Cuevas Bike?
11-04-18, 07:54 AM
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Cuevas Bike?
In the early Eighties I visited Cuevas' shop in (I'm almost sure it was) Queens NY and actually got to see him in the process of building a frame. It looked like "old-school" techniques even for the early Eighties (and probably before the term: "old-school" was around). I was especially impressed by his speed at filing! I never have or ridden one, but am curious:
Do any of you have one of the vintage bikes, or have ridden one? I don't think I've ever actually seen one outside of that shop.
Do any of you have one of the vintage bikes, or have ridden one? I don't think I've ever actually seen one outside of that shop.
11-04-18, 09:47 AM
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I've got a couple of them, they are serious race bikes with steep angles.
Sorry to not have any photos at the ready, I could take some, they are fine looking machines!
Both of mine turned up in or near the Bay area. One has an all-black gruppo from the Nuovo Record Era on a bold, deep-yellow painted frame, but with a couple of "7400" parts substitutions by the previous owner. Both are branded Cuevas, so are from those last years when Cuevas built bikes in his own shop.
Francisco Cuevas' building career spanned at least three countries (Spain, Argentina and USA iir), and lasted about sixty(!) years. He died in 2005 at age 89 in Spain, where he had started out as a builder as a teenager so many years earlier. I am also recalling that he built for Mike Fraysee (Paris Sport) for a time, that he had been a racer as a young man, and that he coached the Argentinian cycling team while living in Argentina (leading up to the failed Peron regime there). His having worked in other's factories probably explains his speed of work, but the Cuevas-branded bikes look pretty clean to me and feel snappy out on the road.
Sorry to not have any photos at the ready, I could take some, they are fine looking machines!
Both of mine turned up in or near the Bay area. One has an all-black gruppo from the Nuovo Record Era on a bold, deep-yellow painted frame, but with a couple of "7400" parts substitutions by the previous owner. Both are branded Cuevas, so are from those last years when Cuevas built bikes in his own shop.
Francisco Cuevas' building career spanned at least three countries (Spain, Argentina and USA iir), and lasted about sixty(!) years. He died in 2005 at age 89 in Spain, where he had started out as a builder as a teenager so many years earlier. I am also recalling that he built for Mike Fraysee (Paris Sport) for a time, that he had been a racer as a young man, and that he coached the Argentinian cycling team while living in Argentina (leading up to the failed Peron regime there). His having worked in other's factories probably explains his speed of work, but the Cuevas-branded bikes look pretty clean to me and feel snappy out on the road.
Last edited by dddd; 11-04-18 at 10:12 AM.
11-05-18, 04:22 PM
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IIRC when Francisco retired he moved home to Barcelona.
His son kept the workshop going for a time doing only repairs and painting - no scratch builds.
Someone else is sure to recall the years for this...
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IIRC when Francisco retired he moved home to Barcelona.
His son kept the workshop going for a time doing only repairs and painting - no scratch builds.
Someone else is sure to recall the years for this...
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