# 1970s Flandria --- ever seen this before?



## josephr (Jun 17, 2010)

came up on CL...this is the only pic they posted. parts that scare me off are the dork disc and "dura ace center pull brakes."


1970s Flandria lugged steel road bike, 58cm frame, 10 speed, hand painted pinstriping, Shimano 600 deralleur, Dura Ace center pull brakes. Very good condition, rides great. Needs some fresh tires. $175


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## velomateo (Mar 7, 2009)

Shimano did offer center pull brakes in the Dura-Ace line in the late seventies.

http://velobase.com/ViewSingleCompo...6CC-436F-B9BA-B49CC638B9C1&Enum=117&AbsPos=30


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## frpax (Feb 13, 2010)

If it's your size (or real close), I'd go buy it. NOW.


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## josephr (Jun 17, 2010)

tx! gonna go check it out this weekend, with money in hand....can anyone tell me about a Flandria? I've never heard of these before....


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## frpax (Feb 13, 2010)

Per Sheldon Brown:
Flandria: Actually Belgian, not French. Most Flandrias seen in the U.S. were low end bike-boom clunkers, some of them made in Portugal.

Notice it says "most". The one pictured looks pretty nice to me. Racy geometry and decent components. Take the dork disc off and clean her up, and I'll bet it's a sweet rider! As I eluded earlier, if it were my size (or close) and if I had the money, and it were in my area, I'd go buy the sucker. I don't see how you could go wrong.


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## frpax (Feb 13, 2010)

Oh, if you don't know, can you ask the owner if there's a sticker on it anywhere indicating where it was made? The ones made in Belgium are supposed to be the real nice ones. The ones made in Portugal are supposed to be rather low end, bike boom fodder.

Still though, The one pictured doesn't look low end to me. But I'm making a judgment on one lousy pic. So here's what I see:
A) Racier frame geometry than typical bike boom bikes. (rear tire is pretty close to the seat tube, indicating short-ish chain stays, whereas most low end bikes have longer chain stays that push the rear tire farther back.
B) The fork has a nice gradual small-ish bend to it, again pointing to a racier geometry. Most bike boom forks from the '70s have much more bend, giving it more trail (right?), thus making it more "comfortable".
C) Down tube shifters. Most bike boom bikes in the '70s had stem shifters.
D) Looks like a high flange hub on the front to me. That, in and of itself might be nothing, but it might indicate something of better quality.
E) Dura Ace brakes & Shimano 600 derailleur. Maybe added later, but these are not typical "bike boom" components.


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

can't tell much from that pic


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## josephr (Jun 17, 2010)

I was supposed to go check it out this weekend, but wife ended up having me work on the new kitchen painting the ceiling finishing the new countertops. emails back and forth with the owner though seem positive as he says he's got about 75 bikes in his basement, etc., along with a plethora of parts -- said he like the old campy and dura-ace stuff. could be walking into something interesting!


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## bicyclerepairman (Mar 12, 2003)

Dura Ace centerpull brakes are likely original (I've seen them before on late 70's continental European bikes), Shimano 600 derailleur isn't. I zoomed in on the image, and it looks like your Flandria has a cottered crankset. Frpax was right about the racing geometry. Also looks like there might be a frame decal on the seat tube. Myself, I would be more interested in the other 74 bikes, given the chances that Belgian bikes used French threading.


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