juvela

Most handsome non-fixie and always a treat to encounter the Verot TS.

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jamesdak 

non-fixie 

Thank you. The most interesting thing I've found with the $100 Clunker Challenge is that with that budget limit you can't just raid the parts bin for a the build, but have to make do with what the previous owner thought appropriate and bolted on. In this case he bolted wisely, as the bike is a joy to ride.

browngw 

Great day today! Took my first ride on the RN President. Light fast and smooth. The feel of this carefully built bicycle is something to behold.

non-fixie 

Awesome! Thanks for posting it here.

juvela

+1

Gotta luv this finish!

Does anyone know how these finishes are accomplished?

Reckon it could be called "marbled."

Somewhat reminiscent of the "smoked" finishes seen on some Allegro cycles.

Have heard that those were achieved with the aid of a fan.

Wonder how this effect done.

Thread on this cycle here in case anyone missed it -

Royal Nord President circa 1967

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bikemig 

This is my early 70s (perhaps late 60s) Libertas as I found the bike. It has an odd mix of parts: suntour hubs and mavic MA 40 rims, triple T stem and cinelli bar (26.4 handlebar in a 26.0 stem!), an SR campy copy seatpost, no name quill pedals, universal cx brakes, zeus grand sport crank, campagnolo NR RD and suntour cyclone FD and shifters. The frame is Reynolds 531 with campagnolo drop outs. The bike will need some work but she'll clean up nicely with some elbow grease:

Silvestru

sweet ride!

Team Miami

Nice!

Team Miami

Cool chain guard!

Munny

Having been driven to show one of my Italian bikes (Galmozzi) I'm feeling the need to balance it with the core subject of my addiction.

Yes, from times to times I get diverted by the high standards of Italian bikes or finding surprisingly french racing bikes deserving ownership (don't get me wrong but French bikes are usually reaching the top whith randonneur bikes rather than racing ones) but my collecting thema is still the Belgian bikes.

So which recent one to share?
The unknown prewar randonneur with the missing monitor cam brakes?
No. If from top quality, not complete and unknown brand.
The belgian "concours de machine" wining tandem?
No. Too long and would require the readers to purchase larger monitors.

So why not this often copied belgian bike?
Copied by belgians like Martensly or Devos (Volpely) or by a rather minor Italian brand (the name is currently escaping my mind)
I realise that it may hurt or offend some ... but that's part of my game.

So here one of the best belgian production: A Folnago, in the Sooper Forma attires.

When I found it, I've to admit I was rather confused.


What is this by bagheerabe,

Ah! This must be a rather common ...
But... Wait !


Heart on Colnago? by bagheerabe,

No. This is the signature of a ... Other Italian name

Wrong! Totally wrong!
I had to realize I would need to produce the decals by myself and starting with the tubes...


VraiCoOlumbus by bagheerabe,

Let me present you one of my best riding bikes. The often copied but never equalized Folnago


Folnago Super Roma by bagheerabe, on Flickr

The ride quality is even marginaly better than my Merckx Fiat (team bike)

The Super Forma celebrated 2 victories (must have been Rik I and Rik II, of course)


Folnago Super Roma by bagheerabe,

A look at the fork should convince the congnoscenti of the model

Folnago Super Roma by bagheerabe,

I just realized that I didn't picture it completed

Folnago Super Roma by bagheerabe,


Folnago Super Roma by bagheerabe,


Folnago Super Roma by bagheerabe,

So...
Before sending the cavalry to jail me...
This is a One Off, likely by one of the best belgian frame maker (of course in Brussels)


The maker I'm thinking of, has perhaps also framed a bike for Mercksissimo

If now you think of Cloves as only Colnago, well, this was probably also used by other brands in Belgium or France and it is likely that yet another belgian little shop precluded the Colnago usage.
If you hear that the seventies belgian Colnago production is higher than the complete WW colnago production, it is true but ... with sometimes not more than a decalc set, sometimes perfect copies (not like this one) and anyway, who can say that the Colnago's sold by Colnago were all produced in his plant?

