suchadreamer

I bought a 70's road bike that says that says "olympic-sport cycles" on the side and the front badge. It is a French made bike. It has Allvit and Huret components and a "welcome" seat. Anyone know anything about this brand? I will try to get a picture up soon.

suchadreamer

some photos of the decals:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/areyous...er/2578713329/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/areyous...er/2578713331/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/areyous...er/2578713333/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/areyous...er/2578713339/

Roll-Monroe-Co

I don't know. But I looked at your other photos of the bike -- that is beeeyootifful. Enjoy.

Hopefully, a french bike person will come along and have some ideas.

Good luck, and welcome to bike forums and C&V.

suchadreamer

thanks! I am loving it so much... just kind of curious where it came from!

suchadreamer

anyone?

big chainring 

Heres my two cents. Looks alot like a Mercier. The Decals, lugs, striping etc. I'm thinking maybe a special edition bike for the 1972 olympic games. Sure looks about that vintage. Love the color, and everything about it. Keep it and cherish it.

david_j_anderso

My nine year old daughter spied it on a neighbor's curb to be thrown or picked up. I cleaned it up and it seems pretty cool. same decals although mine has granny type handle bars and the five speed shift is up on the bars as well. different seat - mine is mesinger or messinger

dave in milwaukee

futhark

Resurrecting an old thread because there is so little information out there on Olympic Sport bicycles. I bought one new in 1973 from a hardware store in Orono, Maine for $199. This was during the bike boom of the early 70s. The bike is long gone -- traded in the late 80s at a bike shop in Cambridge, Mass. It probably ended up as a single-speed conversion. Here's what I remember about it:

Frame: Reynolds 531. The sticker said "Trois tubes renforce" which I took to mean double butted main tubes only.
There was another sticker that indicated in French that it was manufactured by Gottfried Industries International.

It was built with typical French components of the time: Stronglight 93 cotterless cranks, Simplex derailleurs, Atom freewheel, Normandy hubs, Mafac Racer center pulls. Wheels were 27" clinchers that I replaced in the late 70s with tubulars.

I have no clue as to the geometry, but it was more to the aggressive, racing side. It was black and beautiful. I learned basic road bike maintenance and mechanics on it.

david_j_anderso

I still have mine. feel free to call 414 364 0275 dave

chapel

any more info on these?

rhorne14

Do you have pictures? still have the bike? I got one as a kid and still have the frame

dddd

Man, that dude hasn't visited here in about 11 years!

I'd like to see your frame though, if it hasn't been repainted.

juvela

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Had one come through me workshop.

It was a deep blue flambouyant with foil transfers and white lining.

A relatively base model comparable to a U08.

Appeared to date from ~1972.

Name can be a possible source of confusion as there is also an Olympic marque from Italy.

There was also a U.S. marque by this name back in The Golden Age.

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rhorne14

Hey, he could still be around (his post was from 2013)… and sorry, I painted it about 30 years ago.

So, I understand that the bike isn't worth a lot, but it has sentimental value to me. My brother bought it for me for helping him with his paper route around 1972 or '73. He was killed in a car accident about 3 years later, so I really would like to restore it and at least make it rideable. At the time, I did as much research as a 12 year old kid could do back then and wanted a Gitane or a Jeunet bike, but the sales guy at the local shop talked us into this one. We bought it at a bike shop on University Ave in Madison Wisconsin for around $150 and if memory serves my correctly (My hindsight is more like 20/40 than it is 20/20), the guy said that it was made by the same company that made Gitane bikes (he probably went on to be a great Used Car salesman).

As I remember: Olympic Sport "Tour de France" model, lugged 20" frame (I'm short LOL), medium metallic blue, foil decals, front badge I remember had the words "Cycles" and "Made in France" but that's all I remember, Mafac Racer brakes, Simplex derailleur (I think), dark brown leather saddle (Not sure of the brand) and I remember it being super light (as compared to my friend's Schwinn 10 speed bikes). I probably put several hundred miles on it before I got my first car.

SO, I'd like to resurrect it now that I am retired and am looking for a little project (Way easier than restoring a boat and cheaper than doing a Cuda convertible - been there done that). Would love to have input on what I should be shopping for to get somewhat correct parts. (Gitane, Jeunet, Mercier, Peugeot)

~Ron

suchadreamer

I'm here! Not that I would have checked... the forum emailing me that there had been posts here was handy

Still don't know much about this bike, but ended up turning it into a single speed for cruising around town. A friend hooked us up with some vintage French-threaded parts and we were good to go.

I tried to attach a photo but the forum won't let me since I have less than 10 posts. Hmm.

rhorne14

I couldn’t post pictures either .

Bikerider007

The only Olimpic I know of came on a Spanish bike. Spanish bikes also had French parts often as well.

rhorne14

Could you send a picture or two to ecipo2019@gmail.com.

T-Mar

There was also a Japanese Olympic brand but this obviously isn't one of those.

rhorne14

Here is an update of my "RestoMod" 1973 Olympic Sport. I had custom lettering done by DIY lettering and bought a few decals from eBay. Painted in Mopar B5 blue (close to original color, but really Pops with the clear coat)

juvela

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Wow Ron you have certainly done a fabulous job with it!

[for readers who missed the "before" images scroll up the thread a few posts]

Am sure it never looked so nice in the showroom.

Wonderful way to remember your brother.

If transfers with Olympic rings symbol are replicas of original they would not have been long employed. The IOC has a team of lawyers who keep a sharp worldwide lookout for any unauthorised use of the Olympic rings symbol. It enjoys legal protection.

If mark on right side of seat lug is an intentional one it may be a symbol put in by a licencing agency. Often cities and towns each have their own unique symbol.

Thanks again for posting this beautiful job!

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addendum added later -

forgot to mention that sales clerk in store was spot on with their mention of a Gitane origin. the combination of lug pattern, fork crown pattern, fork crown cap, seat stay treatment, bottom bracket shell, frame ends, ESGE plate style chainstay bridge and braze-ons is perfectly in congruence with a Gitane model Gran Sport Deluxe of this time.

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dddd

Great restoration of such an obscure brand.

Probably the nicest one left in the world(?).

Cool saddle and rims, and Mopar Blue! Oh, and the decals look great.

By chance I was this morning thinking about what it would take to turn one of the newer Chrysler models into a 'cuda. I thought that probably someone has done this by now.

obrentharris 

Beautiful job!
Every nice old bike should be so lucky.
Brent

Zucca

Hi,
Thank God I found you!

I have an Olympic Sport woman bike and I don't know anything about it. Maybe you could help me.
When I bought the bike it had a road race handlebar.

I have just signed up in this forum and I still cannot post pictures here.

rhorne14

I may be able to help (sorry for the delayed response. You can send pictures and questions to ECIPO2019@gmail.com