RE: [CR]Stella

(Example: Production Builders:Cinelli)

Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 04:43:23 -0700 (PDT)
From: Jerome & Elizabeth Moos <jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net>
Subject: RE: [CR]Stella
To: Steve Birmingham <sbirmingham@mindspring.com>, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
In-Reply-To: <008401c5b745$9777bb80$6401a8c0@steve>


I don't remember the Stella part (except as a separate marque), but Arctic bikes were sold in the US in the early 70' bike boom. I remember the same ones as Steve, brown frames, Simplex, cottered cranks - about equivalent to a UO-8. I do believe they made some better models also. I always assumed this was another bike boom French brand like Ginet, St. Tropee, etc. made for export to USA, probably many such brands by one actual manufacturer. The place selling these in Warren, OH, where I lived at the time, was mostly a lawn mower shop, so If they survived a few more years, they might have been sold along side snowmobiles, but any connection to Arctic Cat is probably purely coincidental. By the way, I seem to remember a logo with polar bears on an ice flow, similar to the label of the excellent Polar beer brewed in Venezuela. Or maybe that is just a bit of senile dementia.

Regards,

Jerry Moos Houston, TX

Steve Birmingham <sbirmingham@mindspring.com> wrote: I have one that's a lower line bike, brown metallic, simplex, williams cottered crank etc. It has the same graphics as the better ones. I've seen orange and what can only be described as "safety green"

When my father bought the one I have now, he was told they had been sold through Arctic Cat snowmobile dealers. I've sort of gotten to doubt that, as I think of 1970 as being just pre bike boom. On the other hand, Arctic Cat did market lots of odd stuff around 1970, like child size snowmobiles, and the color of mine is almost identical to the color I remember for the snowmobiles they made then.

Steve Birmingham Lowell, Ma

From: Subject: [CR]Stella

Hey does anyone have any info on a 1970 Stella Arctic.It has full wrap stays,no braze-ons,campy drop-outs.Orange color.French threads. Post appears to be 26mm. Thanks .
Dickey Greer
West Monroe,La