I'm happy.
I have a unique wonderfull bike at my size.
All details show craftmanship, even If I believe they went too far by removing lots of metal from the campa drop outs (had to straigthen both rear drop outs)
If it would have been a Colnago, plenty of people would have had the same.
Not here

Please note that the limitations imposed on this forum prevented me to use irronical smileys that would have helped the people to get my tone...

non-fixie 

Thanks for sharing this wonderful machine, @Munny! Much appreciated.

And you can always make a separate second post with all the intended smileys.

BTW, will you be in Oudenaarde this weekend?

Munny

So the intended smileys were , ,



Sorry for the WE, I can't make it

Evil Cisum

As found photos of a new refurbishment project I hope to have ready for my wife to ride at Eroica California. Any specific information about the builder would be welcome, also what the AD decal signifies. I know that this was sold by the Hans Ohrt shop in Beverly Hills. What I don’t know is if it was a private label to that shop only or a short lived label to US independent shops, or??? It may have been made by A Declercq or that may have been the exporter and it may have been made in the Belgian Bertin shop.

3speedslow

Whatever it is, it’s nice!^^^

non-fixie 

Thanks for posting you The Dura here, Evil Cisum. Much appreciated!

The more I look at it, the more I like it. Lots of grime but little rust. It should clean up beautifully. And the way it is set up, isn't half bad either. The 48/36 chainset is comfortably modern and compact and combined with the 14-28 (?) rear cluster it should get you up all but the steepest hills.

The Huret Allvit transmission is a piece of art, IMO. I love to see (and hear ) it in operation. And it's easy to live with, too. I equipped mrs non-fixie's first bike with downtube shifters with the same, and no other instructions were needed than "that's where you shift" and "if it's noisy, you move the lever a little until it's quiet".

The MAFAC "RACER" brakes are excellent, and I use them on most of my bikes. And I've been told that with new Koolstop rubber they're even better.

Other parts choices are a matter of taste or necessity, like the rack and the kickstand, but if I may make one suggestion: get a frame pump that will fit the original pump pegs. It will save your paint and look much better.

juvela

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Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful find!

What a treat.

Shall look forward to those post-resto imagini.

That is one impressive marzocco there on the head transfer.

If cycle mine the one item I would consider changing is the Union 40U pedal set. It is below the calibre of the balance of the machine's fittings. An easy to locate and plausible replacement would be a set of Lyotard 460D or Atom 440. A set which can be serviced.

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thumpism 

Looks like a Durifort tubing sticker on the seat tube above the front derailleur. We need a better pic to be sure. They made several grades so this frame might be better than anticipated.

Evil Cisum

I think this is the sticker you mean. Unfortunately it’s a bicycle license. I assumed the AD Fabrication Garanti indicates tubing, but I don’t know what AD signifies here. It does not seem to be Austro Daimler.

Evil Cisum

Faint “BCM” on lower head tube lug.

AA decal wrap on chainstay, repeats on mid- stays, seat stays and forks at faux chrome to copper paint transitions.

“Bertin” on, not sure what this part is called, I don’t think it’s a dust cap. First bike with corrected cranks for me. Cranks ar Nervar, chainrings Milremo.

Did Bertin make parts? Do any of these details clearly indicate a builder or specific frame materials or frame components?

non-fixie 

AD is the maker, A. Declercq. He also made the Belgian Bertins.

Evil Cisum

Thank you. That fills in the small hole in the info here https://bertinclassiccycles.wordpres...de-in-belgium/ as to who was the licensing Bertin relative in Belgium, and confirms my suspicions that indeed that was the origin of this bicycle.

'02 nrs

clubman 

It's an ~ '82 Superia Gemini AX. I have most of the parts but this would be low on my list of rehabs.

non-fixie 

Nice!

About the Van De Veire Sport shop in Zomergem: it belonged to former coureur Emiel Van De Veire, and closed last year to move to Zelzate. Emiel Van De Veire once had a young Greg Lemond in in his shop, who tried to buy his daughter's then new sparkling white Italian shoes. She would have none of it, but regretted that decision later when Lemond became famous. Or so Emiel tells us here.