I don't think Avocet ever manufacturered anything. Most major components were made by Ofmega including cranks, hubs, pedals and I think headsets. The saddles were Italian also (Selle Italia?). Perhaps Avocet had some role in designing these products, like the excellent women's saddles - my wfe's favorite saddle is still the Avocet Women's Touring II. I presume it was Ofmega which was to manufacture Avocet's celebrated bit of "vaporware", the Avocet Model III hubs with titanium axles and magnesium bodies. These were heavily advertised but never materialized. I don't know that whole story, but perhaps Ofmega produced some prototypes but encountered high failure rates in testing them. One imagines that thin magnesium flanges might fail easily at the spoke holes, and I think Campy had alreay given up on their short-lived titanium hub axles about this time,
Regards,
Jerry Moos Houston, TX
Bikerdaver@aol.com wrote:
I know Avocet was in business in the 1970s selling parts and that they may have "subbed out" the actual manufacture of their parts, including the once ubiquitous Avocet cycling computers, but where were they from? France?, USA?
I have also seen Avocet seatposts (very kool looking), pedals, shoes, cranksets (made by ofmega?) saddles, hubs and toeclips, but what ever happened to them? they seemed to be reasonable parts. Did they spread themselves too thin? get bought out by someone else or ?? Any info would be most helpful. I noticed that the CR site doesn't list them anywhere that I can find, or did I miss their page?
cheers-
Dave Anderson
Cut Bank MT