I am actively on the hunt for the last few niggling bits so that I might have them at the ready for such time as my 1977 Peugeot PY-10/CP frameset eventually returns from Elliot Bay Bicycles where it is currently undergoing a thorough repair and repaint following its unfortunate and unanticipated transatlantic shipping "incident".
Inasmuch as I found myself on the hook for said refinishing work, I decided that I might as well expend the extra time, effort, and monies in an attempt to affect an accurate replica of a vintage Peugeot-Esso-Michelin PY-10 team bike, and more specifically, duplicate either that one upon which Bernard Thevenet collected his second career Maillot Jaune in winning the general classification of the 1977 Tour de France or the one which sprinter par excellence Jacques Esclassan used in winning the Maillot Vert that very same year. I provide this background so that folks might better understand just why it is I am going to be so fussy in looking for very particular component characteristics as well as just why I seek to find them in NOS state or indistinguishable from same.
So without further adieu, here is my short but stubborn "parts wanted list":
----------> FREEWHEEL:
Maillard 700 Pro Team - 13/19 (13-14-15-16-17-19) standard 6 speed - 2 notch removal interface - 1.370" x 24 TPI English thread - 2x2x2 stepped body of Zicral (7075 T6 aluminum alloy) construction with steel pawls, ball bearings, and outer cone - Zicral (7075 T6 aluminum alloy) cogset / three notch slip fit cogs / threaded locking cog / duplex threaded cog pair - nylon plastic spacer rings - model 700 Pro Team
If you happen to have one of these freewheels with the aforementioned specifications, I will buy it outright and be absolutely thrilled. Otherwise, since I do happen to already have an NOS English threaded Maillard 700 alloy freewheel which I can reallocate from a different project, but one which is configured as a 13/21 (13-14-15-17-19-21) six speed, there are at least a couple of other options in play. First of all, should someone out there have a freewheel as described above excepting the fact that theirs is French metric threaded, I would still be interested in its purchase to the extent that I could simply swap bodies with the English version I have on hand to achieve my desired result. Or secondly, if I could manage to locate an NOS 16 tooth alloy cog which fits into the 3/4 slot of a Maillard 700 (...ZB designation), as well as both a 17 and 19 tooth alloy cog apropos the 5/6 slots of same (...ZA designation), I could thereafter assemble the exact grouping I seek by building upon that which I already have.
To review a schematic of the Maillard 700 freewheel, please refer to the top of this page under the designation "Maillard 700 Course":
http://www.velo-pages.com/
In order to view a few photographs of that Maillard 700 Pro Team alloy freewheel which might yet be adapted for use on my PY-10, please using the following links:
http://www.velo-pages.com/
----------> SEAT POST:
Simplex SLJ - two piece cast aluminum alloy construction - Clear anodized fluted shaft with horizontal stitching - Clear anodized headstock - two bolt bifurcated single pivot clamp - 27 mm offset - 240 mm x 26.6 mm - model SLJ (Super Lucien Juy) 4164-A extra-légère
The key here is that not only does the rather rare fluted alloy Simplex seat post I seek need be sized at 26.6 mm in diameter to fit the Reynolds 531 SL seat tube on my PY-10, but also that it have the longer 240 mm post length (...model SLJ 4164-A) as opposed to the standard 188 mm (...model SLJ 4164). As it so happens, I have a couple of SLJ 4164-A components as well as a shorter SLJ 4164 all sized at 26.6 mm ... BUT ... all of them have posts that are scarred way beyond reclamation to a state anywhere near indistinguishable from NOS. That means that I am confronted with the prospect of removing the best looking headstock from one of these three examples, enlisting the services of a local machine shop to turn out a one-off replica post having the requisite stitching and fluting details, taking that new post over to have it properly polished and Clear anodize finished, and then grafting the original headstock back onto the newly minted replica post (...all of which translates into "spend LOTS of money"). So, if you happen to have what I need gathering dust among your spare parts as it awaits some as of yet to be determined project, here is your chance to cash in by having me pay stupid money for yours (...and if you want to work out something that involves an exchange of cash as well as one of my own used Simplex 26.6 fluted alloy seat posts, we can certainly be accommodating in that regard).
For those wishing to review an image of just what I seek before sorting through their spares in search of that magic lottery ticket, please refer to the following Simplex brochure page (...left side, half-way down):
http://www.velo-pages.com/
----------> PEDALS:
Maillard 700 - quill style pedals - chrome plated Cr/Mo spindles - aluminum alloy spindle housings / date code marked mm-yy on the spindle barrels (...where "mm" would be the two digit month and "yy" would be the year code) - Clear anodized Silver aluminum alloy cages with rear kick tab / pre 1980 "tall cage" profile - aluminum alloy hexagonal dust caps - 9/16" x 20 TPI thread - model 700 RA Professional
These pedals actually came in three different configurations, the first of which would be the 700 RC having chrome plated steel cages, and those are decidedly NOT what I am looking for(...steel may be real, but it has no appeal - or at least not in this particular context). The other two versions both feature lightweight aluminum alloy cages - the 700 RA having a Clear anodized Silver finish while the 700 RN has a Black anodized surface treatment. The truth of the matter is that for the 1977 edition of the Tour de France, the Peugeot-Esso-Michelin team bikes used a mix of 700 RA and 700 RN pedals, so I suppose either type will work for my purposes in the general sense. That said, both Thevenet and Esclassan happened to ride bikes that year equipped with Maillard 700 RA pedals having Clear anodized Silver hue cages, so it would be my distinct preference to source a set of those. Bonus points and a commensurate cash award for pedals actually date coded 06-77 or just prior.
To better assist in readily distinguishing the difference between those Maillard 700 pedals having the pre 1980 "tall cage" profile (...which is precisely what I am looking for and, of course, have found frustratingly difficult to source) and those having the post 1979 "short cage" profile (...sorry, this style is not appropriate for my 1977 Peugeot PY-10 build, and I already have an NOS / NIB pair - and YES, I would be willing to trade them for ones having a "tall cage" profile), I offer the following comparative photograph:
http://www.velo-pages.com/
Thank you in advance to any and everyone who is willing to either offer for sale or trade any of the above components, as well as to those who simply make the effort to check their own parts inventory in good faith.
Robert "the devil is always in the details" Broderick ...the "Chronically Cloudy Clime of Oregon Portland, USA
P.S. May the upcoming New Year bring peace and joy to all - and most especially to those who unselfishly contribute their precious time and vast knowledge / experience here on the CR List to the great benefit of other like minded enthusiasts.