Re: French rarity Alain Michel Full Chrome Excell "Mexico"Tu
thanks for the comment Richard
a bit of an understated and discreet build but the stickers Alain Michel are really very dull and not very good looking so won't put any on it.
for the seatpost thanks for the link Richard
will see if I break my piggybank for this nice seatpost :shock: as I a generally avoid NOS overpriced stuff :? Good condition used is OK for me and my buids :mrgreen:
About the tubing, it is amusing as I met two persons this week end who own bikes with same tube but curved for the seatpost and toptube
one is a clm built by the same frame maker Alain Michel
the other an italian in Paris who got the frame through a former cinelli employee framemaker hence the cinelli stickers but he knows it is not one !
( incidently in his underlighted cellar I could hardly see an old Supercorsa Cinelli from the 60's , 3 Pinarello, one de Rosa, one Chesini, one Masi, out of which 2 chromovelati - most with Campagnolo Nuovo Record :shock: :shock: :shock: and he has 3 times more in Italy !
this excell tubed frame looks like these Haral ones
"Haral was a builder of very high quality frames of all types, based in La Motte-Servolex in the Haute Savoie region They linked up with Isidoro Rezze, the owner of EXCELL tubes to build a large range of top-end frames with this series.
The frames illustrated are built from the Mexico I and Mexico II sets that were characterised by the slightly curved seat and top-tubes.. The Mexico I series had four lines of "beading" pressed into the tubes that resembled long lines of interlinked small circles..This feature was known as "perle " ( or pearled) It can just be seen on the green frame. On a frame finished with chrome plate covered by a clear coloured varnish the effect was sparkling.
The tubes were used for standard road racing frames as well as low-profile ones."
I also discovered that Pegoretti was very fond of these tubes
http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthrea ... 719&page=1
http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthrea ... 719&page=2
This french company based in Lyon unfortunately did not last that long !
Also just discovered that the GT Steel Edge was built with Excell -
but also framemakers from the top notch : Giordana - Milano used these tubes
from old bike posts
"My only experience with Excell tubing was in my GT Edge, Excell Super
Light. The tubing seemed strong enough. Coupled with the GT design
there was little or no BB movement. I weighed in at around 170 at the
time too."
"Excell is very high grade and expensive French tubing. It derives much of
its strength through alloying with Vanadium rather than the more usual
Chromium and Molybenum.Of course it comes in a variety of gauges and
diameters so which tubes used and, as always, how it is joined is really
the question for its appropriateness to your needs. Very few makers use
it, but the most commen is the selection of models marketed by Gita as
"Giordanas" which are manufactured by the Italian builder Bellato."
"Excell was French tubing. I first became aware of it in the very late 1980s. They were notable for using super high strength, heat treated steels to produce very thin wall, plain gauge tubesets. They even marketed a carbon reinforced, brazeable tubeset. Offhand, I don't recall HR, so I presume it's probably more mid-1990s and may not necessarily reflect the earlier tubests which, IIRC were all 2xx designations.
"
"I believe that it was formed from flat sheet, rolled and welded. I have seen the seam welds referred to as "pearls' on some online discussions.
Dario Pegoretti used to build with it (may have built your Giordana) and new the Excell founder/owner. He told me that the gentleman was a "genius" and kind of eccentric. Dario said the tubing was amazing and way ahead of it's time."
"what about excell. excell podium was considered by many to the best tubing available in the early 90's.
i've never ridden one- but those lemond glx frames that billota bros made were works of art- made from excell tubing. "
TGR":2m3dr5o0 said:
thanks for the comment Richard
a bit of an understated and discreet build but the stickers Alain Michel are really very dull and not very good looking so won't put any on it.
for the seatpost thanks for the link Richard
will see if I break my piggybank for this nice seatpost :shock: as I a generally avoid NOS overpriced stuff :? Good condition used is OK for me and my buids :mrgreen:
About the tubing, it is amusing as I met two persons this week end who own bikes with same tube but curved for the seatpost and toptube
one is a clm built by the same frame maker Alain Michel
the other an italian in Paris who got the frame through a former cinelli employee framemaker hence the cinelli stickers but he knows it is not one !
( incidently in his underlighted cellar I could hardly see an old Supercorsa Cinelli from the 60's , 3 Pinarello, one de Rosa, one Chesini, one Masi, out of which 2 chromovelati - most with Campagnolo Nuovo Record :shock: :shock: :shock:
and he has 3 times more in Italy !this excell tubed frame looks like these Haral ones
"Haral was a builder of very high quality frames of all types, based in La Motte-Servolex in the Haute Savoie region They linked up with Isidoro Rezze, the owner of EXCELL tubes to build a large range of top-end frames with this series.
The frames illustrated are built from the Mexico I and Mexico II sets that were characterised by the slightly curved seat and top-tubes.. The Mexico I series had four lines of "beading" pressed into the tubes that resembled long lines of interlinked small circles..This feature was known as "perle " ( or pearled) It can just be seen on the green frame. On a frame finished with chrome plate covered by a clear coloured varnish the effect was sparkling.
The tubes were used for standard road racing frames as well as low-profile ones."
I also discovered that Pegoretti was very fond of these tubes
http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthrea ... 719&page=1
http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthrea ... 719&page=2
This french company based in Lyon unfortunately did not last that long !
Also just discovered that the GT Steel Edge was built with Excell -
but also framemakers from the top notch : Giordana - Milano used these tubes
from old bike posts
"My only experience with Excell tubing was in my GT Edge, Excell Super
Light. The tubing seemed strong enough. Coupled with the GT design
there was little or no BB movement. I weighed in at around 170 at the
time too."
"Excell is very high grade and expensive French tubing. It derives much of
its strength through alloying with Vanadium rather than the more usual
Chromium and Molybenum.Of course it comes in a variety of gauges and
diameters so which tubes used and, as always, how it is joined is really
the question for its appropriateness to your needs. Very few makers use
it, but the most commen is the selection of models marketed by Gita as
"Giordanas" which are manufactured by the Italian builder Bellato."
"Excell was French tubing. I first became aware of it in the very late 1980s. They were notable for using super high strength, heat treated steels to produce very thin wall, plain gauge tubesets. They even marketed a carbon reinforced, brazeable tubeset. Offhand, I don't recall HR, so I presume it's probably more mid-1990s and may not necessarily reflect the earlier tubests which, IIRC were all 2xx designations.
"
"I believe that it was formed from flat sheet, rolled and welded. I have seen the seam welds referred to as "pearls' on some online discussions.
Dario Pegoretti used to build with it (may have built your Giordana) and new the Excell founder/owner. He told me that the gentleman was a "genius" and kind of eccentric. Dario said the tubing was amazing and way ahead of it's time."
"what about excell. excell podium was considered by many to the best tubing available in the early 90's.
i've never ridden one- but those lemond glx frames that billota bros made were works of art- made from excell tubing. "
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