Aldo Ross wrote:
>
> Today's picture - b&w of Briek Schotte riding his Girardengo next to the Lygie team car:
>
> http://albums.photopoint.com/
>
> "Allez!" double bottle cage
> Huret(?) suicide shifter
> Campy quick releases
> Fully chromed fork with intersting crown
> Chrome panel on seattube
> Vittoria gum lever hood covers
> Note the hand rails on top of the team car, and the rear seat passenger wearing a continental fireman's helmet! Watch your head on that handrail!!!
>
> Aldo Ross
Looks to me like Briek Schotte's Lygie is equiped with an Italian Simplex group.
That group would be Simplex large-flange hubs made by FB (Italy) and Simplex derailleurs (Made in Italy). Simplex (Italy) chainrings, freewheel and chain. Front derailleur is clearly a Simplex Competition changer. Brakes look to be Universal (Italy), with the cut out lever bodies and Vittoria Giro hoods.
The Italian Simplex was the group that Fausto Coppi used on his Bianchi for his TdF and GdI wins in 1949 and Freddie Kublers's victory in the 1950 TdF. Briek Schotte won the Pro Worlds in 1950 with Italian Simplex. Simplex's victories in all the major races in 1948, '49, and '50 were the motivation for Tullio Campagnolo's landmark Gran Sport derailleurs.
I have a really beautiful reproduction of the Italian Simplex catalog from 1950 available on my website.
Chuck Schmidt
South Pasadena, California
http://www.velo-retro.com