Sorry to hark back to this week-old topic, but Joel's discovery about Andre Crozet's lugs, in that old Bottin Du Cycles, has made an old man (So my wife keeps reminding me, but she doesn't put it that politely!) very happy.. and far more knowledgable. You're never too old to learn!
One of my more fortunate purchases last summer came about when my chosen French Route Nationale southwards to the Provencale sun , suddenly developed what in England is known to the motorist as "the English Disease" ie a bad bout of single carriageway on an otherwise double lane road... depicted by long lines of plastic traffic cones. These things never used to exist until the English settlers like me arrived in France. I reckon the French politicians would think that we felt as though we were "at home " and welcome.
Shreaking to a halt at the "feux rouge".. as much as anyone can manage to build up a head of speed in a 15-year -old Citroen BX diesel-turbo.. I happend to just catch sight of... even though they were at a distance...a pair of very obviously AVA Azureen handlebars, attached to a frame boasting bright red lugs attached to a white head-tube with a big metal badge sandwiched in-between.
Claiming that the emergency stop had occasioned a need to commune with nature, I crossed the RN57 and just chanced to skirt by the yard outside the antique dealer's where the object of my fancy paraded itself.
Well, needless to say, and 75 euros the poorer, I carried my new vintage purchase back to the car where my long-suffering spouse waited, and waited... as the rouge of the "feux rouge" turned to vert..and back to rouge...no amber in France!
So what did I get? Well apart from the Azureens, the Pivo stem, the Gloria ALLOY Tour-de-France brakes, the old "impeccable".... and no one, but no one can say that word like a Frenchman (or woman) AVA rims on Prior hubs, gears and chainset to-die-for,.. and a frame 3 whole centimetres to big for me to straddle.. but who cares when you're headed towards Provence..... I got a FULL SET of Andre Crozet lugs... and bracket.... and internal rear brake cable..
The frame-builder... someone called "SUPER ROYAL"...not the best known of the French constructeurs but no doubt.. in the 30s.. a "constructeur's constructeur "! And....he used to plate his chrome over copper!
Would I have stopped even faster if I'd known that the lugs were "Crozet"? Probably not! there are some things in life that can only be executed in one distinct way... and pulling up for Azureens .. is one of them. Pulling up for "Crozets"...you bet!
Thanks Joel... I shall be forever in your debt..
Norris Lockley,, from a very wet and miserable Settle UK.. but tomorrow I shall be "en route" for "La Belle France...and "Provence.. here I come!"" Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.289 / Virus Database: 265.0.0 - Release Date: 08/11/2004