Manufacturer question, who is F-USA, and or Ets Fraysse
Pooh
is who is the maker of my bike. Maybe somebody out there in Interland
can help.
I have this Vitus bike that on the headtube the decal says "Designed
by F USA", with the USA in a shield geometric shape. And along the
bottom of the decal is "Ets Fraysse". My Internet searches turned up
F/USA to be Formula USA motorcycle racing. I found lots of listings
for a Mike Fraysse, and nothing for an Ets Frayyse. So I suppose Ets
Fraysse is the frame designer?
Along the fork blades and seat stay tubes are the cut out black
letters, Cascade Wheel Works. I found in Bend, Oregon a listing of
that company and that's it. I sent them a letter and wait for it to
return.
There are several Vitus Dural rectangular stickers, and a stamping on
the frame with the word Vitus, whom I know is a tubing manufacturer.
It has the aluminum lugs and the pressfit frame with epoxy. Also, the
rear brake tube cable routing ducks into the top tube.
There's probably a story about the bike, the maker, I just don't know
what it is. Do you?
Thanks,
Wynn
A Muzi
news:47655fc3.03021...@posting.google.com...
Vitus, a tube manufacturer of long standing, introduced their 979 aluminum
frameset in about 1978. We imported ten in the spring of 1979 in the
Mercier Team Cyclamen color because those were the first available. Yes,
ten pink anodized aluminum French frames, no kidding. At $300 they sold
quickly.
That product became quite popular in the eighties and Michael Fraysse
interjected himself as the official agent/importer at one time (somewhere in
New Jersey).
He was a USCF official then.
The Vitus 979 was a clearly superior design to the Fabo-Alan, which had
until then been the only broadly successful aluminum race bike.( Cannondale
had not yet come into their own) Some improvements were added to make the
Bridgestone Radac, the Peugeot Comete and the SR-Sakae Prism/Suntour Litage
but the groundwork for that type of construction was all Vitus.
It's a fine bike. Inspect closely in a good light, especially the fork,
before riding vintage aluminum machines.
--
Andrew Muzi
http://www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April 1971
Pooh
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Hi Wynn. That Vitus was made in France to specs. developed by the Fraysse
family, which also built its own bikes under the name Paris-Sport.
While Ets Fraysse no longer produces bikes, Mike Fraysse operates a training
center in NY.
Best,
Joe
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"A Muzi" <a...@yellowjersey.org> wrote in message news:<v5843ln...@corp.supernews.com>...