[CR]Re: Mavic stem

(Example: Events:Cirque du Cyclisme:2007)

Date: Thu, 16 Feb 2006 14:50:27 -0800
From: "Chuck Schmidt" <chuckschmidt@earthlink.net>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]Re: Mavic stem
References: <5573677E5FEB83448AB3FC87DA7169340C87BD63@MLSSWN05P.WAS.INT.IMF.ORG>


Galen Poole wrote:
>
> My 1973 Fiorelli came to me from a previous owner who built up the bike from new, and it had a Mavic stem just as you described. I cannot confirm introduction date, but I know it had to have been available in 1973-74.

Wayne Bingham wrote:
>
> I also believe the Mavic stem is from about 73. Maybe a bit earlier. I
> have two of these, one conventional silver and one gold anodized,
> mounted and pictured here:
>
> http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/Charles-Martin/IMG_1662
>
> I generally only see them show up on bikes with other components from
> the 73-75 time frame, which is the basis for my assumption. They seen
> to be fairly uncommon, so they probably were not widely used or around
> for very long. Anyone have any more definitive information?

Here's what the Mavic corporate timeline said for that period:

1971 - The arrival of the famous blue anodized "SSC Blue" rim reserved for racers and professionals.

1973 - The arrival of "Neutral Support" and the famous yellow cars in the Tour De France.

1975 - The birth of the grey "SSC Paris-Roubaix" (SSC Grey) hard-layer anodized rim. The first time that this treatment has been used on bicycle rims, it would be seen later that no high-end bike would be seriously considered that did not offer this type of rim.

1977 - The perfecting of an innovative hub with cartridge bearings, and the first monobloc bottom bracket. A new factory of 1000m2 adjacent to the original unit making a total of 3500m2. Mavic plays host to the Tour de France where the start of the day's stage is from the Mavic factory.

1978 - Mavic begins to manufacture bottom brackets, handlebars and derailleurs, including the first models which could be easily disassembled.

1979 - A new concept: "Tout Mavic" (All Mavic), a set of equipment that includes rims, derailleurs, hubs, cranksets, etc. Since then this set is fitted to cycles at the very top of the range and especially for racing. This year also bares the fruit of several years' development of an aerodynamic cycle in collaboration with Gitane. This revolutionary cycle is used by the Gitane-Renault team in the 1979 Tour de France.

I'd lean towards the 1978 intro date but if this is incorrect it wouldn't be the first time that a corporation has their own history wrong, that's for sure!

More Mavic (corporate version) timeline here: http://velo-retro.com/mtline.html

Chuck Schmidt South Pasadena, Southern California http://velo-retro.com (timelines, reprints & t-shirts)

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