I just wanted to say thanks to all who responded to my questions about Victor Sport, particularly to Norris, who is a veritable fountain af knowledge.
I'll post some impressions when it arrives.
Chris Kulczycki,
Annapolis MD (where it's already too hot and humid)
http://velo-orange.blogspot.com/
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Date: Mon, 29 May 2006 00:41:27 +0100 From: "Norris Lockley" To: Subject: [CR]Victor Sport frames Message-ID: <000801c682b0$3d006990$f4674054@049306920171> Content-Type: text/plain;charset="iso-8859-1" MIME-Version: 1.0 Precedence: list Message: 10
Victor Sport was the importer to the uSA of Starnord bikes made by Bernard Dangre's company DANGRE-STARNORD, of Valenciennes, northern France. This company..it might still be on the go still, I think,..also made bikes under the France-Sport and NORD-STAR brands. It also had the rights to the Eddy Merckx name for France. Via some family link, it was connected with Cycles Delcroix at nearby St Amand les Eaux, a company that had closing working relationship with tha great lion of the north, Jean Stablinski. Both were relatively small family-owned affairs but they managed to produce a full range of bikes from kid's' tourers and racers right through to serious amateur racing machines. Both companies sponsored local semi-pro teams from time to time.
An interesting fact about Dangre-Starnord is that the company never kept any stock; it did not have a warehouse. Every frame and cycle built was ordered by someone, and each customer, regardless of the model, price etc of their bike. could choose their own spray finish from a range of about 20 colours.
Both Dangre and Delcroix were on the route of the Paris - Roubaix classic, with Dangre's being just around the corner from the first "ravitaillement" zone on the route. A visit to the factory could be timed to perfection. , "killing two birds with one stone " as folk say.
Norris Lockley..wallowing in nostalgia again..Settle UK