wschellen

Perfect, thanks for the extra photos. I love the fact that your bike has shimano clip in pedals on it, tells me that your riding it.

wschellen

Thanks @Duke7777 for the tip on the head badge. Looks like a match to me. The restoration continues.

juvela

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Thanks for sharing these updates.

Hope project continuing to move forward for you.

Came across this example dated by its owner as 1954. The frame exhibits a number of correspondences to yours; and some small differences.

























Appears original rear mech would have been Campag Gran Sport. Found it interesting to see the early Gran Sport front mech with its winged wheel logo. And yes, they had fingertips in 1954.
.
Chainset is NERVAR and bottom bracket fittings Verot.

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Discovered that Norris Lockly's flickr has a folder for La Perle. It is made up of images of the cycle Hugo Koblet rode to victory on during the 1951 TdF.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cyclecrank/sets


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Your selection of the year 1963 opens some wonderful possibilities for kitting... You could select a Verot model 63 chainset, a MAFAC Top 63 brakeset, a Campag Record model gear ensemble (the Record model rear mech launched December of '63). Because of the braze-ons would think it appropriate to go with handlebar controls. No problem, since Campag, Huret and Juy all offered them.

Looking forward to the next update.

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wschellen

Thanks juvela for these photos, I somehow missed this post until now. I have sandblasted the frame and am trying to decide on a color. It will definitely have a cream colored head tube and some pin stripes, but cant decide on the main color, I might go green, as I have several red bikes in my collection already. I like your idea of the 63' campy record drive train. I don't think the Mafac brakes would work though as the bike has cable routing down the right side of the top tube. What kind of brakes are on the example above? There seems to be fewer options for brakes with the fixing arm on the opposite side like that. I will keep you updated. Thanks

juvela

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wrt purple example posted above -

unfortunately, owner's photos provide no front view of either caliper

levers are clearly MAFAC

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if you elect a Campag gear ensemble you will want to go with the early type handlebar controls where the expander is dural. they changed to black plastic expanders in the early 1970's.

the Record model rear mech was produced in early and late types. you would of course want the early.

the Record model front mech would need to have the housing stop.

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colour -

one main colour which works most nicely with a creme head is naples yellow (artist's colour, a yellow with a bit of brown in it). with this one could go tan/brown for accessories/trim and have a most handsome and tasteful result...

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bertinjim 

wschellen -

What about Weinmann 500 or 730 sidepull brakes? They have the arm on the right side which would accommodate your frame braze-on locations?

wschellen

The Covid-19 has given me some free time for projects and the La Perle is first on the list. I completed the sandblasting today and was happy with what I found. No dents or cracks, just beautiful lug work joined by someone who knew what they were doing. Here are some photos for those who have been following the thread.

wschellen

bertinjim I looked at those brakes, but it seems they came about in the 70s and I am trying to stick with early 60's style parts. Thanks

noobinsf 

Lovely frame...

Nu2Miele

Please never sandblast a steel bike. It can work harden the steel making it brittle and subject to stress fractures and possible damage. Use a tiny bit of chemical stripper, allowing it to wrinkle the paint, then scrape it off and neutralize the stripper with water and soap. You can always touch uo the area if leaving the existing paint on the frame.

Nu2Miele

Looking at the headbadge, it looks slightly damaged. It would be great to see if you could get it in better shape, and perhaps use a mother-of-pearl inlay on it( maybe talk to a local luthier to see if there might be something salvageable from a junk guitar or a suitable piece of new). Then leave the rest alone!

This should be a very nice build when done.

TenGrainBread 

Do you have a source for this claim? A lot of production and custom steel bike builders media blast their frames before paint so I'd have a hard time believing this is a real issue. Most media meant for light duty applications, like glass or walnut shell, has a really tough time removing even soft metal like silver brazing alloy.

J.Higgins 

I fully agree with you on this. I worked as a machinist for 25 years (now retired). Many times have I seen parts being sandblasted after heat treating and after machining to relieve stresses. If anything, the steel in a frame is better after media blasting. I for one have refinished dozens of frames this way with no ill effect.

cleroica

I'm jealous. I would love to find a nice La Perle frameset in my size. Then I could pretend to be a young Anquetil.

wschellen

Picked up this 1963 PX 10 parts donor for the La Perle project. From it I will be taking the bar, stem, headset, crank and BB. Still need brakes, and period correct record derailleurs. Also need to figure out the seat post diameter problem. I want to do that before the painting, in case I need to ream the tube or something. Another challenge is trying to decide on a color for the La Perle. I have experimented with green, but I am not sure I like the results. The saga continues.

juvela

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Congratulations on this outstanding find!

The Verot 63 chainset is likely worth its weight in platinum.

Favor:

when you open it up could you please make some photos of the spindle

would expect to see a two-digit marking on one of the taper flats, likely a 62 or a 63

Thank you!

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wschellen

juvela
Sure enough, two digit marking.

juvela

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Thank you so much; greatly appreciated.

Only one encountered previously was marked 64 and because of the cycle it came out of it made me think it a date. Your example makes it clear my guess was off, como normale.

Perhaps it represents an inspector's mark or a mark from the person who carried out the rectification...

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T-Mar

Or perhaps the 1st character was struck, upside down. I imagine it was a fairly common mistake, après déjeuner avec vin.

juvela

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...the first character inverted would come out as a lower case letter d...



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