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1952 Urago Tour De France

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1952 Urago Tour De France

Old 05-09-15, 05:05 PM
  #51  
Big Block
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mine is a 3 speed 1/8" chain model. No front derailleur. It is used for flat riding.
I have the dual handlebar Simplex bottle cage, and for another bike I am cleaning up today a downtube mounted Simplex wire cage.

enjoying your build.
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Old 05-09-15, 05:48 PM
  #52  
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Originally Posted by raymond1354
repechage

I have tried this sort of thing and it failed meserably in a short time.

r
VintageRide mentioned that he was to receive a band clamp if I read it correctly. A very reasonable solution.
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Old 05-09-15, 06:08 PM
  #53  
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I think the band clamp is for the Simplex front. The photo in post 46 doesn't have it; it looks as if the boss is repaired.

r
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Old 05-09-15, 07:28 PM
  #54  
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I have to admit to sticking a Cyclo lever on there with some folded tape, just for effect and repachage is correct on his assumption that I have a Simpex lever with clamping band going on for now, but I am most likely going to have a friend tack weld the broken piece of the boss using a wire welder. We have a plan for taking away the localized heat that will be generated. By the way Big Block, I would love to see your bikes!

Last edited by VintageRide; 05-09-15 at 10:51 PM.
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Old 05-09-15, 08:48 PM
  #55  
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Originally Posted by VintageRide
I have to admit to sticking a Cyclo lever on there with some folded tape, just for effect and repachage is correct on his assumption that I have a Simpex lever with clamping band going on for now, but I am most likely going to have a friend take weld the broken piece of the boss using a wire welder. We have a plan for taking away the localized heat that will be generated. By the way Big Block, I would love to see your bikes!
I would really really think about TIG welding... So much so as I would look for a thrashed UO8 frame as a test unit to evaluate the process and probability of success. The bike is coming together so well. I would look for a small diameter steel rivnut even, and build up or machine an adapter to get you what you need for the lever.
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Old 05-09-15, 10:59 PM
  #56  
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You have a point regarding giving it some thought and using a trashed frame to experiment with just to be safe. I will go over it with my friend and see what will work best. Even the person I bought it from suggested I file down the remains of the boss and just clamp the shifter on, although I think with a bit of work i can leave it as is and still get the clamp around it. One thing is for sure, I certainly need one on there in order to get any real use out of the bike, using the lowest gear is not really practical!
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Old 05-10-15, 02:21 PM
  #57  
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Sorry. My mistake. I will be interested to see how well the heat sink idea works.
Thanx

r
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Old 05-10-15, 03:56 PM
  #58  
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By the way, does anyone know if it might be possible to insert a 25.6mm seatpost into this Urago? I had a 25.5mm as measured with calipers that I tried and it was a snug fit. That seatpost is on another bike so I am looking for something and saw an Ideale steel seat post ( 25.6mm ) that would be nice to use. It seems that either 25.4mm or 25.6mm are more common and I have been trying to find out what the inside seat tube diameter is for Durifort, as it would seem to be what was used back then.
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Old 05-10-15, 07:50 PM
  #59  
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I have no idea what the tube dimension is for Durifort. On an old bike the seat tube might be slightly out of round. Cleaning the gunge build-up may make a difference. Between that and polishing the tube, it might fit.

I measured my posts once with a machinists caliper and there was some degree of taper especially the aluminum ones. Also, the stated dimensions were not all that accurate - my Ruggieri marked 26.2 is actually 25.99, so a 25.6 might just fit. An alternative would be one of those cheap generic aluminum ones which you could sand to fit. Hope this helps.

r
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Old 05-10-15, 07:59 PM
  #60  
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Originally Posted by VintageRide
By the way, does anyone know if it might be possible to insert a 25.6mm seatpost into this Urago? I had a 25.5mm as measured with calipers that I tried and it was a snug fit. That seatpost is on another bike so I am looking for something and saw an Ideale steel seat post ( 25.6mm ) that would be nice to use. It seems that either 25.4mm or 25.6mm are more common and I have been trying to find out what the inside seat tube diameter is for Durifort, as it would seem to be what was used back then.
have a set of expandable blade reamers in my shop to use for this. process by hand is too slow/tedious for big changes. just use them to re-round seat tube interiors which have been slightly ovalised.


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Old 05-10-15, 08:52 PM
  #61  
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Thank you for some insight into this, I ordered that Ideale seat post and will try it first and see what happens. It comes with one of the micro adjust clamps and considering what they seem to go for I got the entire assembly for a reasonable price, I can always use that clamp on another post if need be. That reamer sure would be handy!
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Old 05-10-15, 09:06 PM
  #62  
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Originally Posted by VintageRide
That reamer sure would be handy!
might be something they would have at a serious bike shop or at a framebuilder near to you.

look forward to seeing the t&b pillar.
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Old 05-10-15, 09:09 PM
  #63  
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This is a sweet bike. I'd like to get my hands on an old French bike one of these days to build up.
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Old 06-04-15, 07:35 PM
  #64  
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I feel like I am basically repeating myself at this point, but since I am close to having the Urago completed will add a few recent images for prosperity. I mounted a pair of Challenge 25mm Stradas as the previous tubulars were mismatched though freebies, I did get the Stradas quite cheap so that was good. Also added an Ideale adjustable seat clamp, ( steel seatpost was 25.6mm - too large so ordered a 25.4mm which worked ) mounted the Simplex shift lever with band clamp which I will use for now and installed some Simplex logo handlebar plugs and a reproduction of a French 1950's brake cable stay - which you can see just above the stem. Kind of a neat little thing.

