold lined , bar and stem are 'Belleri' , seat post is 'Brev.Mercier' and came with 'Mafac gold Competition' brakes/levers .
I would sure like to know more about this bike .
Thanks Amocat. Very nice bike you have there. Have you owned it for a long time? The gold Mafac parts are something I have been dreaming about owning eventually, but I imagine using them on a bike that I would feel more comfortable customizing (which I don't plan to do with my current Mercier). I like the way you tied in the gold mods with your lug linings. It all looks fantastic against the blue of the frame (better combination, imo, than compared with the pink Merciers I've seen with gold parts). I also prefer the white bar tape you chose over the black. Visually, I would have perhaps preferred tires more like the originals, but that's a minor quibble, and it's clear that you wanted to go in a very different direction. If you'd like to elaborate on your rims and tire change (and why you chose that type of tire), I'm interested in hearing more.
Based on your decals, and what I have read thus far, I would have thought that your bike might have dated to somewhere in the 1976-78 period. But I'm still trying to sort out those kinds of details. Someone like Guianin, who posted above, would probably be better qualified to help to suggest a date range.