BlueDevil63 

This is a bit of a strange one. I bought it purely for the parts but so far have decided to keep it together. It is a 1970 Lygie frame. The previous owner had it stripped, chromed and painted. It is not the highest level frame as it is pretty heavy and has some strange tubing sizes (26 seat post, and 22 (French) stem). But it is pretty sharp looking. It needs looong reach brakes and I happened to have a set of Ballila center pulls though that are pretty period correct, look good and have the right reach. Ballila levers and original hoods. Atax stem, Campagnolo Record hubs, crank, pedals, shifters and derailleurs. A Brooks Swallow saddle and Brooks bar tape. The wheels came with the bike, notice the spoke pattern.

shdwfx

Never heard of Lygie but that looks pretty nice with some good components. How does it ride?

merziac

@BlueDevil63

That is beautiful, can't imagine changing a thing.

That said it is always a bit of a conundrum for me when I see one like this, pretty hard to make it your own when it is done so well.

It seems like exactly what I would have done had I thought of it, but didn't.

I think if this is old enough it falls into that zone where bikes like these were well made with good materials but were still being built and maybe overbuilt with older techniques and processes/mentality as they transitioned from stamped dropouts and cruder tubes, lugs, etc.

Just spitballin, sayin, what do I know.

BlueDevil63 

Total weight as shown in the pictures is about 26lbs, which is not horrible but argues for some lower level of tubing as does the ID of the seat tube. Dropouts are forged Campagnolo dropouts.

unworthy1

Back when I was in high school there was some dealer in Greater LA that sold these, and the privileged rich kids at school had them (there were 2, maybe 3). I was gobsmacked with how gorgeous they seemed and so very out of reach. But they were painted white IIRC, not even those Richy McRichfaces could buy an all-chrome Lygie, back then. Wonder who the Lygie dealer was: Hans Ohrt perhaps?

momoman

I was a poor inner city kid who had one! I Martin Imports on Beverly Blvd sold them. I was 16 in 1974 and used all my savings to buy a Lygie - I could not afford the other Italian bikes that were sold at the store. It was the cheapest bike with Campy NR parts. Mine was downgraded from Campy sidepulls to Universal sidepulls to get the price down to $300 which was my limit. I worked part time, saved my Christmas, Birthday and Chinese New Year lucky money for a year to buy that bike.

Mine was yellow with chrome headtube lugs, half chromed forks and half chromed rear stays. Mine came with 27" wheels - Campy high flange hubs on Weimann clincher rims. I had a 3ttt bar and stem. I still have all the parts from that bike but not the frame which I regrettably tossed when I moved after college. I rode that bike from L.A. to San Diego in high school, then again during college. I rode up and down PCH, around L.A. and anywhere my legs would take me.

The frame is heavy because it only used 531 tubing in the 3 main tubes. The fork and rear stays were not 531 tubing from what I remember.

Somewhere I have a picture of that bike in my college dorm room.

Here's a link to some info about Lygies: Lygie History

edit: There's a yellow Lygie on Ebay right now in the same color that I had: Ebay listing for Lygie

Velo Mule

That bike is beautiful. It matters little what tubing it is built with. I noticed that not only are the holes in the high flange hubs painted red, but the cable guide screw is painted blue on the end. Crazy details. The brakes look perfect and seem to fit well.

Did you do those paint details? Wait a second there. It seems that the brake end thingy is painted too, so, there is only one person that could have done this. Good job BlueDevil63 !

It think this is the second time I have seen a picture of this spoke pattern. The first is from Sheldon's website, I went to TerminalVelocity. This site seems to have gone inactive. I am assuming that this is a "Crow Foot Pattern". Really interesting.

juvela

-----

how the project commenced -

https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/in...y-parts.96207/

https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/su...48/post-626763

how it moved along -

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...970-lygie.html

https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/su...65/post-721660

the for sale listing -

https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/19...adbike.179116/

-----

3speedslow

Nice leather wrap! Really sets it off plus the little paint details.

