Re: [CR] dating Normandy hubs

(Example: Framebuilders:Alberto Masi)

From: <Stronglight49@aol.com>
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 14:38:14 -0500
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: Re: [CR] dating Normandy hubs


Glad you brought up the subject Harvey... I've often wondered if there was any clear documentation on the subject... (even though "French" and "Documentation" seem to be mutually exclusive terms).

Kurt, That's a great collection of captured photos - Thanks for saving and sharing them! I missed those early hubs with the grease fittings from Galibier95's auction.

I believe they were indeed ALL made in the same factory... and the Atom and Normandy models may have been simply different models designations. I do remember someone once mentioning (back in The Day) that the "M.M. Atom" stampings on the quick release levers of the 1970s referred to "Moyeux Maillard" (or Maillard Hubs, as we would say en Anglais). Kurt's photos of the 1970s boxes would at certainly confirm the connection... at least by that era.

Notice in this old scanned catalogue page (from around 1970) that the hollow quick-release axles were designated for the Atom models, while the Normandy examples at the top of the page were shown with solid axles. The images here still show the earlier style large flange hubs with round bores - which were no longer made by that time.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stronglight/3676957505/in/set-72157618914667743 /

Perhaps this was a designation originally attached to considerably earlier models - back when wing nuts were still very common on bikes and q/r levers were finally beginning to be increasingly found on more and more of the better quality production road bikes. Or... perhaps this distinction in this page was simply made (erroneously) by the US importer or distributor.

Clearly the Normandy "Luxe Competition" hubs which I remember from the early 1970s had q/r axles, so... if that simple distinction were once true, it had certainly changed by the late 1960s.

I wonder if there were indeed ANY superior Maillard/Normandy/Atom French hubs produced during the era between the beautiful 3-piece Simplex steel barrel hubs (perhaps made by FB?) and the final more heavy duty Luxe Competition models?

Maybe the French Pro racing teams really used Maxi-car hubs... or even Campagnolo?

BOB HANSON, ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, USA