Elizabeth & Warren wrote:
> There were many Favorits imported into Canada in the bike boom years
> and the quality was approriately terrible. Heavy dead steel frames.
> All the components on the bikes were branded Favorit. As seen in the
> pictures, the brakes were Mafac Racer knockoffs. Shifters were ala
> Simplex. I've have many chances to own one of these but the quality
> was always worse than department store bikes.
>
> Chain quality was the exception to the rule. As John mentioned, the
> motorcycle industry was strong and there was likely some technology
> crossover. I have a few of NIB Favorit chains including the larger
> 3/16 X 1/2" for the oversized roadster cranks. Very decent.
I had a Majestic branded Czechoslovakian 10 speed with Favorit
components I think I was the third owner at the time (1972) nobody had
kept it very long, I think I paid $40 for it. I think they were around
$100 or so new. It had a Rae J. Watson Sports, London, Ontario,
(Canada) sticker. I remember it as a fairly light bike, lighter than
my Raleigh Grand Prix, but it had been kept outside and was in poor
shape by the time I got it, every bolt was rusty and cables rusted. I
can't recall all the details as I only had it briefly.
I converted it to a fixed gear with the use of epoxy in the freewheel
and stripped off the remaining, I thought, unnecessary parts. Sadly
one day later it met a quick demise due to an operator brain fade error
involving a stationary tour bus and a wooden guard rail in a local
park. Being young, resilient and landing on flower beds I was a little
stunned and bruised but basically unhurt and eventually built up the
courage to return to fixed gear riding 30 years later.
Marcus Coles
London, Ontario, Canada.