gitaneusa.com :: View topic - Gitane Frame

corn

Hello fellow crankers. I picked up this frame the other day, not really knowing what I was buying but I wanted to make a project out of it. I'm almost positive it is a lowwer level frame and probably not worth putting to much money into it....but I am! Wink

Based on other pics on the net, I think I've got a '76 gypsy?

At any rate, take a look at my pic and let me know what you think I've got here. The frame is oversized for me (62cm and I'm 6 foot). For some reason, I love the looks of a larger frame and the geometry on this Gitane is fab. I'm in the process of sanding it down because I don't like the brown. Planning on doing a bright green or something but we'll see.

Here is the biggest problem I'm having and need ANYONE's help. You've probably all heard it before. I need a 24mm (diameter) seat post. I plan on sanding down a Nitto quill stem so that it will fit the 22mm head, I'm leaving the cottered cranks and hopefully standard pedals will fit? I'm new to biking and this weekend was the first I'd even heard of Gitane. The older frames are sweeeet looking in my opinion. Also, apparently the cult following is that there is nothing like riding steel.

Would love to hear from anyone. Feel free to correct me on anything inaccurate as I am new. Ride fast everyone.

corn

BTW, any info on the 24mm seat post would be excellent. Any info at all.

vanhelmont

This seller sells just about any size imagineable.

http://cgi.ebay.com/BICYCLE-SEATPOST-In-excellent-condition-Seat-Post_W0QQitemZ230243006584QQihZ013QQcategoryZ106951QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

It's worth putting money into if you like it and ride it. I like the cranks. I'm not sure if you would have standard or French thread pedals. Did it come with pedals? They would be rebuildable unless the cups or cones are shot. I even used emery paper on a damaged cup in an old pedal, and they aren't perfect, but with new ball bearings I'm using them. If the cups and cones are OK, they should rebuild as good as new.

The size sounds about right to me. In the 70s, we usually got the biggest frame we could comfortably straddle. Have you looked at the Rivendell website? Glenn Peterson would probably put you on a frame about this size. Greg Lemond's system would probably put you on about a 60 cm. I think most people these days ride too small a frame.

Enjoy!

verktyg

The bike could be either a Gypsy or a Grand Sport Deluxe from 1974 to 1976. Does it have a model name on the frame?

The seat post should be some size between 25mm and 25.8mm. It may appear to be 24mm because the seat tube may be collapsed from tightening on a seatpost that was too small. You can check to make sure that the hole is round. If not you can open the "ears" of the seat lug a little.

The pedals probably have metric 14mm threads.

Chas.

corn

Thanks for the replies. I have been able to find a couple different places with 24mm seatposts but they're $100+. I went with the website that verktyg suggested and ordered a 25mm seatpost because it appears that vanhelmont was correct and the top of the seat tube was not perfectly round.

Again, thanks for the replies and I'll be sure to post the bike once it's completed.

vanhelmont

and seem to go for less than non-French equivalent pedals.

I go to cycling, enter

french pedals

in the search box, and check to little box to "search title and description"

I just checked, and all I found were Campagnolo spindles, but I've seen a variety of pedals. They don't come up as much as other parts.

Peter S. Horn

Chas., Robert,
Disclaimer: My abreviation for the Tour de France should, obviously, have been: "T.D.F.", rather than "T.D.U." An Old English 800 would have prevented this, mates!
Peter H.
Sacramento