This bike was bought in France by a friend of a friend when she started college in Paris back in 1968. While she earned her college degree she also, on this bike, toured all over Europe. This Mercier 300 has been around.
Frame:
Reynolds 531
Fork/Headset:
Reynolds 531 / Stronglight Competition
Crankset/Bottom Bracket:
Stronglight BB / Stronglight 93 crankset
Pedals:
Lyotard
Derailleurs/Shifters:
Simplex
Saddle/Seatpost:
Leather branded Mercier / Simplex
Brakes:
MAFAC Competition
Front Wheel/Hub/Tire:
AVA rim / Campagnolo hub and skewer / Hutchinson tubular tire
Rear Wheel/Hub/Tire:
AVA rim / Normandy hub and Maillard Skewer / Hutchinson tubular tire
Added by TomA. Last updated about 7 years ago.
5 Comments
The transformation here is quite stunning - what was your process for removing the rust? Is this a full repaint?
Posted about 7 years ago
Phosphoric acid solution on the chrome and bare steel. Oxalic acid on the painted areas. Also a lot of brass wire brushing. The paint is original, slightly yellowed. I matched this color and filled in the chips and scratches and airbrushed to blend. The pinstripes are original. I did a lot of careful masking to preserve them.
Posted about 7 years ago
Also, all the components, clips, brackets, fasteners etc. are original.
Posted about 7 years ago
Thank you for responding! I might try some of that oxalic acid on the Colnago Master I recently purchased, which has some light rusting on the top tube in a small area. Your efforts really paid off here - I would be so happy to see this result if I were the original owner, to see it brought back to life. Bravo!
Posted about 7 years ago
Photos
Ashok_Captain says:
Pure genius restoration! Thank you for sharing the bike as well as your rust removal and touch up magic! Cheers!
Posted about 7 years ago