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peazweag

Found this beauty at a yard sale a couple of weeks ago for a mere $5.00.After bringing it home did the usual tear down & clean added a set of fenders new wheels and tires and my trusty brooks b72 .Now I have a real nice daily rider.

sandranian · Site Admin

Great story! Thanks for sharing, and enjoy your 'new' Gitane!

scozim

Looks like it cleaned up very nicely. Wish I could find a $5 garage sale Gitane.

bdbiker1

5 bucks for a used bike period, much less a Gitane is a killer deal!!! Congrats!

NebraskaGuy

There have been a few forum members who have found great deals lately.

I wonder who's next to find gold!

verktyg

My first Gitane was an orange 1972 Gran Sport just like yours. Wink

peazweag

Thanks for all the compliments.I sure enjoy riding it,rides straight & true. :DIt has shimano 500 deraillers and shimano unishifters on it,the simplex stuff was beyond repair and I had the shimano stuff in the parts bin and its close to the same era.I will probably put some huret parts on it when I find some.What huret derailleurs should I be looking for that would go with the vintage of this bike. Thanks for all your kind words Gary in OREGON.

verktyg · Last edited by verktyg on Wed Oct 17, 2012 2:28 pm; edited 1 time in total

Gary,

Gitane used the Gran Sport frames unchanged from the late 60s until at least the mid 70s. In 1974 they switched from the foil decals like on your bike to the green or yellow plastic film style.

The demand for components during the bike boom of the early 70s overwhelmed the French manufacturers.

Many were using machinery that predated WWII. That added to the number of holidays plus the whole country closed down for the entire month of August compounded the problem and opened the doors to the Japanese manufacturers.

We never knew what derailleurs, brakes or hubs were on the Gran Sport bikes until we opened the shipping boxes! Confused

The most common derailleurs used on the Gitane Gran Sports imported into the US were the Simplex Prestige models.

Next were Huret Allvit derailleurs. The French thought highly of the Allvit derailleurs as did Schwinn.

If they were kept well oiled and adjusted plus matched with good quality derailleur cables they shifted almost satisfactorily (this was rarely the case on bikes in the US). Rolling Eyes

By 1973 some Gitane Gran Sports were coming with Suntour derailleurs which worked great! Very Happy

They were equipped with MAFAC Racers, Weinmann or Dia-Compe centerpull brakes. On occasion they came with Weinmann sidepulls plus other less common makes.

Hubs were usually Normandy quick release large flange hubs but sometimes they came with nutted Normandy large flange, Atom nutted small flange or Pelissier quick release or nutted 3 piece hubs or Pelissier nutted 3 piece small flange hubs.

They used wing nuts on the nutted hubs for a while then I guess the US lawyers forced a change to hex nuts.

I'd try to find some period correct Suntour derailleurs because they work well and they're bullet proof!

Clear as mud, eh?

BTW, Gitane used the same frame for quite a few different European models.

scozim

peazweag

I apperciate all the replies,just put on a ESGE rear rack & kick stand.As far as the derailleurs go I think I'm just going to stick with the shimano 500s they are about the right era and they work great. Gary

bdbiker1

I love the fenders!