Simply put, very little was done to build up the Favorit.  As found, the bicycle was in remarkable condition and needed nothing other than some fresh lubrication.  Well, it also needed a good cleaning and, perhaps, a coat of wax to bring out the bike's beauty.

And that's is all that was done to the bike, before taking it out for a brief test ride, which lasted long enough to ensure that the bicycle would ride true while shifting and stopping, as it was supposed to.  There were no surprises during that fifteen minute jaunt.

While tidying the bike up, it became apparent that this was not one of the entry level road bikes that a kid could win by collecting x-amount of Popsicle wrappers.  Yup, in the sixties and early seventies, where I lived in Canada anyway, a kid could do just that.  Collect enough wrappers to earn the entry level Favorit or deliver enough Saturday Morning Posts to earn said bike.

No, the Favorit resting in The Old Shed was something a bit more and the first thing that drew my attention, once I bothered to pay attention, was the integral derailleur hanger.

With attention earned, the Favorit got a much closer look and the closer the look, the more interesting the bicycle became.  Not necessarily from a quality point of view, but rather from a character perspective.  Character?  Vintage character?  The Favorit reeks of it. 

As mentioned earlier, almost everything for the bicycle was made in house.  That means that Favorit made their own frame and fork sets.  The made their own steering stems, derailleurs, shifters, crank sets, hubs, pedals, pie plates, brake callipers and levers, even the rear brake top tube cable guide clamps.  However...

It is most likely that many of the so called Favorit components were simply made by someone else, but bearing the Favorit name.  Perhaps the most obvious clue would be found on the brake levers, bearing both the Favorit name as well as that of Dia Comp.

The steering stem, once again identified as a Favorit item, is more than likely of Asian origin also, as are many of the other components.  That said, it is refreshing to have a near matched group fitted to the bicycle, all bearing some reference or other to the Favorit name.

Were bearings and handle bar tape also included as part of the in house production philosophy?  That would seem most unlikely but not beyond the realm of possibility.

Even though the bike was fitted with mostly Favorit identified components, the front derailleur proved to be an anomaly.  What was a Huret derailleur doing on the bicycle?  Everything else was linked by name, except the front chain jumper.  Perhaps the Huret was added later?  Unfortunately, no effort was made to identify the vintage of the bicycle.  Armed with that information, it might have been possible to help decide if the Huret was original issue, or not.

With building be all but a non-issue, one must wonder how a bicycle like this above entry level Favorit performed.  Acceleration was good but not memorable.  The brakes worked just about as well as any others of the time period, which would most likely be mid to late seventies.  Shifting was as precise an most friction shift systems and the gear range was obviously designed with recreational riding in mind.

Though the Favorit was not a performer, in the performance sense, it was a true treat to ride.  The bike shows it vintage, even though its vintage has been incredibly well maintained.  But what one cannot show through this venue, is the vintage feel of the ride.

The rider knows he is using antiquated technology, just by the friction feel of the somewhat mushy transmission.  Braking, with the Old School center pulls, accentuated by the dual position levers, did the job but felt less than confidence inspiring while doing so.  And handling?

The bike is not quick but it is responsive, if that means anything.  Responsive?  The bike goes where you want it to and with rock solid stability.  Quick.  There was not a hint or twitchiness or anything like it.  Hands off ride was, once again, rock solid.  All in all, a pretty good bicycle for someone who simply wanted to go for a nice ride when the mood struck.  But not a nice bike if the mood included any kind of competition.