I missed out on a Urago bell on Ebay France - it would have been a nice addition but maybe one day another one will show up. I am looking at a correct style of aluminum frame pump I will try to acquire and just need to get the front Simplex rod shifter attached - hopefully soon. That is about it for now and I do intend on taking it out for a good ride sometime soon. Also will be getting a Stronglight 49D in the near future. From the head tube angle and fork rake I think it would be safe to say the bike is low trail by design for better or worse. Head tube is 73 degrees with a fork rake of 70mm which calculates as 31mm with wheel flop of 9mm. Perhaps some weight up front ( like two handlebar mounted water bottles ) might help out.





















Last edited by VintageRide; 06-04-15 at 07:54 PM.
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Old 06-04-15, 08:22 PM
  #65  
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thanks very much for this update!

beautiful work and beautiful picture taking.

much appreciated.

great to hear you were able to get that seat post situation all sorted.

if you will be searching for a 49d make sure to get one with hex head c/w bolts rather than allen. changeover year was ~1973.
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Old 06-05-15, 03:24 PM
  #66  
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Unless you know for sure that this frame is made from straight-gage gaspipe, don't do any kind of welding on it, or you may catastrophically weaken the tubing!

Peugeot did use spot welds on their pre-1979 (pre-103) UO8 frames, but they used relatively thick-walled gaspipe tubing!

The bike sure is coming along nicely, and I love those CLB calipers.
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Old 06-05-15, 04:09 PM
  #67  
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Originally Posted by VintageRide
I feel like I am basically repeating myself at this point, but since I am close to having the Urago completed will add a few recent images for prosperity. I mounted a pair of Challenge 25mm Stradas as the previous tubulars were mismatched though freebies, I did get the Stradas quite cheap so that was good. Also added an Ideale adjustable seat clamp, ( steel seatpost was 25.6mm - too large so ordered a 25.4mm which worked ) mounted the Simplex shift lever with band clamp which I will use for now and installed some Simplex logo handlebar plugs and a reproduction of a French 1950's brake cable stay - which you can see just above the stem. Kind of a neat little thing.
"Repeat" away! This has been a fun build to watch.
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Old 06-05-15, 04:36 PM
  #68  
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Hey VintageRide - Please, please, pretty-please bring that gorgeous Urago down to Eroica California in 2016. I promise you would have a good and your bike would be a standout, even with all the incredible in-person bike porn that will be there.

April, 2016. Paso Robles CA. Be there or be square.
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Old 06-05-15, 06:25 PM
  #69  
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bikingshearer -it would be something worth attending but probably a bit too expensive for me, however it is a year away so one never knows! I noticed you have a 1961 Bianchi - always liked those earlier models.

I have a feeling that Urago bell is a bit of a rarity:


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Old 06-10-15, 03:57 PM
  #70  
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There is one issue I am hoping to resolve and it involves the headset or more specifically the head tube. When I initially inserted either cup they were loose in the head tube. As a temporary measure I wrapped some masking tape around the shoulder area that goes into the head tube. It seems to work for now and is tight, took some effort to get them in but would like a more permanent solution. I do not know what happened as the inner part of the head tube does not look like it was reamed or enlarged from what I can see. Perhaps somehow flaring out that part of the cup so it would fit better. I have never run into this sort of thing before and of course I do not want to use anything that would make it very difficult or impossible to remove a cup. Otherwise another picture after taking it for a short ride. I now have a front Simplex shifter so almost done.



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Old 06-10-15, 04:06 PM
  #71  
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Man, that is one cool old ride. Keep the pics coming.
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Old 06-10-15, 08:15 PM
  #72  
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Originally Posted by VintageRide
There is one issue I am hoping to resolve and it involves the headset or more specifically the head tube. When I initially inserted either cup they were loose in the head tube. As a temporary measure I wrapped some masking tape around the shoulder area that goes into the head tube. It seems to work for now and is tight, took some effort to get them in but would like a more permanent solution. I do not know what happened as the inner part of the head tube does not look like it was reamed or enlarged from what I can see. Perhaps somehow flaring out that part of the cup so it would fit better. I have never run into this sort of thing before and of course I do not want to use anything that would make it very difficult or impossible to remove a cup.
I have never run into this sort of problem specifically, but have with the crown race on a fork (and a few other places like worn handlebars in stems that could never be tightened adequately). One solution that I came across (Sheldon Brown?) was to score the the steerer slightly with a hammer and chisel. The small nicks created a surface with small projections so that the race needed to be pressed on (albeit more easily than usual) and was held securely. I tried to make the nicks symmetrical. It worked well and I went touring with that bike.

Hope this helps.
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Old 06-10-15, 08:29 PM
  #73  
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Oddly enough it is Sheldon Brown and he suggested it for a fork crown race (under "shakiness")
Servicing Bicycle Headsets

I have used this technique for other things. It might work with your problem.

r
p.s. While I know something about French bikes, Urago is not one of my strengths. The early ones are highly regarded and I think you have done a very good job.
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Old 06-11-15, 12:30 PM
  #74  
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this technique is just fine for fork crown race seats but should not be employed on head tubes.

an easy, free and no-fuss solution is to shim the head cups with some aluminum beverage can material. one must be careful when pressing the cups in that the shim material remains on the vertical surface only and does not get between the end of the head tube and the cup. press the cups in and do not bang them in.

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Old 06-11-15, 12:35 PM
  #75  
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Urago - Gitane question the experts may know about -

purchased a bespoke constructed Urago road machine from U.S. Olympian Bill Best in 1972. It had been done in 1969 by builder whose name sounded like Brouquis or Brouquie. Only heard it spoken so do not know spelling. Mr. Best told me that this builder had been spirited away by Gitane to build their true team bikes in Nantes.

Has anyone heard of this?
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