# Paris Sport



## Mike/Mass (Sep 25, 2019)

Back in the mid '70's I was living in Butler, New Jersey and since I was working in NYC, I decided to pick up a decent road bike to put the local hills to good use. There was a bike shop down in the Pompton Plains area right on Rt. 23, and I stopped in because I heard the guys running the shop were semi-serious racers and they customized bikes. Sounded better than buying a bike at toys r us lol. 

Anyway, I was checking out the bikes in the shop and the owner showed me a few Paris Sport bikes that would suit my 5-10 frame and 165 pound weight. One really caught my eye, a metallic gold beauty with black highlighted frame lugs. The owner said they had "built" the bike at the shop for an aspiring racer/trainer. He noted that the "sew up" tires were great as long as I avoided road debris and potholes.  Back then, a "custom built" bike for around $400.00 seemed like a lot, but remember gas was $ .32/gallon!

I wound up buying the bike and alternating between riding and running for exercise. In 1977 we moved to Massachusetts and I really got caught up in serious running and very little riding. Over the next seven years I mostly ran... 12 miles every morning, 18-20 on weekends when I wasn't competing. Ran seven marathons, probably a hundred 10Ks or shorter races. Then I had a serious motorcycle accident in late '84 that wrecked my knee and sort of killed my running career. I got back on the Paris Sport a year later and road it for about a year then hung it up in the shed.

My knee injury was pretty severe, had two more surgeries over the years, then finally a couple years ago I had a full knee replacement. In the interim I had bought a full suspension mountain bike, but my doctor suggested that I stick to street riding. So I'm selling the mountain bike, thinking of selling the Paris Sport, as tweaking it with new regular rims and tires would still have me riding a technological dinosaur!  Probably should've sold it years ago, but I had/have this sentimental attachment to it and even though it just hangs in the shed, I usually ignore any comments by my wife that I should get rid of it if I'm not gonna use it. Maybe I'll just pull it off the rack and polish up the aluminum!


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## GTs58 (Sep 25, 2019)

Welcome aboard. Is there a Whizzer in your future?


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## juvela (Sep 26, 2019)

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Thanks very much for sharing this account!  

Can we see some images of the bicycle?

For readers curious as to the Paris Sport marque there is some history/background information here -

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/vrbn-o-z.html#parissport

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## Mike/Mass (Sep 26, 2019)

I'm gonna dust her off and take some pictures this week.


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## juvela (Sep 26, 2019)

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BTW - there were also pre-Michael Fraysse Paris_Sport cycles.

Advert of 1932 -










Advert of 1938 -





Advert of 1939 -






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## Mike/Mass (Sep 27, 2019)

Here's a few pictures of the bike.  I've included the labeled areas so maybe the experts can decipher them LOL.  But yes, its one of those Cycles Victor Star Nord steel alloy frames and from what I remember... I think the bike weighs about 25 pounds or less? The cranks are Stronglight, the brakes are Winemann 610's, the hubs are Normandy, the derailleur is a Huret. The alloy sew-up only rims are Mavic, tires are D'Aleesandro, and the seat is a Selle Royale.  I added the carrier a some years later.


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## juvela (Sep 27, 2019)

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Hello Mike,

Thanks very much for sharing these photos - fine job with them!

From a vintage enthusiast standpoint it is great to see it so all original and in such excellent condition.

Frame -

constructed with Prugnat lug pattern Nr. 62/d

bottom bracket shell Gargatte Freres

fork crown Vagner Nr. DP+

ends set Huret Nr. 230/231/234/235

expect there would have been a tubing transfer when new - perhaps it has flaked or peeled away

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Fittings -

chainset Stronglight model 49D

pedals lyotard model 45CA

gear ensemble Huret Svelto rear & Huret 700 Luxe front

hubs Normandy Sport model

headset Stronglight model P3

stem & bar set Belleri (BELRI)

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Date of manufacture appears 1972-73 time.

Appreciate you state purchase slightly later.

May have been in storage for a bit.

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Thanks again very much for sharing it.

Wonderful you have kept it in indoor storage all this time!

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## Mike/Mass (Sep 27, 2019)

WOW!  I am impressed! Thats an amazing talent you've got to spot those parts. I'm not 100% sure on the exact purchase date, my wife thinks it might've been '74, it would've been cool if we still had the receipt from the shop, see who it was that sold it to me. Although I remember the guy was shorter than me, had a little accent and LOL... that probably impressed me at the time!  We moved to Butler in '71 because that's when our son was born. Lived in Little Falls, NJ for 2 years before buying that first house.  Moved to Massachusetts in '77 and I know I had the bike 3-4 years by then. Its gotten a couple of frame dings when my kids were moving stuff around the shed or garage, but no rust spots.

Yes, its spent a ton of time hanging in the basement, then when we built a big lawn shed, I hung it in there or the garage, depending on whether I was using it. I had new tires/tubes and a tuneup at a local bike shop maybe 10-15 years ago. I would blow up the tires and take it for a spin... but those tires can't handle the lousy roads up here.


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## juvela (Sep 27, 2019)

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There appear to be two transfers was unable to make out.

One is near the front of the downtube facing upward.  Wonder if this might be the vestige of a tubing transfer.

The other is on the fork blade just below the fork crown.

Are you able to read either of these bits?

Thanks for any information.

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http://www.classicrendezvous.com/USA/Paris_Sport.htm

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Example contemporaneous to yours and one model or so up the range -

https://velo-orange.blogspot.com/2006/07/1972-french-top-end-racing-bike.html

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## fat tire trader (Sep 28, 2019)

I have a Paris Sport Mixte, you can see it here http://www.fattiretrading.com/paris_sport.html


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## juvela (Oct 3, 2019)

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Hello again Mike,

Noticed something in this image of the rear of the machine you may wish to check on.

https://thecabe.com/forum/attachments/img_4151-jpg.1070126/

The bicycle's rear tubular tyre is sitting well off to the right of centre.

There are three possibles causes for this situation.

a) tubular tyres can sometime "roll" a bit after mounting so they are not centred on the rim

b) the rear triangle of the frame may be out of alignment and in need of examination

c) the rear wheel may be misdished.  this is by far the most likely cause.  one simple check you can make is to withdraw it and reinsert it backwards so that the gear block is on the left.  if the tyre/rim now sit to the left of centre it is the wheel dish.  if they sit in the same place as in the photo then the cause is likely the alignment of the rear triangle of the frame.

Riding the cycle as is you may experience a wobble or shimmy at speed.  This is something which should be checked for both safety and ridability reasons.

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## juvela (Oct 23, 2019)

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_BICYCLING!  _magazine review of a Paris-Sport cycle from 1977  -

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefo..._18f8d29e8282ee5b57abcd9817b10fe0e9b5c9c8.jpg 

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