# FAVORIT 70s Czech Bike



## Jesper (Oct 15, 2020)

Something I've been working on the last couple of months: early '70s (73?) Czech made Favorit. Solidly made bike with most components made by Favorit (crankset, BB, brake set, shifters, derailleurs, pedals); OE Maillard wheels, SR stem, unknown bar, and Tioga "Bear Trap" headset (I assume that the OE headset was an in-house part). Rear dropouts are knurled. Not one of their pro racers, but still a decent frame. I do not know if the "Special" on the fork decal is in reference to the bike model or the tubing. The paint needs help, but I'm just going to touch-up and preserve what is there. I have a couple spare original chainwheels and cranks that look better and one needs to be installed with some new tires and bar tape. I have an an old SILCA pump in celeste color with the Bianchi logo which might fit this frame otherwise a chrome finished pump will be used. I also have a Soviet Union period leather saddle bag and tools to give it a little more authenticity.


----------



## kunzog (Oct 18, 2020)

Nice bike!  I have a Favorit that I stripped down and added a coaster brake.  I also have a ladies 3 speed of the same vintage.


----------



## Jesper (Oct 19, 2020)

kunzog said:


> Nice bike!  I have a Favorit that I stripped down and added a coaster brake.  I also have a ladies 3 speed of the same vintage.
> 
> Nice bike yourself! Looks very clean in form and function. I saw your bike (same color/model) on ebay for $1800 when I was looking for parts; a little steep, yes; but makes me wonder if I got a steal when I purchased mine. I think they need to drop a zero off the price tag if they want to sell it! Looks like you are still running the double front ring; I do that on some of my race bikes using my hand to manually shift like it was done back in the day since I have removed front derailleurs off many bikes.


----------



## Arnold Ziffel (Oct 21, 2020)

There is a guy in Czechoslovakia that reproduces most all the different FAVORIT decal sets.  His overall ebay rating is in the somewhat low 97% range,  but from what I have seen,  the decals are nicely done and above average quality.   I think he is called (mx_style )  on  ebay.      You can find his Favorit decal sets by  searching: Favorit bicycle decal,    on   Ebay.     The  (1963 ) year model FAVORIT  decal set is one of my all-time favorites.       It has a bright colorful, eye popping appearance somewhat like the colors seen on a roll of LIFESAVERS candy from fifty years ago.      I don't really know why that guy has such a low (97%) Ebay rating.   I can only guess it might be from one of his other budget,  low priced, decal sets which are of a famous Italian marque, which is nice enough but not perfect in color accuracy and exact size of lettering. nd   If not that, perhaps it might be the three week time to receive it in USA.    His decals aren't expensive and are among the only  reproductions of FAVORIT decal sets, and for these Favorit decals  they seem to be nicely done.     FAVORIT really had some very nice decals that changed many times between 1955 and the 1970's.      If you take a look at the various year model differences with respect to Favorit decals and graphics,   I think you'll see that many of their models looked great over the many years.   Like for example, Peugeot, which had some very nice decals over about a twenty year period from the sixties to the eighties,  FAVORIT definitely knew how to distinctively decorate the bicycle with decal badging.


----------



## juvela (Oct 22, 2020)

-----

Thanks for posting; good to see your bike.    

Original stem would have been a FAVORIT bimetal -





Original hubs would have been marked either Favorit or ESKA.

In the middle of the flute on the outer face of the OEM crank arms there should be a symbol of three interlocking rings.

Bicycle's PWB model rear mech stands for Prague-Warsaw-Berlin; a race sometimes referred to as the "east bloc Tour de France."

The U.S. agent for Favorit bicycles at this time was called American Jawa and was located in Valley Stream, NY.

Favorit badge used for sports models.  The same maker produced cycles under the Jawa, Pioneer, Rapido and Velamos badges.  Jawa and an Rapido badges were employed for practical adult transportation models.  Pioneer was a juvenile badge.  Velamos was another sports badge.

The export group for them was called Motokov Praha.  They were also an agent for chain hoists, Barum tyres and one or two other product lines.

Here is a 1979 model F12 [ not my cycle nor images ] :








-----


----------



## Jesper (Oct 22, 2020)

juvela said:


> -----
> 
> Thanks for posting; good to see your bike.
> 
> ...



