Some Mavic ramblings:
-any threading of BB shell accepts a Mavic (if you chamfer it) The chainline is adjustable.
-I'm considering hiring my Grump Machinist Friend to make a small run of the r der hanger piece that's always missing from the "erector set" r der...any takers? what would you pay for one?
-There wasn't a seatpost until the heavy (320g) one in the 8-sp group. There are 3 generations of Simplex posts (by my count) during the SSC years and they are all cool.
-The early rims are very rare, especially in 650b..The ones on my '56 Peugeot weigh 330g.
-I've never seen the fenders.
-there was a lower-grade OEM version of SSC, apparently (maybe w/ the bad stems?). Lots of the dark grey ano finish is silver on those parts
-there were several generations of stems, beginning in the '70s. They even made one w/ a removeable face-plate. Me I *like* them...my 200lb track-racin' cousin has sprinted hard on my mavic Peugeot....the stems seem to me as stiff as a 1A
http://www.mookietwoh.com/
anyone need the 310 headset wrenches? (No relation)
http://ebay.com/
Getting together an SSC group shouldn't be too hard. It's always there at bike swaps, lacking much interest that I've noticed. BC(.....and the gang! )has it, also Euro-Asia (which is strictly a wholesaler). A full mavic 'stripper' bike in VG condition will be under $500.
Could it be rarer than Super Record?? Anyway the fan base is much smaller and the prices are lower (even though Mavic cost more than Campag when new). The spares are also cheaper---the gum hoods, the 42t chainrings, etc..
However, you will have to pay up if you're going to be picky. There ARE things which fetch a lot, though seldom eclipsing the outrageous 1980s retail prices.
rare: anything NOS/NIP, parts w/ screened SSC logo in white, 172.5/175 cranks, quill pedals, bars 42/44 cm, brake blocks. SSC rims especialitement les bleus w/ foil decals, triple cranks, sticker sheets, old foil logo (pre '88) gel 280, GL 330, and gp4 that are exc/NOS, 440 brakes
really rare: '70s parts (I've never seen a full-mavic '70s bike...), track hubs, 310 headsets in VG/NOS shape, light SSC rims, Z 7-sp cassette hub, the cursed r der hanger piece, aero adapter for modolo type levers...
Well that's enough off topic mavic worship for one email.
Jack Bissell
Tucson, Az