I purchased this Urago at the Marin County Bike Swap on September 28th, 2024. I purchased it from the Marin Museum of Bicycling. The rear brake lever was missing when I purchased the bike. These are pictures of the bike from after its initial cleaning.
I think that the bike was made in the mid 50s and modified and updated in the early 70s. I have not found a catalog reference to a model like this, it is similar to the Urago Debutante, but the Debutant does not have cantilever brakes. For now, I am calling this bike an Urago Randonneur.
The rear derailleur, might be the Touriste model. I do not think that the rear wheel which has a Normandy hub, 5 speed freewheel and 27″ rim is original. The brake pads are angled up to accommodate the 27″ rim. I think it would have originally had 700c rims. The derailleur has been re-cabled and is missing the rear section of housing. It does still function as is across the whole 5 speed block. This bike might have originally had a 4 speed freewheel.
I hope that I can find a rear brake lever. I will probably have to install regular Mafac levers for the mean time. I do not know whu made the lever, it has been suggested that it is a CLB, but the engraving on the clamp makes me think that it is not a CLB. If anyone recognizes the script on this lever, please tell me.
Urago put their serial numbers on the left drop outs. I do not see any numbers on the drop outs or anywhere else on the bike. I will probably remove the paint to see if the numbers are hidden.
For comparison, here is the serial number from another Urago that I have. There are also numbers on the lower part of the drop out behind the quick release lever.
Right side drop out.
The front wheel has an Atom hub, with a Rigida rim. I think that the hub might be original. It has a small diameter axle for which the drop out was made for.
I think that the front derailleur, shifter and clamp were added in the early 1970s, perhaps at the same time as the wheels were changed. It might have originally had a Simplex Competition lever operated front derailleur. I think that the Durax crankset is original.
If anyone can help identifying this bike with photos of a similar one or catalog images, I would be grateful. I will update this page as I make progress on the bike.
Thanks,
Chris