Mercier Super Vitus 980 Classic Road Bike 1980s

Cycles Mercier is a French bicycle manufacturer founded in 1919 by Emile Mercier in Saint-Etienne. Many famous Champions like Raymond Poulidor made the bikes in distinctive pink colour famous all over the world. This classic Mercier dates back to the early 1980s and is a sweet little bike.

The frame is made of the very finest Super Vitus 980 tubes from the eponymously named French company Vitus. This tubest were labeled as "Course Professionel Serie Extra Legere" and was competing with the upper crest Columbus and Reynolds offering. Additionally it was said that these tubes underwent some kind of heat treatment and the sets were delivered with instructions how to properly braze them.

And the masters by Mercier did a fine job as you can see and the frame show many delicate details, of which perhaps the most pretty is the elegant fork crown, which really stands apart.

It is equipped with Shimano 600 "Arabesque" groupset, some top level Dura-Ace parts and some French componentry from Maillard or Rigida.

And of course this small sized bike sports the iconic pink paintjob with gold detailing.

A very fine frame with reliable parts which not just looks so cool but rides well as well.