What's in the Workstand ? ?

[pooneej]

Mine isnt as cool as others but it's what's been in the workstand since mid September. It's basically finished but I just need to cut steerer tube and dial in / adjust derailleurs, brakes, etc.

I am thinking of a winter buildup = adding an electric motor to an older Schwinn.

[kppolich]

Originally Posted by RobJ

This one will be in the stand on Thursday (if Fedex comes through). Not as common here. Binge watching the TdF, Giro, Vuelta, LBL etc. probably cobtributed but after releasing the OPEN I knew I wanted to go road.




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Nice! Is that a M/L? Have a buddy looking for one so when you inevitably sell it PM me.

[jamesdak]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

Thats cool James, very unique paint.

Remind me where you live? That looks like some tall gearing on that speedster.

Small little mountain valley in Utah. The advantage of having and riding a bunch of different bikes is that some can just be geared for speed. They just don't see the mountains normally. Although.....I am stupid enough to have done some of the Cat 2 climbs with 53/42 13-23 setups on some of the older bikes.

Like the Opus. Probably why I'm not waiting for the MRI's to be scheduled for my knees, LOL!

[RobJ]

Originally Posted by kppolich

Nice! Is that a M/L? Have a buddy looking for one so when you inevitably sell it PM me.

Lol. The one coming for me is a Medium. If he's a medium or large there's some excess inventory from a regional team.

[Velocipede]

Pulling old worn bearing race cups in these Campagnolo Nuovo Tipo #1251 hubs for a PEZ bike. A bit of cleaning and new ones going in. New cones and bearings too.

[El Chaba]

Something vintage-y and French is getting “Fignon” levers....

[reuben]

Originally Posted by El Chaba

Something vintage-y and French is getting “Fignon” levers....

XA stem. Dig it.

[Velocipede]

Originally Posted by reuben

XA stem. Dig it.

That might be the IR internal wedge stem. Can't tell for sure. Either way, nice stems.

[Ken_F]

Originally Posted by El Chaba

Something vintage-y and French is getting “Fignon” levers....

That looks pretty sweet. Can't wait to see the final product.

What bar tape is that?

[El Chaba]

Thanks for the kind comments. Yes it is a Cinelli IR stem...in the French 22.0 mm diameter if you can imagine that...The bar tape is cloth Tressostar with shellac...It has been a fun project.

[fiamme red]

Originally Posted by El Chaba

Thanks for the kind comments. Yes it is a Cinelli IR stem...in the French 22.0 mm diameter if you can imagine that...The bar tape is cloth Tressostar with shellac...It has been a fun project.

That's a beautiful Meral. I'd like some larger close-ups, please.

Norris Lockley posted this a week ago on the Classic Rendezvous list:

This week some of us Lejeune fans have shared a few emails about this French brand, and I remember that some months ago, there was a thread that tried to identify what had happened to Lejeune..and when did they shut up shop.

To sum up, I think we decided that, after Alain Baumann sold on Lejeune the new owners decided to market the brand again but largely under a new brand name...by buying the well-known and respected MERAL brand. I think that the new venture opened up in or around 1983/4.

the new models at the Paris Cycle Show were very dramatic in their new Meral livery..but the brand did not take off to the extent that the owners needed.

For about three years and ending in 1987, the firm teamed with the 'temporary work' company R.M.O to run a professional team - RMO-Meral; MAVIC also trying to promote its new groupsets provided the equipment. The bikes looked very impressive and some top iders were signed up.

It was all too short lived.

I'm not sure just what types of cycles appeal to the majority of CR LIsters, but if they are anything like me..with an interest French bikes, I would make sure that I would have a Meral in the garage.

I am probably going to put Dale's patience to the test, by outing a Team RMO-Meral bike on French Ebay, as I feel it should be in a CR List's stable alongside the Colnagos Olmos etc

The one on Ebay is from 1987...the last year for the team. I think it is one that I almost bought three or four years ago, and had belonged to the specialist mountain climber Thierry Claveyrolat. I passed on the bike at the time because I already had one that had belonged to Dante Rezze ( built from Excell tubes)

This frame is a 54/ 55cms Columbus SLX one..with almost a complete Mavic groupset...except that the present owner has substituted Shimano gears and brake stirrups to replace the MAVIC SSC series !!!

I have never come across a Meral at any price range that did not ride really well...and I suspect that this one was built by another renowned French frame-builder , Francis Quillon.

[El Chaba]

Originally Posted by Velocipede

Pulling old worn bearing race cups in these Campagnolo Nuovo Tipo #1251 hubs for a PEZ bike. A bit of cleaning and new ones going in. New cones and bearings too.

Great project. They will be good for another 50 years....

[El Chaba]

Originally Posted by fiamme red

That's a beautiful Meral. I'd like some larger close-ups, please.

Norris Lockley posted this a week ago on the Classic Rendezvous list:

Thanks for that. The Meral story is an interesting one. Norris Lockley is incredibly knowledgeable and as he mentioned Francis Quillon was the head builder at Cyfac during these years ...Later on he went on to form Cyfac, but he is now retired. As he pointed out, all the Merals seem to ride very well. These bikes were made in an era when the *ride* of a bike was given a lot of importance. Bikes of today are lighter, stiffer, more aerodynamic, etc...and all of these metrics are quantifiable. In those days, though, the best builders seemed to share the characteristic of being able to make a bike that was *balanced*...and that can’t be measured, only felt. I also have a Meral “campeur” and another Meral that was made for somebody else....

[fiamme red]

Originally Posted by El Chaba

Thanks for that. The Meral story is an interesting one. Norris Lockley is incredibly knowledgeable and as he mentioned Francis Quillon was the head builder at Cyfac during these years ...Later on he went on to form Cyfac, but he is now retired. As he pointed out, all the Merals seem to ride very well. These bikes were made in an era when the *ride* of a bike was given a lot of importance. Bikes of today are lighter, stiffer, more aerodynamic, etc...and all of these metrics are quantifiable. In those days, though, the best builders seemed to share the characteristic of being able to make a bike that was *balanced*...and that can’t be measured, only felt. I also have a Meral “campeur” and another Meral that was made for somebody else....

The "campeur" is wonderful! Again, I'd like to see some close-ups. I guess the shifter on the seat tube is to turn on and off a dynamo?

I've always associated the La Redoute team with Motobecane -- I did not know they rode Merals.

[El Chaba]

Originally Posted by fiamme red

The "campeur" is wonderful! Again, I'd like to see some close-ups. I guess the shifter on the seat tube is to turn on and off a dynamo?

I've always associated the La Redoute team with Motobecane -- I did not know they rode Merals.

As requested. As you can see, the Motobecane has the same unique treatment of the stay ends at the dropout....It has Meral embossed on the dropouts, too....