[CR]Stronglight and Nervar Equipment

(Example: Framebuilders:Richard Moon)

From: "Norris Lockley" <Norris.Lockley@btopenworld.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Date: Mon, 24 May 2004 01:13:01 +0100
Subject: [CR]Stronglight and Nervar Equipment

A few days ago a query was raised about a possible relationship between these two French manufacturers of chainsets. I have been researching the history of cycle and cycle accessory manufacturers in and around St Etienne, and again visited the city and its suburbs only a few weeks ago. As part of the research I am attempting to rake photographs of the premises used in years gone by and some of the current ones before the get demolished to make way for yet another huge food "hypermarche"

Last august I visited the factories of both Nervar - sadly no longer manufacturing- and Stronglight - stil where they were years ago but now under changed ownership, yet again. As far as I can ascertain there was no real relationship, Stronglight being in St Etienne itself while Nervar was up the road about 18 kms away in St Chamond, just around the corner from the old Vitus tubing factory in the valley of the River Gier - hence the name of the company that manufactured Vitus tubng, Ateliers de la Rive - "rive" referring to the banks of the river.

"Stronglight" was a trade mark of the Verot Perrin company, while " Nervar" was a marque owned by Peyrard. I have been trying to link the "Stronglight" Perrin with the Perrin company that manufactured the Pelissier and Excelto range of hubs at Boen not far from St Etienne Trading from the same address in St Etienne as Verot Perrin was another company Ets Haubtmann - which manufactured a range of steel chainsets under the brand "Solida".

If you study a pair of Solida cranks ( and probably Milremo ones too) they look very similar to the cheaper steel cranks of Nervar, and to some of the cheaper model Duprat cranks from earlier years. Again if you look at a pair of Stronglight 93 cranks they bear something of a resemblance to the Nervar Star - all of which makes me think that there might have been some collaboration if not actual shared ownership.

I hope to get back to St Etienne in July to ferret about a bit more and to try to access some company records held by the Museum of Arts and Industry which has a superb permanent collection of bikes.

Just one final comment relating to that collection.. to sort of prick the bubble in a sense. On show last year there was a cyclo-cross frame attributed to none other than Rene Herse.. and the frame carried his name. It was a pretty standard job brazed up with Nervex Pro lugs.. and that it just about as good as it got. The workmanship and standard of brazing was truly dreadful and I have chosen that word after considerable thought. Dreadful! Maybe it harked back to his apprenticeship days.. I reckon someone in the Museum bore the renowned builder a real grudge.

Norris Lockley