Re: [CR] Avocet Parts Questions

Subject: RE: [CR]Avocet Parts Questions Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 18:13:57 -0400 From: "Bingham, Wayne R." <WBINGHAM@imf.org> To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>

The Monkeyman wrote:
>>>>OK, I just won a NOS pair of Avocet hubs with the box on Ebay for $20 < http://ebay.com/<blah> I never expected winning the hubs, but I was the only bidder. What's up with that? Sure they're not Weyless, but they're quite nice hubs. Anyway, I've always liked their stuff. As I remember they made seats, seatposts, hubs, cranks. . .was there anything else? I know the stuff was contracted out, so who actually built their stuff?<<<<

I have the same NOS rear hub (in a similar box intended for a pair, but the front is missing) that was given to me by a friend a few years ago. The hub is actually quite nice. If it were a pair, I probably would have done something with it by now. Anyone have a front lying around they'd give up? Or does someone need the rear I have? Mine is unhappy and needs a mate. I think you got a heck of a deal on those, Mr. Monk!

I'm not sure who made the hubs, but I'm fairly certain that Ofmega made the cranksets, and a lot of the stuff was anodized in colors. I have a blue Avocet track crank on my fixed-gear, and a red one still in the box. Also have a seat post in the box, and agree that the stuff is all pretty nice.

Wasn't someone trying to build a bike with a complete Avocet "group" a while back? Was the you, Joe B-Z? So far, we've identified seat post, hubs, crank, BB, pedals and clips, and I seem to remember headsets as well. Don't ever recall derailleurs, but since Ofmega made those too, who knows?

Wayne Bingham Falls Church VA =20

Wayne:

IIRC (I like that acronym/abbreviation more and more recently...), there were Mod I hubs (loose bearing) and Mod II hubs ("sealed" bearings), both made by Ofmega. Not sure which those are, Monkeyunit, but I'd say it'd be hard to go too far wrong at $20 NOS....

All I remember in Avocet-branded parts were the hubsets, pedals, double- and triple-cranksets, BBs, headsets (loose and sealed units), seatposts (all Ofmega), clips, and straps too, Wayne. Don't think it ever got any farther than that - their attention span at Avocet has always been kinda short IMO. Sort of Rhode Gear-ish, but more "real" techno-cool components. It's gotta be tough to make money as a "boutique" brand with sub-contracted parts. Glad Avocet did it though....

I remember the long-awaited Mod. 20 cyclometer - hyped in the cycling mags. way before it was available (but, in fairness, it was a pretty revolutionary product, sold like hotcakes, and as long as you didn't get it wet (!) generally worked well for a long time).

All they sell now is tires, right?

Greg Parker A2 MI USA Home of a few Mod. 20 cyclometers and one lonely Pacer 2000H if I can dig it out of the caverns.....