52.5cm Dilecta Vintage French Step-Through Bike Frame
£275.00
✓ Original vintage frame - built in the 1940s/50s
✓ Suitable for historic cycling events such as L'Eroica
✓ Thoroughly checked over & photographed in detail
✓ Worldwide shipping
Dilecta are one of the lesser known french marques, most likely due to the demise of production during the 1950s. The company began life way back, during 1913 in central France. As was the fashion back then they built both bicycles & motorcycles, and during the first half of the 20th century Dilecta were the sponsor of a successful racing team, winning many titles including Paris-Roubaix, Tour of Flanders & Paris-Le Havre. After the unfortunate assassination of the company's founder Albert Chichery in 1944, this bicycle maker began to fade into history as it finally closed its doors in 1956.
This delightful 1940s or 50s Dilecta frame is likely a 'Tourisme' model and is built in the low slung berceau (cradle) style. This would have been a high end but practical bike back then, offering a complete package of mutiple gears, mudguards and luggage carrying capacity all wrapped up in a typically chic and stylish two tone paint job. The frame is designed around the recently resurgent 650B wheel size and will take a lovely wide tyre, it would make a wonderful retro-mod town bike
If you're taking part in L'Eroica or a similar vintage event, this frame is of the correct age, so you won't be disqualified for being a rule breaker!
The frame's been carefully checked by one of our mechanics to confirm the alignment's correct and there's no damage to the threads. If there are any minor issues worth noting we will do so in the overview section below. Please take a good look at the detailed photos so you can see the cosmetic condition of the frame before you buy.OVERVIEW
Era - 1940s/1950s
Country - French
Frame Material - Steel
Weight - 3.482 kg
Stock Code - U-F-S1V
SIZING
Size Guide* - N/A
Seat Tube (ctt) - 52.5 cm
(Effective) Top Tube (ctc) - 56 cm
Head Tube - 134 mm
Chainstay Length - 47.5 cm
Wheelbase - 110.5 cm
*This is just a guide, not a guarantee the frame will fit as every rider is different. If you're unsure of your size we'd always recommend trying out a bike with similar frame dimensions first.
TECHNICAL INFO
Rear Spacing - 120 mm
Front Spacing - 96 mm
Seatpost Diameter - 25.0 mm
Wheel Size - 650B
Brake Fixing - Post Mount (Centre-Pull)
Front Brake Drop - 24 mm
Rear Brake Drop - 30 mm
Bottom Bracket Thread - French Thread
Headset Thread - French (25.4 TPI)
Headset Stack Height - 42 mm
Fork Crown Race - 27.0 mm
Shifter Fittings - Downtube Braze-On (Single Right)
Headtube Internal Diameter - 30.2 mm
Steerer Internal Diameter - 22.0 mm (French)
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▼SHIPPING, TAXES & RETURNS
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We've been safely sending orders around the world since 2010. There's a handy shipping calculator on the shopping cart page so you can see the cost of postage as soon as you've added it to your basket. Your order will be carefully packed and sent with tracking & insurance, we despatch most orders within 2-3 days but larger items and orders placed before the weekend can take an extra day or two to process.
We accept returns, please notify us within 14 days and ensure the item arrives back with us no later than 30 days after the order was received.
We don't charge VAT, however, if buying from outside of the UK please remember that there may be import fees to pay directly to the delivery company before receiving the order. Unfortunately we can’t advise on the exact costs as it varies from country to country, so please check your national rates before purchasing.
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▼HELP SECTION
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Seat Tube (ctc) - we measure from the centre of the bottom bracket shell up to the centre line of the top tube to give a consistent measurement regardless of frame design (ctc means centre to centre).
(Effective) Top Tube (ctc) - this is measured from the centre of the head tube to the centre of the seat tube, along the line where a top tube would be to give you an indication of length.
Chainstay Length - measured from the centre of the bottom bracket shell to the centre point of the rear dropout.
Wheelbase - measured from the centre of the front fork dropout to the centre point of the rear dropout.
Front & Rear Spacing - measured from the inside of one dropout to the other. The dropouts on steel frames can be stretched or squeezed a few mm but it's always best to avoid this if possible, aluminium or carbon frames should never be stretched.
Headset Threads - although it's generally recommended to match threaded parts exactly, with headsets you can technically mix and match, unless you have French or the obscure old Raleigh threads, in which case you need to stick to that type.
