David,
Your frame is probably a late 60s Bertin C37 model. C37 was more the frame designation rather than the bike model - all Reynolds 531 with Campy dropouts.
I've seen C37 frames equipped with everything from steel cranks and Huret Allvit or Simplex Criterium derailleurs to all Campy.
What was interesting about these frames were the metal plugs inserted into the forks and stays around the dropouts. They used those until maybe the early 70s. They also used the flat oval caps brazed onto the tops of the seat stays until the mid 80s. I have a 1984 C37 with them.
The chrome plating on Bertins from that era was notoriously bad and didn't improve until around the end of the bike boom. It would just peal off on it's own!
Black is an easy color to cheat on. You might try one of the commercial rust dissolving compounds like Evapo-Rust to get down to the steel then paint the rusted areas with some medium gloss rattle can paint. Bertin made a few bikes without chrome socks so...
Also, I'd use something more gentle than a wire bush. These are thin tubes not like the ones on gas pipe clunkers.
These are great riding bikes in the classic French road racing style.
Here's my late 60s C-37. I bought the frame from you in 2009.
http://www.flickr.com/
Chas. Colerich Oakland, CA USA
david sea wrote:
> hey all,
>
> i recently picked up a bertin frame/fork/headset, in rough crusty rusty
> shape. i'm planning on doing something about the corrosion, on the fork
> blades, stays, and dropouts.
>
> here are some pictures:
>
> http://www.flickr.com/
>
> i'm not neseccarily ready to do the full restoration just yet(as far as
> quality paint job and decals, though i believe this bike is deserving of
> that good treatment). i may just build it as a fixed gear with on topic
> components and fenders, and ride it! i've been in the habit if trying many
> new frames that come to me as fixed gear and then later geared bikes.
> anyways,
> first i want to see what things look like under all that rust. my buddy's
> idea was to just treat the the areas that look the worst. wire wheel to the
> heavily corroded areas: fork blades, stays and dropouts, and protect the
> frame with black spraypaint as a tempory measure. this way i can ride the
> bike without feeling the rust is advancing so quickly.
>
> is this a viable solution? temporarily?
>
> other than the places where the frame was chromed, corrosion does not look
> so bad, surprisingly no cancer/bubbling under the paint, and inside the
> tubes is not as scary as one might imagine, although some frame saver is
> definately in order!
>
> i wanted to have/share photos as the bike as found before i change it's
> appearance. anyone know what year and model? i had a late 60's C37 that
> looked alot like this bike, but it was in very nice shape with lovely lug
> lining and pin striping done. it also had the same treatment at the
> dropouts, plugs on either side of the dropout, easier to finish i guess? but
> more parts. how long did bertin use these? notice the huge seatstay caps
> too:) they hang off the tube alot!
>
> thanks in advance for any good advice/info. where is chas colerich? :)
>
> david cox
> portland, or
> usa