Thanks, I already knew the SR stem was a replacement, and I have an original stem coming my way. I was questioning the wheels, but as with many European bikes they could be purchased with other components based on a buyers preference. I need to date the Maillards to see when they were made, but even then they are staying on it; they ride fine and I'll take what was probably better quality than the Favorits for that bike. Their race bikes were not using Favorit parts, but a Campy group from examples I've seen. I have seen the Favorit badge on their higher end race bikes; I wouldn't mind finding one from '68 due to their Olympics success at the time. My original cranks (not in photos, but now on the bike) are not fluted. Are you familiar with the Velidest (I think that's what it says) saddle? I couldn't find anything about them.


----------



## many408 (Oct 24, 2020)

Jesper said:


> View attachment 1284936




That is not the Favorit seatstay cap they used on every other Favorit I've seen. Yours also has more chrome. I think it might be quite "special"; lucky man.

Here's what I did with one - the decals were really vinyl from ebay - quite nice quality, I thought (can I name the seller here?).  The hubs are the correct ones:





















And a word of advice about that PWB rear mech.  You see that little spring-loaded pin that rides in the top knuckle slot?  Well, don't push it in and rotate the knuckle.  If you do, will will find out how to take the whole thing apart to get it back into place again.

Which fortunately, is easy enough to do - you hold the mech in one hand, remove one circlip, squeeze it a little to release pressure, pull that pivot, and the whole unit unfolds like a flower.

Favorits are full of surprises and contrasts.  The hubs have double-labyrinth dust seals, ground cones, excellent locknuts - and the brand stamped on crooked.  The stem has the nicest wedge-nut I've ever seen - looks like a high-quality forging, has a key in the cone surface. Who sees that? The front mech has a cable-routing that I've not seen anywhere else, and the graduated surface for the limit screw to bear on is formed by the curve where the rod is bent downward and drilled for the cable attachment bolt.


----------



## juvela (Oct 25, 2020)

-----

thanks very much for sharing your example many408!  

your machine appears to be a bit later than that of Jesper.

note the pump pegs.  those on the Jesper machine are simple while those on your cycle are the later type which incorporate a housing stop.  this type is also seen on the F12 model bicycle posted above.

the red plastic centres on the QR nuts of your bike are something which came in around 1976 or so.

---

seat stay treatment -

the style on your frame was also used for Rapido and Jawa badged transportation type machines whether one, planetary three or derailleur five speed models.  have a green Rapido badged five speed in me racks with this style.

in Italy, the lug manufacturers Agrati and Malaguti had a seat lug design which was the reverse of this.  the lug incorporates plugs which go down inside the seat stays.
this is known as "Malaguti style."

















---

kitting note -

models below the top-of-the-line pro bikes had no non-Czech content.  the nation produced everything including gear blocks, drive chains, spokes and rims.

the top pro model road machines had frames of eleven tube 531 with Campag 1010 ends.  the very top model was all Campag NR kitted.  there was one model down made with the same frame and mixed road ensemble of Campag NR components and Favorit ones.  it had Campag chainset, hubs and gear ensemble paired with Favorit brakes, pedals, etc.  had the opportunity to see one of these latter bikes in the showroom of a LBS in 1972.  finish was a darkish red flambouyant.

-----


----------



## Jesper (Nov 5, 2020)

many408 said:


> That is not the Favorit seatstay cap they used on every other Favorit I've seen. Yours also has more chrome. I think it might be quite "special"; lucky man.
> 
> Here's what I did with one - the decals were really vinyl from ebay - quite nice quality, I thought (can I name the seller here?).  The hubs are the correct ones:
> 
> ...



That's the way I just did my Pepita a few months back (https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/crescent-pepita.171900/), although just one color. The deep imprinting of the letters makes the Favorit components good candidates for embellishments

Thanks for the insight on the derailleur.

I also got a Favorit seat post since I didn't see any markings on the present post. My "F" stem is due any day now. I guess that would make the bike fairly original excepting the wheel set, headset (replacing), and possibly handlebar.


----------



## juvela (Nov 6, 2020)

-----

Favorit cantilever one-speed just posted to general forum -

Got this old bike from my dad and cant figure out what exactly it is


-----


----------

