jamesdak 

Here's the one I picked up on the forum recently and am still working on. In the waiting for parts stage right now but so far it's coming along fine.


SX 73

Cycle Tourist

I bought one for cheap also and with some inexpensive parts and some used but good tires and a through cleaning got $200 for it. It depends on the model. Mine was a middle low end model and changing to square taper cranks and barends probably gave me a couple of bucks profit. Nice to know it's still providing service but I don't think very many people are cleaning up in a financial sense.😁

Nwvlvtnr 

Since moving to San Diego last year I have discovered that high end French bicycles are quite pleniful and under apreciated. I'd always stayed away from French bicycles in the past but now I'm in love with them.

I have a few projects in the works but here is my Stella SX-76. I aquired it as a frame and fork that had been repainted so I wasn't sure what it was. The high quality fit and finish with an ornate bottom bracket lug and campy dropouts (abiet stamped) along with the Campy headset and Stronglight BB made me certain is was a higher end machine. After a few days of serching photos of french bicycles I was able to put it together, I believe it was by 3alarmer's post in this exact thread where I first connected all the dots.

I would gues its an SX-76 as it had the Campy headset but I supose that is a meaningless destintion as the frame and fork of a 75 and 76 are identical. The cable stops for the bar end shifers and the bottle cage braze ons had to have been added at a latter time.

It was largely built with parts from a very large Merz touring bike I aquired for almost nothing, I built the wheels with Mavic Mod E's laced to Miche Competion small flange hubs. I made a few concessions to my personal preferences and for ridabilities sake but she still has a soul. The frame and fork were powder coated with Velocal decals added (representing a newer model than I have). I picked out the lime green color before I decieded on the Shelacced Cloth bar tape and while the combination of the two bugged me at first I've now come to like it.

Despite being a "race" model I find it suites my riding style quite well. I am sold on the merrits of center pulls and find the Suntour Power Ratchet/ Huret/ Capmy Nouvo Record drive train is great though I must admit that Simplex 610's and all contemporary SunTour rear mechs do shift noticably better in my opinion. I greatly exceeded the deraileur capacity but in pratice this isn't an issue. The 49 t outer ring works with the three higher gears, the 42 t middlw ring works with them all and the 28 t granny can be used with the two lowest, so despite being a tripple you could say its still a 10 speed. It has a rather low bottom bracket shell and it will strike ths pedals on the ground when corning hard but Ive also found that too is non issue, even with 175 mm crank arms.

I do need a better looking pump and method of ataching it as well a more appealing saddle bag but these are not priorities.

Hproduguidon

73StellaSX76

[QUOTE=Hproduguidon;21913570]
[/QUOTE
Two rear axle positions on your white folder, a horizontal AND a vertical. I’d not seen that before. I wonder if the vertical set were to be used with a rd.

bertinjim 

Zefal makes a black frame fit presta/schrader pump. I use a number 4 on my 60 cm c-t-t Bertin. Very secure fit and light weight. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Zefal-Rev-8...Cclp%3A2334524

Hproduguidon

73StellaSX76 sorry I can not translate but here is another model which is not mine

Nwvlvtnr 

From when I first put it together.

motogeek 

Nice Stella! How well does that Campy RD work with the large rear sprocket and the small front sprocket? With the short cage on the RD it looks like the chain would droop a bit.

Nwvlvtnr 

Thank you,

It droops more than a bit and I have a Soma long cage kit but I haven't found the need for it as I don't use those gear combinations. On the tall chainring I have the three highest gears and the two lowest in the granny. In practice it feels very natural to ride and I don't even really notice.

unworthy1

juvela had suggested I add this (he pegs it as 1973) frame and fork to this thread, just so happens it's for sale in the appropriate sub-forum (so please check that out).


unknown tubing but it does have the Prugnat long-point lugs and Vagner (Wagner) fork crown, but ends are stamped an only chrome is on the fork blades. Remarkable how nice the paint looks and the chrome has (since this photo taken) shined up very well....given it's over 45 years old! I'm going to give this "old paint" a wax job...she deserves one.


Pix ahoy:














Bumping this to promote the REDUCED PRICE and link to the SALES posting: I had a potential buyer but that fell thru so somebody please help me reduce my inventory and own your own vintage blue 52cm Stella:
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...m-vintage.html

CityParkCruiser

Here's my Stella - found it locally as a fixer upper and had the fork realigned at Yellow Jersey. Added some alloy wheels to replace the steel ones and upgraded to 5 speeds, plus got some city bars. Should be an excellent townie, even if the gearing is hard on these Duluth hills.

juvela

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thanks very much for posting and sharing your example!

think i can make out that image contains a red bicycle

there are nations with postage stamps larger than this picture

please post again if you are able to create some larger format imagery


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CityParkCruiser

OK, take two on the picture. Hopefully this comes across better and bigger! I'm working on lots of cleaning and polishing, but this is the basic concept. Rides wonderfully!

juvela

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thanks a bunch; can see lots of detail now

from your text description sounds like you took it in as a complete machine and most of what we see is original to the cycle

so was it originally a derailleur three or four speed machine? did you convert drive train from 1/8" to 3/32"?

did you retain original wheel size when you fitted replacements?

cannot recall ever seeing a fork blade transfer in this position previously

dynamo boss is a NERVEX item, Ref. 898 AR

are you able to clearly read saddle stamp?

asking because it looked like it might be the name Ildefonso; struck by this as there was an Uruguayan cycling champion of the 1940's by the name of Ildefonso Soler

handgrips appear to be DARE or else Dare replica

pedals look to be Eclair

bottom bracket spindle appears to be REWAX MD

thanks again for posting your star girl!

