Recent content by non-fixie

Thank you! Great to have stories like these made available on the interwebs for future generations. Urago is still a well-respected brand, certainly in France. I made this picture of three vélos randoneuses in Saumur a couple of years ago. Two Alex Singer examples and a Urago:

I've been doing L'Eroica rides since 2013, and always with 28mm tyres. Mostly Panaracer Pasela folding tyres, but recently also with Vittoria Corsa Graphene items. Both work fine, the treads on the latter look a bit more authentic, IMHO. Vittoria on my Union "Rini Wagtmans": The cheapo...

Thank you! I kind of expected that, as it supports a Belgian origin. The Belgians were early adopters of Shimano and the Ishiwata tubing mentioned by @juvela .

Or maybe just a bloke in Doncaster having fun with a die set. "This will have them scratching their heads for a while!" 🙂

The serial number has me wondering who the actual maker was, as it looks decidedly Asian. In which case the first two or three digits would be significant. "T" could be a manufacturer or a fortnight indicator. "8" or "80" could be a year. Perhaps @dihummer has a clue?

I know very little about Minerva, I'm afraid. The company was founded in 1933, I've read, inspired by the automobile manufacturer of the same name. They were traders, more than manufacturers, it seems, so it seems logical that their products would end up elsewhere. OTOH, the bulk of their...

This is a Minerva currently for sale in Belgium. Zoom in a bit to see the M:

I own a bike with that very same "M", branded Cycles Tuyttens. It also has a tubing decal that says something like "tubi accaio speciale Minerva", IIRC. Can't check right now as I am away from home and haven't got a picture on my phone.

Almost certainly Belgian. The Netherlands were inundated with Belgian frames during the seventies and eighties. Most were delivered to local bike shops fully painted but without serial numbers or decals, after which said shops branded them as their own. Some added their own serial number, but...

That "M" panto suggests the frame was made in Belgium by Minerva.

Looks like a seventies frame to me. The absence of a serial number makes me doubt it being a Raleigh. The seatpost diameter should tell us whether the 531c decal could be legit.

Église St Pierre in Lagnes:

Église Notre Dame du Lac, Le Thor:

Yes. Here's an overview of the shot-in backstay frames of the era:

Yes. March (D) 1984 (4). Built in Workshop (W)