Mystery Nervex-lugged old bike
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 11
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Mystery Nervex-lugged old bike
Hi
A friend of mine bought this old bike, and we'd love to know who made it. I'll quote his assessment of it:
***
So - it's got path ends, but I think it was designed for time trialling rather than pure track racing, as the angles are pretty relaxed and there's even provision for attaching mudguards. Also, there are no braze-ons, either for gears or a rear brake, but the seat-stay bridge has been drilled for one. Two distinguishing features: (a) the front drop-outs: I've never seen this design before, but it's very elegant; & (b) it's got 'Nervex' decorated lugs, presumably imported from France - there's a website dedicated to these lugs, but I haven't yet got round to looking it up. Finally, the frame was evidently hand-built using Reynolds 531 d/b throughout - the chamfering at the top of the seat-stays (a dead giveaway) is exquisitely done.
The frame number is virtually indecipherable because of the nasty paint job, but as far as we can tell it's: 59-306-d222*536.
*this is a lower-case (small) 2! I'm afraid this number isn't guaranteed, & is probably not entirely accurate.
***
Pictures:
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/91815060/my...e/IMG_0308.jpg
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/91815060/my...e/IMG_0309.jpg
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/91815060/my...e/IMG_0310.jpg
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/91815060/my...e/IMG_0311.jpg
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/91815060/my...e/IMG_0312.jpg
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/91815060/my...e/IMG_0313.jpg
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/91815060/my...e/IMG_0314.jpg
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/91815060/my...e/IMG_0315.jpg
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/91815060/my...e/IMG_0316.jpg
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/91815060/my...e/IMG_0319.jpg
Thanks so much for any ideas!
A friend of mine bought this old bike, and we'd love to know who made it. I'll quote his assessment of it:
***
So - it's got path ends, but I think it was designed for time trialling rather than pure track racing, as the angles are pretty relaxed and there's even provision for attaching mudguards. Also, there are no braze-ons, either for gears or a rear brake, but the seat-stay bridge has been drilled for one. Two distinguishing features: (a) the front drop-outs: I've never seen this design before, but it's very elegant; & (b) it's got 'Nervex' decorated lugs, presumably imported from France - there's a website dedicated to these lugs, but I haven't yet got round to looking it up. Finally, the frame was evidently hand-built using Reynolds 531 d/b throughout - the chamfering at the top of the seat-stays (a dead giveaway) is exquisitely done.
The frame number is virtually indecipherable because of the nasty paint job, but as far as we can tell it's: 59-306-d222*536.
*this is a lower-case (small) 2! I'm afraid this number isn't guaranteed, & is probably not entirely accurate.
***
Pictures:
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/91815060/my...e/IMG_0308.jpg
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/91815060/my...e/IMG_0309.jpg
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/91815060/my...e/IMG_0310.jpg
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/91815060/my...e/IMG_0311.jpg
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/91815060/my...e/IMG_0312.jpg
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/91815060/my...e/IMG_0313.jpg
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/91815060/my...e/IMG_0314.jpg
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/91815060/my...e/IMG_0315.jpg
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/91815060/my...e/IMG_0316.jpg
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/91815060/my...e/IMG_0319.jpg
Thanks so much for any ideas!
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Detroit
Posts: 10,327
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 17 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 39 Times
in
31 Posts
bump.
That's an impressive bike, banjax, whoever made it. I'm pretty sure it's French but that doesn't narrow the field of possibilities much.
That's an impressive bike, banjax, whoever made it. I'm pretty sure it's French but that doesn't narrow the field of possibilities much.
__________________
- Auchen
- Auchen
#4
Decrepit Member
The way to tell if the frame is French is to measure the tubing diameters. Older French frames are metric and will have a 26.0mm top tube and 28.0mm seat tube and down tube. If the top tube diameter is 25.4mm (1") and the seat tube and down tube are 28.6mm (1 1/8"), it uses English dimensioned tubing and most likely is not a French frame.
EDIT - I should probably add that the primer and paint can add several tenths of a millimeter, so if you use a caliper to measure the tubing diameter you'll need to take that into consideration.
Last edited by Scooper; 07-22-12 at 11:26 AM.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
echo victor
Classic & Vintage
15
06-07-16 05:45 AM
jmagruder10
Classic and Vintage Bicycles: Whats it Worth? Appraisals.
12
10-03-11 11:42 PM