I have a handlebar on eBay just now (230319295092) that has a 25mm diameter at the clamp. I didn't realize until now that this was the old French standard, whereas 25.4 (1 inch) is the ISO or British standard, and 26 is the Italian. Does anyone know whether the French bar will work in an ordinary ISO stem without shimming?
Also, the brand is Friko, which I had not heard of, which was from Fritz Koerdt Metallwaren-Fabrik, a manufacturer in Wickede, Germany, dating back to 1929. The brand was acquired by Humpert in 2007, which in turn dates back to 1917 and is still apparently run by the same family. I've often wondered why Germany was such a minor player in the realm of classic bicycles. Here are two manufacturers from the same town (Wickede), in business a long time, one of which is still in business (check http://www.humpert.com) and yet their names don't appear on classic rendezvous or other places where I usually snoop around. I thought this was interesting and wanted to see if anyone else has anything to say about these brands.
John Hurley
Austin, Texas, USA