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OT - Duluth - me mum was born in Bismarck


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unworthy1

My Granddad was born in Virginia (MN) the town not the state: Iron Range...where the miners got to go to Big City Duluth maybe once or twice a year (if they saved enough wages)

juvela

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all chrome model Pocketby -



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​​​​​​https://encycloduvelo.fr/stella/


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CityParkCruiser

Yes, it was originally a 3 speed, with Atom hubs and rigida rims. I've upgraded to an alloy wheelset, and also found the Philippe bars/stem/levers/grips as a complete package that kept with the French theme. I'm still running the original chain on a 5 speed freewheel.

It's helpful to know about the grips - I'd guess they're Dare, but not sure where to look for a brand marking. Nothing was readily apparent when I put it all on.

The saddle is an Indeform, has a model 280P on it. It's rubber, not leather, but is actually quite comfortable and as it's a townie for me, I'm going to see what I think. I like being able to have something I needn't worry about in the rain/snow/whatnot that we get up north. I'm not sure how great it'll feel if it's a hot day, but then again, I'm experimenting. I put a picture of the saddle below, so any info is welcome!

Thanks for all the other info, too - I'm guessing it's an early 60's model, based on the Huret Svelto derailleur, which was introduced in 1963, I believe. It had wingnuts originally, and the three speeds, so it doesn't seem like a later bike, but that's just my guessing.

Now I'm trying to decide how much (if at all) I should clean/polish things to make her pretty. Since it's a townie, I'll likely leave the patina on the paint, but thinking it might be nice to polish up the alloy and chrome bits that I can. That being said, leaving it as is, or just clean (not polished) could be some added theft deterrent.

capnjonny 

I just picked up a Stella Mixte for the Bike Exchange an was looking for info when I found this thread.

I didn't see any Mixtes so I thought I would show mine. The bike has Campagnolo derailleurs, shifters, hubs and skewers, Weinman Center pull brakes, a Universal Cottered steel crank, steel wheels with embossed braking surfaces, and weighs 29.13 pounds with the Pletcher rack, kick stand, and dynamo light

I have never seen a Universal crank before. Is it the same company that makes Universal brakes? Is it valuable enough to sell separately? The shop manager suggested I strip off all the Campi stuff for us to sell on Ebay. I can put some nice Suntour bits on it that would probably work better than what's on there but part of me wants to keep it as stock as possible. it is a fairly rare bike I suppose but that doesn't necessarily make it valuable.

jamesdak 

This is how I finished mine up. Donated it to the local bike coop for a fundraiser event.

juvela

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Beautiful job!

Looks just me size too...


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juvela

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Thanks very much for sharing this example.

Universel chainsets are produced by A. Duprat of France.

Universal brakes are produced by Fratelli Pietra of Italy.

Note difference in spelling.

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Appears a ~1973 example.

Locknuts on Campag NT hubs will exhibit a date of either 1972 or 1973.

The local importer/distributor was Beacon Cycles & Supply Co. of Oakland, CA.

Pedals are Eclair.

Dynamo/Headlamp is Soubitez model Nr. 89.


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juvela

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domestic French market model dated 1973

note presence of NERVEX dynamo mount boss Ref. 898 AR

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due ruote 

Latest iteration of my SX73 - single speed parts bin build. So far I prefer it to the previous drop bar fixed version.

riffhog

Just joined up here. Sorry to resurrect the original post, but I had one of these since 1974, & just recently gave it to friend who's recovering from cancer.

It's a Stella "Champion du Monde" model, all Columbus tubes. I believe the Champion du Monde came only in the orange/white/chrome color combo. Mine

had the full Campagnolo Nuevo Record gruppo from 1974 (yes, I gave it away LOL)! Another confirming characteristic (as mentioned by the OP) is having to let the air out of the rear tire for removal/installation due to the short chain stays & 38 3/4" wheelbase. From what I know, it was designed as a criterium bike, & has an incredibly stiff frame with 5/8" seat stays, so it doesn't flex much when accelerating out of corners & climbing. Not great on your body for anything over 40-50 miles though. Care must be taken when riding at low speeds because the front wheel hits your foot when turning, but this thing corners like a rat on a carpet!
Unfortunately, I only have a couple old black & white pics of it that I'll try to locate. I never took any more pics after I repainted it 25 years ago.
Hope this might interest some of you Stella enthusiasts!
Edit: this a reply to the very first post of the thread. I thought the pic would transfer with my response to make it obvious. I must've hit quick reply.