Several years ago CR member Hilary Stone published an article on MAFAC brakes in the Classic Lightweights UK website. Later the article disappeared from the site?
He mentioned that in 1969 MAFAC changed the named stamped into the caliper arms from Dural Forge to Racer.
I've seen Dural Forge brakes on French bikes produced as late as 1973. There were probably a lot of calipers marked Dural Forge in the pipeline.
From their introduction in 1952 these were always called the Racer model. MAFAC started stamping Dural Forge into the arms to indicate that they were made of forged "Dural" aluminum alloy rather that cast or stamped from sheet metal.
I suspect that the French didn't practice FIFO inventory management (First In First Out). Since Dural Forge and Racer were the same models brake calipers at the back of the shelf or bottom on the bin were the last to get used.
Another possibility, because of the frantic demands for components during the bike boom, MAFAC never got around to changing the characters in their stamps from Dural Forge to Racer and kept making them that way for a number of years after the change?
Back in the 70s we thought the Dural Forge calipers were an older better quality model than the Racers because they had brass bushings on the pivots vs. plastic on the Racers.
We used to overhaul sticky Dural Forge calipers whereas we just replaced the Racers. We bought complete boxed Racer brake sets including levers, cables and all of the hardware for $11 USD!
(Later I found that there were a number of variations in the bushings)
SIDE NOTE: I don't see this thread on the classic-rendezvous-lightweight-vintage-bicycles@googlegroups.com web site???
Chas. Colerich Oakland, CA USA
Kurt Sperry wrote:
> Does anyone have a date for the renaming of MAFAC Dural Forge to Racer brakes?
>
> Kurt Sperry
> Bellingham, Washington
> USA
>
> On Fri, Feb 25, 2011 at 4:12 PM, Arno Volkers <arnovolkers@hotmail.com> wrote:
>> thanks for the information Chas,
>>
>> this keeps me from buying this bike, it costs 30 dollars but if it's really crappy
>> i'm not buying it!
>>
>>
>> Arno Volkers
>> bredestraat 37
>> 2000 Antwerpen
>>
>>
>>> Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2011 15:51:13 -0800
>>> From: verktyg@aol.com
>>> To: arnovolkers@hotmail.com; Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
>>> Subject: Re: [CR] is this a high end or a low end Louison Bobet
>>>
>>> This appears to be an early bike boom model from the very late 60s to
>>> early 70s. Many French bike makers produced amateur racing models which
>>> were basically their entry level bikes with racing geometry frames and
>>> sewups. The Gitane Interclub and Peugeot PA10 were examples of this.
>>>
>>> There doesn't appear to be any kind of tubing sticker on the frame. This
>>> usually indicates that the bike is made with "gas pipe" or lightweight
>>> gas pipe tubing. The seat post diameters on these kinds of frames were
>>> under 26mm.
>>>
>>> The Simplex ref 881-881B forged rear dropout were their least expensive
>>> models and lacked an integral derailleur hanger. The front derailleur is
>>> the standard Huret model that was also supplied with the Allvit derailleurs.
>>>
>>> The silver painted "socks" on the forks and rear stays were inexpensive
>>> attempts to make the bike appear to have chrome plating.
>>>
>>> It might be a nice riding bike but all of the components are low end.
>>>
>>> Chas. Colerich
>>> Oakland, CA USA
>>>
>>> Arno Volkers wrote:
>>>> i'm curious if this is a high end or low end Louison Bobet,
>>>> okay, it has some crappy parts like the svelto derailleur and the succes front derailleur,
>>>> but it also has got mafac dual forge brakes, ava rims and maybe gnutti hubs, but i'm
>>>> not shure of that. the dropouts say "juy Simplex" and they look like quality to me,
>>>> but i'm not really into french bikes, that's why is ask the experts (you).
>>>>
>>>> I havent got more pictures, this is what the seller gave me by mail, does anybody
>>>> recognize the model? please give me some info
>>>>
>>>> http://www.wooljersey.com/
>>>>
>>>> regards
>>>>
>>>> Arno Volkers
>>>> bredestraat 37
>>>> 2000 Antwerpen