I recently bought an Austro Daimler Vent Noir II with the smoked chrome frame and am trying to figure out the year model and compare notes with other owners.
Has anyone found sources of info on the net other than the two listed
below?
This site and Sheldon's page is about all I have located to this point.
http://bulgier.net/
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/
My bike has Campy Gran Sport components with the exception that the rear derailer was evidently replaced with a Shimano 600 one.
Of the brochures listed on that site none quite fit my bike exactly. The 78 brochure seems closest but it lists the drop outs as Shimano where mine are Campy. There are a few years brochures not listed there so perhaps they switched in 79 or 80. Also the 78 does not list a 25" model like mine..
You wonder what they were thinking when they did not have bottle cage boss braze ons in the early years of these frames. Later 80's brochure pics show they added them
I have some soft aluminum clamps that are holding a cage for now but I am looking for a better solution.
The black plastic Zefal cage holders I have would just not look right. My local builder said he could add some riv nuts for me. Has anyone tried them? How have they worked out?
A local Dallas builder said he can add riv nuts for me. That might be the best looking solution.
Even though this is a 25" (63.5) c-t frame it weighs in at just 23 lbs as equipped.
I have ridden it 40 miles since I got it a week ago and I was impressed with how nice and stable the ride was. It will most likely improve when I add some fatter tires. It appears 700 x 32's will easily fit.
It has a 103.5cm wheelbase and 43cm chain stays. I thought it may have pushed the limits of being too tall for me but with an 87cm standover height it still gives me just enough clearance and with the 59cm top tube feels like a good fit.
The 1978 brochure's mentioned a 73 degree head tube. What do you think a 72A stamped on the underside of the head tube/top tube lug. Could this be the angle in a taller model?
The hardened dark chrome finish looks good. The description sounded interesting and a bit mysterious. I expected the quote of being impervious to scratches to be a bit of an exaggeration and it is as I see a few rub marks and dull spots but it still looks in decent shape for a 25 or so year old frame.
The decals are in pretty bad shape so I am looking for new decals if anyone has recommendations.
Any info you can provide will be appreciated.
>From what I have determined so far is that it is probably a 1979 or 80
model
because of the Campy Drop outs and it is a 25 " frame that it appears
they
did not do in the early years. Also it does not appear to be a later
model because it
still has the top tube cable clamps. The fellow who sold it listed the
standover at 85cm
but it had old flat tires which I have replaced. The standover is
actually more around 87cm.
I probably would not have got it if he had listed it at 87cm standover because most of my bikes are 83 to 85cm max. I am glad he stated 85cm because it caused me to take a chance on it fitting even though there is a little less standover clearance for me compared to my other bikes it just feels right. I like it.
It was good to find the bulgier net site and some of the brochures to try to piece it all together. Thanks to the folks that host that helpful site. It would be nice to have a look at the A/D brochures that are missing on that site.
Even though I have a new touring bike and another road bike I ride in area rides I was looking for a sport tourer that wasn't too costly with a nice ride and this may fill the bill. Plus I am a sucker for chrome. Thanks for any info you might share.
Safe Travels,
Paul Cunningham
Dallas,TX area