[CR]SOLIDA - Stronglight - Nervar - Raleigh - cranksets - steel

(Example: Framebuilding:Technology)

From: "Raoul Delmare" <Raoul.L.Delmare@worldnet.att.net>
To: "C.R. List" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>, "Bruce C." <BruceCumberland@comcast.net>
References: <000501c44191$358b9520$fd2ffea9@belfast>
Date: Tue, 25 May 2004 10:19:59 -0500
Subject: [CR]SOLIDA - Stronglight - Nervar - Raleigh - cranksets - steel

Hey Thanks Emerson .

I've always wondered about Solida . But I've never actually done any research .

I've never even seen a country-of-origin stamped into a Solida crank ! I'd mostly assumed Solida cranks were made in France . But I really had no confirmation of that theory .

I have another question I've wondered about for years and years . During the early 1970's , Raleigh made huge numbers of the very similar ( but definitely not identical ) Grand Prix and Super Course bicycles . There were three cranksets used ( as far as I know ) . All of the cranksets were chromed steel , 3-piece , with pins , "cottered" . Some cranksets were stamped "MADE BY STRONLIGHT" . Most cranksets were stamped with the "Raleigh man" ( a sketchy representation of Sir Walter Raleigh astride a bicycle ! ) . I believe a very few had cranksets stamped with the Nervar name .

Since the "Raleigh" cranksets , with the "Raleigh man" stamped right into them , are ALMOST exactly identical with the Nervar cranksets made during those same years . . . I've always assumed the "Raleigh" cranksets were made for Raleigh by Nervar .

Now , just to be sure we are all talking about the same thing , these are NOT the same cranksets as the ones on the Raleigh Sports 3-Speed bicycles . Those were single chainring cranksets , with the three "heron's heads" shapes cut into the chainrings . And the chainrings were not detachable .

The ones I'm asking about here , probably made by Nervar , were "3-pin" ( swaged spider ) , with two detachable chainrings . The only example I have lying around handy , only has two marks on each arm . On the outer face is the "Raleigh man" . On the inner face is the letter Æ . ( Thanks Sheldon , when I needed a representation of that letter , I knew right where to find one to copy !! )

Does anyone have any solid answers , any proof , that all of those chromed steel cranksets ( millions of them ? ) , with the "Raleigh man" stamped into them , were actually made for Raleigh by Nervar ??????

And by the way , quite a few of those "Raleigh Grand Prix" bicycles were made in Holland by Gazelle , after Gazelle was bought by T.I.-Raleigh . Thanks to a list-member , I have a Gazelle bicycle , a Tour de L'Avenir ( almost , but not quite the same as a Raleigh Grand Prix ) , which came with a crankset made by . . . SOLIDA .

Anyway ,

Were those "Raleigh man" cranksets , on so very many Grand-Prix-Super-Course bicycles , actually made for Raleigh by Nervar ?

Thanks !

:^)
Raoul Delmare
Marysville Kansas U.S.A.


----- Original Message -----
From: Emerson Johnston
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Sent: Monday, May 24, 2004 8:15 AM
Subject: [CR]RE Stronglight and Nervar Equipment (Norris Lockley)


I have a Xerox of an late 80's early 90's Stronglight Catalog which includes a comprehensive set of SOLIDA chainsets for the O.E.M Market Each page with the SOLIDA Cranks also carried the Stronglight Trade Mark

SOLIDA SL 75D Dural Double Chainset detachable rings SOLIDA SL 55DF3 Dural Double Chainset detachable inner ring SOLIDA SL 65 Dural and anodized Chainset detachable ring(s) available S/D/T SOLIDA SL 62 Chromed Steel Chainset detachable ring(s) available S/D/T SOLIDA 55 Dural and anodized Chainset with detachable rings available S/D SOLIDA 52 Dural Cranks steel rings available S/D/T

I don't have the Date on this Catalog but for reference the Stronglight Cranks include ST 1000 and ST Delta ST 300LX (130 Bolt circle)

Hope this is of some use

Emerson Johnston Global Customer Value Management LLC. Phone (613) 599 5374 E-mail: emerson@gcvm.com Visit: http://www.gcvm.com

-----Original Message----- From: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org Sent: Monday, May 24, 2004 7:24 AM

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Date: Mon, 24 May 2004 01:13:01 +0100 From: "Norris Lockley" <Norris.Lockley@btopenworld.com> To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> 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=20 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