[CR]Nervex Professional Lugs

(Example: Racing:Wayne Stetina)

From: "Raoul Delmare" <Raoul.L.Delmare@worldnet.att.net>
To: "C.R. List" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>, "Andy M. at YellowJersey" <amuzi@yellowjersey.org>, "Bruce C." <BruceCumberland@comcast.net>
Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2003 11:58:40 -0500
Subject: [CR]Nervex Professional Lugs

Well , O.K .

It has been pointed out to me , that when I wrote that Nervex Professional lugs were made with big ugly seams , I may have been overstating things just a bit .

When I wrote that , I was thinking about conversations from the past few months . In the past few months , I have read , and I have heard over the telephone , several people , each expressing their opinions more than once , about how they feel that perhaps people should not be so enthusiastic about Nervex Professional lugs .

And fairly recently , I've seen photos of them on a Raleigh , where they were not finished all that well . And I have certainly seen several examples of them on Peugeot frames , where they were not given much of any finish work at all . Some of those looked very rough .

Personally , I love the look of those lugs , always have . And , I'm pretty darned enthusiastic about them . But , when people start talking about how they are machine-made lugs , and should not be put up onto a lofty pedestal . . . I understand that too .

So , just minutes ago , I took a long look at a 1966 , & two 1972 , Paramounts - with Nervex Professional lugs . The lugs had obviously all been filed and polished almost perfectly .

Then , I looked at some raw lugs . At this moment , I have some New Old Stock , raw , unfinished , Nervex Professional lugs , sitting on the table , next to my elbow ( thanks Joe ! ) . Considering what the factory must have started with ( just plain sheet metal ?? ) it is amazing to look at these lugs . They are far from perfect . But , even raw , in just the same condition they were in when they left Nervex , they look good .

Yes , they have seams . But really , the seams are almost obliterated . Those machine-made lugs look pretty darned good to me .

The only exception - if you look REALLY closely - on the raw lugs , and on two out of the three Paramounts I examined , there is a noticeable bumpy lump , at the seam , on the top of the front of the seat lug . This is where the top tube comes into the seat lug . In the set of raw lugs , it is easily seen . On one of the Paramounts it was filed and polished to invisibility . On the other two Paramounts , it had been polished into a smooth lump , but it had not been filed down much at all before being polished .

So , there you have it . I understand that we should not worship these lugs as the most elegant ever made . But , honestly , I really do think that they are extremely lovely . And although they have seams , those seams are neither big , nor ugly .

: ^ )

Raoul Delmare
Marysville Kansas