Sunday, December 15, 2013

C37 BERTIN

Here is a very nicely preserved mid sixties Bertin C37
This was raced by top grade rider
Kevin Hill, in the Dulux Tours and 
Classics of the day.



These C37's where only available through Hills Cycles
in Auckland. It would fair to say that nearly all top
New Zealand road men from the late fifties to the late Seventies,
would have had a least one of these machines during the 
course of their careers.


All C37's were made with 531 D/Butted tubing,
of course, and Nervex Professional lugs.
I really like the Nervex Pro lugs, but just 
can't get into the fork crown, 
kind of looks a bit clunky.
 The hand painted French colours are a nice touch
 Original water bottle, this was used by Neil Ritchie
during the 1963 Dulux, you can see his number still
on the bottle.
 One of the things I really like about these Sixties 
race bikes is the mixed group sets, notice the Record F/D
and the TA chainset, classic combo.
 Ambrosio bars, Cinelli stem....

 Campagnolo Record derailleur, what else in '66?
Brooks first generation Professional saddle.


These were regarded as THE bike by the New Zealand peloton
in the Sixties, you can see why.