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Gypsy

Owner hasn't responded yet to ebay item 260832646161

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260832646161&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_500wt_1193

Front hub doesn't look original. Has frame size at 22. Can anyone tell if it is 21.5 or 22.5? Any other red flags popping up? Just got the ok from the mrs. to get another bike and want a TdF to go with my PX-10. Thanks

Gypsy

Sorry for the etiquette breach. I didn't leave my name and location. First post on this forum. Been reading of and on for a while as I have the French bike bug (goes back to my first bike in the early 70's - an Arctic made by Stella).

Ken
Redwood Falls, Minnesota

gmany

The seat and seatpost are not original, but better than original.

The front hub is not original (can't see the rear hub), so the rims may not be original either. The red sticker on the hub looks like the ones on my large flange Normandy competition hubs, but I could be wrong.

Also, it looks like the rear freewheel is a wider ratio than it should be 14-28, not 14-24, but so is th one on mine.

The paint looks spectacular.

Chas will have more insight for you.

Gypsy

Thanks gmany. I thought the paint looked good too. Needs to be the right size though. I did notice the Brooks saddle. Missed the seatpost. I got the feeling the guy scored the TdF at a garage sale and is hoping to flip at a good price. I have marveled at Chas's. knowledge of all things Gitane as I have read many, many of his responses. Thanks for your good eye and quick reply.

Ken
Redwood Falls, Minnesota

verktyg

Thanks for the kudos... Embarassed

Bike looks like about a 1971 or 72 TdF. It has Stronglight 93 cranks, long point Prugnat lugs rather that the medium point Bocama used on later models plus a Nervex Professional fork crown. Later models used Nervex Dubois crowns

It also has a brazed on brake cable stop at the top of the seat stays. The seat stay tops are swagged rather than the willow leaf brazed on caps which went out probably around 1971. It was a labor intensive operation and the bike boom was taking off, they needed to ship bikes! Shocked

The low flange Normandy Luxe Competition hubs with the red plastic dust seals and the red foil name decal didn't come out until about the mid 1970s. The rear hub is low flange too so it's probably the same style.

The TdFs used high flange Normandy Luxe Competition hubs until about 1971 or 72.

After that Gitane switched to Campagnolo Nuovo Tipo hubs with the round holes.

Overall, The Normandy Luxe Competition hubs were a little better quality than the Campy hubs. Gitane was probably having delivery problems with those hubs. Peugeot used them on their PX-10 bikes and probably had more juice with Maillard/Atom/Normandy that Gitane.

It's a 57cm size frame. Gitane measured from the center of the bottom bracket to the top of the seat tube which is slightly under 22 1/2" (and of course, all dimensions were nominal).

The bike looks like it should clean up nicely but there's some rust on the chrome.

The Simplex Quick Release skewers were used with Normandy Luxe Competition hubs for some odd reason??? The standard Normandy QRs were so much better.

When a bike came in with Simplex QRs, we usually sold the customer Normandy QRs, they were only a few dollars back then. We threw the Simplex QRs away because they were dangerous. It was easy to lock them down in the wrong direction and they broke easily.

There are folks on some of the classic bike forums who go nuts over Simplex QRs. Most of them never worked on bikes for a living! Evil or Very Mad

TdFs as well as the other Gitane performance models usually came with 5 speed 14-24T Atom freewheels, occasionally 14-26T.

The photos are dated 2-11-2009 so it may have been up for sale before.

Note: an all original 1972ish 54cm TdF just sold for $443 on eBay. It had some rust on the chrome also the low end Simplex rear dropouts without an integral derailleur hanger.

$500 to $600 is about the right price for this bike. For $120 shipping it better be packed well.

Anyone who buys a bike that needs to be shipped, check out my pictures about how to ship a bike:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28267220@N05/sets/72157625469349057/

Feel free to refer sellers to these pictures. I've received bikes and frames that were damaged due to poor packing and I got the sellers to issue me substantial refunds!!!

and lastly, as always, these are educated guesstimates. Wink

Gypsy

Thanks for the encyclopedic insight on this particular TdF Chas. Alas, a little too large for me so I will patiently wait.

In reference to

"an all original 1972ish 54cm TdF just sold for $443 on eBay. It had some rust on the chrome also the low end Simplex rear dropouts without an integral derailleur hanger"

I was bidding on that bike. I started at $200 knowing it would go for at least $350. A couple seconds before it was over I put in a bid of $438.11 (wife says I can only send $500 total and that includes shipping). Thought I had it with 2 seconds left. Was not to be. I will admit being very disappointed.

The search continues.

Ken
Redwood Falls, Minnesota