Buellster

This looks to be a lower end of Follis but the TA crankset(if thats what I'm seeing) made me take a second look.
Guys asking $100.
I'm looking for a decent frame to drop my shimano alfine 8 hub into. It needs long drop outs and this has em. While I'd usually avoid french bikes given given the price of a french BB and quills if this would be nice frame it could be worth it.
only pic:

desconhecido 

Crank looks like Nervar to me. People seem to lust after Stronglight and TA more than Nervar, but other than some uniqueness in bcd the Nervar cranks seem ok. The alloy ones, anyway. IMO, the steel Nervar Sport cranks blow chunks.

edit:

I have one of those Nervar cranks in the Stronglight 49d or TA style. I have a pair of Stronglight rings to put on it but haven't gotten to it. Bought the crank from a fellow forum member for a decent price. That's the nice thing about the Nervar alloy cranks -- don't have to take out a second mortgage to buy one, they polish up nice, and people confuse them for TA.

edit again:

Looks like the Follis has those plastic MAFAC brake levers. Don't know that I would trust them.

3alarmer 

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...I just spent some time looking at Follis frames on the internet, because I bought a nice one from a guy down in Marin from the late 50's.

The company kind of went missing after the late 50's/early 60's, until it was resurrected by a grand daughter in the early 70's Your foil decal place it in that second era of manufacture, I think.. My impression is that in that era, they didn't make any truly low end bikes. They stuck with Simplex on a lot of their stuff, but with the chrome socks on the fork, I'd call that one definitely worth a look. You can probably tell more when you look at the fork crown. Some of the French guys were still turning out OK frames from OK tubing in the 70's with dropouts that were not cast with an integral hanger. Stella was one.

Here's the company history in French. I use Google translate , because my French is terrible.

It might be a sleeper.

3alarmer 

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...if you look at that link, maybe the 072GL in the catalog photo ?

Buellster

Thanks!
A sleeper is exactly what I'm looking for. This build will be my around towner in a city with a bike theft problem.
Do you know if they moved to more standard quill and BBs in the 70s?

Buellster

I'm really only interested in the frame. I like the look of the crank and dont need it to be TA. I've got a lambert viscount crank with a TA chainring and I just dig the look.

he just got back to me so I may be taking a look soon.

Buellster

that could be it!
frame would be basic steel tubing at that point which wouldnt be bad. I am seeing the pic I have has downtube shifters, look to be wrap around.
not a big difference but makes me wonder.
Thanks for the lead!

Buellster

I do belive 3alarmer is right. This looks to Match perfectly!
Thanks everyone!

juvela

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it is all straight forward metric

nothing is ISO

here is the manufacturer's catalogue page for the chainset



cycle looks to be ca. 1973

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Buellster

thanks for the digging that does look to be it!

Buellster

Now the real question;
How much is it worth?
100 feels a little steep for basic steel tubing. Then again in had pugeot carbolite 103 and that "low level" tubing rode really lovley.

Phil_gretz

Somebody harvested the Simplex bar end shifters. Thief !!! Baggins...

bikemig 

$100 is a decent price on that bike. It has decent alloy components (rims and crank). I believe the Nervar crank does not require a special removal tool. Plus bike prices are up with the pandemic.

juvela

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have the same machine in a deeper blue colour

my example came through with a 49D chainset so it is probably a year or so away from your cycle

there was no tubing transfer

if it had been Durifort for example it would have been fitted with a transfer so stating


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Buellster

Thanks!
It seems like it could fit the bill of nice incognito ride. Especially since my choices are generally slim at this size.

Buellster

right!?
oh well. I'll be stripping the shifters anyway.
I definitly did notice this though haha

Buellster

I'm not sure what you mean by tubing transfer? As in road vibrations? (My apologies my nomenclature is rusty ad I've been off forum for a year or so).
Would you day it was a smooth ride all around? I've only seen like two people on the internet with one of these so it's nice to know somone has/had one around.

juvela

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"transfer" in this context is a generic/umbrella term for all of the labels applied to a bicycle frame, regardless of technology

so it covers decalcomania, varnish fixing, vinyl, foil, paper, etc.

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my example -

purchased about 1989 as a partial cycle - a frameset with a few fittings

purchased to get the 49D

have never done anything with it, snoozing in the racks all these years

so cannot comment on ride properties

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Buellster

ah gotcha,
thanks for clarity

TugaDude

I owned a Follis for a very short time. It was somewhat similar to the one shown. I didn't care for the ride but YMMV.

big chainring 

I would check the top and downtubes at the head tube. Looks tweaked to me. Front wheel looks a bit close to downtube. Headtube should be roughly parallel to seat tube. And that head tube looks a bit steep.

juvela

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+ 1

Have been thinking the same thing.

Did not post because the coil of cable casing is blocking the view of the underside of the downtube just aft of the head.

I'd want to be able to see that but certainly agree with your suspicions.

The thing which struck me most strongly in this regard is the apparant upbubble of the top tube. Look at it in relation to the shelving unit behind it.

If there be deformation to the top and down there may be deformation to the steerer as well...



Buellster -

if you go to look at the bike take a small straightedge with you so you can lay it along the top and down tubes just aft of the head.

should you find deformation you could point it out to seller and negotiate the purchase of the bike at a parts price should that be of interest.

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Date note -

just noticed that the Normandy Sport hubs appear to have the small round holes. verktyg has posted that the last year for these was 1966. have always thought the changeover to oval holes about one and one half years later but certainly defer to his far greater knowledge... It is always possible that the wheels are not original or that they have those holes because they are Sansin Matsumoto...

Bicycle certainly appears somewhat later than 1966.

BTW - the drive side Lyotard model 36 pedal is missing its dustcap. these can be surprisingly costly. perhaps you could get one from a member...

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TugaDude

I also see what looks like paint loss behind the top tube lug, which would also point to a collision, so definitely check it out.