Help requested - Menet (Belgian) road bike

[L.F]

The paint finish on your frame is very odd, although hard wearing presumably. The back wheel dropout on my frame is vertical, the same as the front one. There are no Menet markings on my frame, unlike yours.

Where did you get the frame from? I bought mine on eBay about 5/6 years ago from someone who had bought it in France (very cheaply I suspect) and wanted to make a quick profit.

 

[Industrial_Kid]

I"ve also bought on eBay from France. It was about €100 plus delivery. It was a good purchase. There were some small holes on the chainstay. The acid might not removed from the inside of the tube when it was coated with chrome and started a small erosion from the inside. It was the reason the seller lowered the price. I got repaired with a professional frame builder and being repainted now.
I guess Menet did not produce frames but ordered and assembled and sold. There are frames made from Columbus Aelle tubes from the 80's and Columbus Thron tubes from the 90's. Mine is wery light but I wouldn't dare to say that it is SLX. As there won't be decals on the new paint, it's just for my confidence.
Keep seraching on...

 

[Johnsqual]

FWIW: Lievens Velo's is a bike shop in Geel, Antwerp Province. It has been around for 30+ years so maybe it is connected to the Lievens name on your bike. Plenty of Belgian shops rebranded frames with their own name.
https://www.lievensvelos.be/over-lievens-velos/

 

[Industrial_Kid]

Frame produced for Menet -> pantograph on lugs and rear dropout -> Lievens purchased and re-branded vith decals on frame?
The paint and the decals seemed to me quite unprofessional: the paint was thick and soft, the decals were self stickers. Anyway it's funny trying find out the story behind it.

 

[Industrial_Kid]

I have contacted Eddy Martens as I was informed that Martelly used to produce frames for Cycles Menet that time. He wrote that my frame was made of Ishiwata tubes in 1985-1988.
"frame is bij ons gemaakt voor fietshandel DIDIER MENET , woonplaats Ploegsteert Belgie , zaak bestaat nog altijd.
Was gemaakt in japanse ISHIWATA buizen, +- 1985-1988."
Once I get back the frame from repair I'll put on the scale to see the total weight.

 

[L.F]

Interesting. Could you give me a link to Eddy Martens please?

 

[Industrial_Kid]

Martelly.be

 

[L.F]

Thanks. Here's his reply -

Best ,

the numbers M89 were probably applied by the lacquer, who painted many frames in different colors and so each color design had a number.

I don't think the big frame was made by us.

 

[kermisking]

Hello , Regarding the Lievens painted Menet I am 99 percent certain this was built by Eddy Martens (Martelly) . The "M" pantographs in the rear drop outs and seat lug are exactly the same as found on Martelly frames . Also the rear drop out finishing off where it meets the chain stay is the same . Hope this helps cheers Stuart.

 

[Industrial_Kid]

Hi Stuart,
Thanks for your feedback. As posted on the 6th, I've contacted Eddy Martens and he confirmed that my frame was built by him between 1985 and 1988 from Ishiwata tubes.
With my best regards,