Pcampeau

My Lygie (Frame only) is a 1970 Professional and the bike shop sticker says Hollywood Cyclery on Santa Monica Blvd. How it made it’s way to Minneapolis I’ll never know. I’ve never seen another one around here. A previous owner listed it on the “Lygie Barn” website back when it was built up Campagnolo Record style.



BlueDevil63 that is just beautiful! Mine is not built yet, and if I want it to look as good as yours I’ll probably have to copy yours exactly.

repechage

Lygie was one of those brands other bike shops discredited. They were such an apparent good value for the money.

So good that cunning folk bought one and transferred the parts to a frame with a higher perceived reputation.

there were full chrome models in the lineup.
Other shops stated that they were built in Italian prisons. No confirmation on that.

the wheel lacing pattern reminds me of a bike I bought with the twisted spoke pattern.
there was a shop in Newport Beach Ca in the late 80’s early 90’s really pushing that pattern...
the fellow I bought the twisted spoke bike worked for a shop- I told him remove the freewheel and cut the wheels apart. The wheels had a deep V aero clincher rim- in bright Blue translucent finish...
no accounting for taste.

BlueDevil63 

I knew most of this story. I didn't change too much when I got it. Put in a proper fitting 26.0 seat post. Put in a longer BB spindle - the cranks were removed for shipping and when I put them back on the inner chainwheel was way too close to the stay for my comfort. The FD on the bike is the old cable stop style so I put on an old style (Huret) guide and used the cable stop. Changed the stem and bar wrap. Replaced the Tektro brakes with period correct Ballilas. Did all the paint infill/highlights.

Oldairhead 

That bike build was pretty well documented and discussed in an earlier thread. It turned out so well that it seems a shame to part it out (if you are still going to do that). It looks like you have done some nice things to it so maybe you're not. Lygies aren't racing bikes but they are fun to ride! I have two that are ready riders and one that is in the project queue.

Link to the Lygie Barn.

John E

I considered buying a used Lygie at Palms Cyclery in west LA in early 1971. As you note, it was indeed white. I ended up with the Nishiki instead, and rode that for 20 years until the frame broke.

drpaddle

Here's me on my Lygie at the 1970 Manhattan Beach Gran Prix. I must have been way off the front to be so alone.
On mine, the head badge said "Lygie" and the downtube decal said "Ligie". It had translucent turquoise paint over a fully chromed frame. Full 531DB. All Campy NR except for Weinmann brakes. My dad bought it for me from a shop in or near Long Beach, California.

Oldairhead 

That sounds like a 1968 Lygie, that was one year that they were known to do that. May be other years also.

unworthy1

I'm surprised there were so MANY dealers for Lygie (or Ligie) in the Greater LA area back then: Long Beach, Palms, Hollywood (Santa Monica Blvd), and I. Martin on Beverly Blvd.
That's a lot of market share for a brand that's practically unheard of in the rest of the US!
When I could finally afford to buy a "ten speed" I had moved on and had no hot interest in the Lygie brand, but would have still jumped for one if a used example had popped up at the right price.

obuckler

mine had this also in 1971.

Oldairhead 

That is interesting! Those decals were pretty fragile and many simply flaked of, mine included! It looks like in 1972 they changed to a different font and spelling. That would put the range of this unique spelling from at least 1968 thru 1971. Longer than I would have thought. Thanks!

obuckler

yes it’s a 71 and this is a repaint Still needs a clear over it. (Multiple year project!!)

John E

The Manhattan Beach Gran Prix was one of my favorite events when I lived in west Los Angeles (late 1968 through early 1981). I used to bike there every year to hang around with the other spectators. I might even have seen you race.

repechage

I disliked the MB GP course- but I raced it before the railroad tracks were removed. Later, the reconfiguration of the southern corner caused so much havoc the race is now run counterclockwise. Which is better I think.

I missed it for a few years after, my category was not run and the district rep would not allow us to race the longer distance...?!?
then a year when I was still returning from the Nationals.