Dcls projects: Raleigh - Maxi Sports - Fondriest - Clerc & Others

After the dailies, let's introduce some of the brand pairs I have, starting with the Fondriest.

The first I've got is a regular race bike. Well, not that regular: It's a X-Status from the 1998 Cofidis team made for David Millar.
The frame is made with Dedacciai steel tubes (probably Zero "HT" 18MCDV6HT) and it goes with a carbon fork (probably a Profile Design BRC).

The day it became mine, it was like this:

Along the years, I've replaced some components to reach a more 'period-correct' circa 98 Campa Record Titanium 9-speed groupset with a bit more recent Nucleon wheelset that I fancy a lot.

It weights now 8,5 kg (without pedals), and it's a pleasure to ride, very easy even when you don't have anymore legs.

(I didn't forget you paulbiche for the Katu BB but missing time.)

The other Fondriest I have is a 700/650 time trial, also from... The Cofidis team also made for... David Millar!
I had the chance that he personally confirmed me that he rode it probably in 1997.

For this one, I got only the frame, made in Dedacciai Top Lite aluminium, with a Dedacciai Optimal steel fork.

I went for a Shimano Dura-Ace mostly 7700 groupset to make it a 'street TT' with its Look Ergostem and riser handlebar, and I like to use a Corima carbon wheelset.
Not very conventional but it's very cool to ride that kind of sub 8 kg machine in the city.

Sometimes it has a Mavic 3G wheelset:

Super rad stuff man!

Great projects, I‘m a huge fan of the castorama cyfac!

Thanks guys!

The TT with 3Gs just took me straight back 10 years, great builds.

I continue with some of the brand pairs I have, now the Maxi Sports.

In addition to the Raleigh, the stored frame and the daily I sold, I have two Maxi Sports on wheels.

The first I've got is a time trial that I just love.
It has been made with Columbus EL Oversize tubes by Cyfac in 1992 for a rider with the "BD" initials (any tips will be much appreciated !).

When I got it, it was built in a non-classic style but it was already very cool, at least to me; but during the past years, I switched some parts to reach something close to a full Dura-Ace ~7410 setup (I use now a 7410 seatpost, and I switch wheels from time-to-time with the Fondriest TT above) :

That is quite some collection. Particularly loving your yellow Fondriest with the Corimas. I quite like the little Orbea as well, at some point I must make a little 20” space in the shed.

Thanks :)
Bonus, the Fondriest TT is fast and very easy to ride as a same time!

The other spinning MS is the kind of story I like.

When I got it, it was half freak half anti, but at least I got its original fork. And it was hard to resist anyway to its Columbus EL frame:

As soon as I've put my hands on it, I discovered some marks I'm very familiar with:

The paintjob is of course an ode to Greg Lemond TVT bike but the decals didn't seem original so I removed them, and bingo: another Maxi Sports, made by Cyfac. We can see it on this photo with some concentration :D (As usual, the marks tell it has been made in 1992 for a rider with the "LN" initials.)

After many hours taking care of the frame and gathering components, it reborned as a Campa 90s Record bike with custom Maxi Sports decals but still with its Greg Lemond paintjob:

The idea behind the custom decals was how a MS ridden by Lemond could have looked like.

Then I switched from clincher to tubular wheels (the clincher wheels went to the road Fondriest). I also switched from a single 57T chainring to a more realistic 55/46T setup:

And recently, it got the Benotto treat:

Incredible

Wow that's quite a transformation! Well done

Fantastic job!

Stunning! The seatstays are columbus max afaik.
The Greg LeMond needs these bars:

Thanks guys!!

The seatstays are columbus max afaik

On the time trial?

The Greg LeMond needs these bars

I didn't search for it but why not if I see one :)

Yip, chainstays and seatstays on the TT bike look like max tubing. Afaik, it was fairly common at cyfac to mix and match tubesets. My max cyfac has non-max round seatstays for instance.

Thanks for the info!

Can we see somehere your Cyfac? :)

Here‘s the CP thread. It‘s not as cool as yours tho :)

Another brand pairs: Raymond Clerc!

Sir Clerc was a master of the aluminium (Dural) and based in Lyon aera (France).
He started to build frames with this metal in the early seventies, and quickly became the provider of Wolhauser.

The first R. Clerc I've got is a track one made in the 90s.
When it arrived:

Then (and now), after some work to make it shine again:

It's a bit too big for me but how to resist to those curves and that fancy (seatpost-killer) seatclamp?

That's sick

I can only agree with you! I don't ride it a lot but I still do like this one.

The other R. Clerc actually arrived recently.
"Jungblut" is the name of a shop from my hometown. My father also has a 80s bike from this shop. It might be silly but it's almost sentimental.
The paint wasn't in a good shape. It got the same treatment as the track frame, but it still has many scratches.

Anyway, it's a match for a Campa Record 96 Ti groupset with the same story (good price but with a lot of work required) :

I'll post an update when it's done.

Now that‘s a chainstay that deserves its name

Great details on the frame!

1 Attachment

Yeah, the previous owner gave its best to ship it, including his shirt!

J'avais zappé a quel point tes vélos étaient cools. Le greg lemond est wonderful!

Merci, Mr. Intensité !

Few more stuff to show!

First, the bike I got and tweaked for my girlfriend: a BaCo (for "Batifoulier & Collas") I retrieved with a tired Shimano 600 'Tricolor' 2x7s groupset and a cheap (also tired) wheelset...

I cleaned it, fixed/changed some components, transfored the cockpit to make it more like a city~rando bike, and offered it a hand-built wheelset (Shim 600 Tricolor hubs x Mavic Open Elite rims x Panaracer Pacela PT tires).

Best part: She likes it!

Note the typical BaCo dropouts: