 |  | | | |  | |  |  | Yet, another TdF variety '73 |  | |  |  | |
 Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 12:45 pm |
 |
|
| greyhundguy |
|
|
|
| Joined: 09 Apr 2008 |
| Posts: 678 |
| Location: South-Central VIRGINIA |
|
|
|
Claude: " Jeannot!!! Courez vers le bas a Etienne's en obtiennent..."
Translation-
Collissimo has failed to deliver. Claude, Parts procurement Manager, sends Johnny to Steven's Shop down the street to get parts to finish the days production.
I found reference to the Huret components in a Big Wheel 1973 catalog on Wooljersey.
Sellers listing:
"1973 Gitane Tour de France, all original. Some nicks in the paint, but in overall very good condition
Frame: Reynolds 531.
Seat tube C-C: 58cm.
Top tube C-C: 58cm.
Dropouts: Gitane honeycomb horizontal.
Rear derailleur: Huret Duopar.
Front derailleur: Huret.
Hubs: Maillard 700 5-speed.
Rims: Rigida 27”.
Tires: Schwalbe.
Crank: Stronglight 93, 53-42.
Saddle: Ideale 2002.
Brakes: Mafac Competition.
Shifters: Huret clamp on.
Pedals: Atom 600 w/ toeclips/straps
Freewheel: 14-26.
Stem/handlebar: Belleri."
Catalog lists Nylon Saddle and shows what appear to be Foil decals.
Jay |
|
_________________
Dance like nobody is watching. |
|
|
|
|
|
| |  |  | | | |  |  |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 12:51 pm |
|
|
| greyhundguy |
|
|
|
| Joined: 09 Apr 2008 |
| Posts: 678 |
| Location: South-Central VIRGINIA |
|
|
|
P.S. Has Head tube decal, none on downtube.
Jay |
|
_________________
Dance like nobody is watching. |
|
|
|
|
|
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | Ideale 2002 | | | | | |
| Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 3:37 pm |
|
|
| vanhelmont |
|
|
|
| Joined: 11 Dec 2007 |
| Posts: 242 |
| Location: Florida |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | Huret Derailleurs | | | | | |
| Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 7:00 pm |
|
|
| verktyg |
|
 |
|
| Joined: 14 Jan 2007 |
| Posts: 2814 |
| Location: SF Bay Area |
|
|
|
greyhundguy,
Those are Huret Success derailleurs - highly desirable among collectors. The rear derailleur is made with titanium and aluminum alloy parts. They shift really sweet. I have one of these plus several of the lower priced Challenger model with steel and alloy body parts instead of titanium.
My guess is that this is a 1976 or 77 model Tour de France. These were nice bikes but they didn't sell very well in the US because they were overpriced due to the unfavorable exchange rate with the Franc at the time. Also Gitane as well as most other French bikes had a reputation of being cheaply made because of poor cosmetics and plastic Simplex derailleurs that were common earlier in the decade.
By 1974 Gitane's cosmetics had improved quite a bit but they still weren't equal to the Japanese bikes that were coming into the US.
Chas. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | Re: Ideale 2002 | | | | | |
| Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 9:43 am |
|
|
| verktyg |
|
|
|
| Joined: 14 Jan 2007 |
| Posts: 2814 |
| Location: SF Bay Area |
|
|
|
| vanhelmont wrote: |
| The Ideale 2002 is nylon with a little padding and a leather cover. I suppose they didn't specify the model in the catalog so that they could throw a 2001 or 2000 on it if the 2002's ran out. |
Millions of bikes produced during the bike boom of 1971-73 came equipped with plastic "ass hatchet" saddles or cheap leather saddles. I suspect that more of the premium model leather saddles from Brooks and Ideale were sold aftermarket than OEM on new bikes during those years.
In the early 1970s Brooks Pro saddles were supper expensive as well as hard to find in the US. Brooks B17s were more readily available as were Ideale model 80 and 90 saddles. Cinelli Unicanitor plastic saddles started bitting into the leather saddle market. They were lighter than most leather saddles, weather proof plus there was the image thing.
Unicanitors were available in plain black plastic, leather covered plastic and leather covered with light padding. Later they came in other variations including thicker padding and colored plastic. I had a plain plastic one and one covered with buffalo hide leather. They weren't cheap. I seem to remember they were around $45 USD in 1974-75.
Ideale brought out their 2000 series of plastic saddles in response to the Unicanitor. By 1976 better quality plastic saddles were flooding the market from the likes of Avocet, Selle Italia and others; even Brooks produced a plastic saddle.
In the early 70s I tried several dozen different saddles before I scored a nice broken in Brooks Pro for my road bike and an Avocet gel saddle for my off road bike.
The Unicantor saddles were flat across the rear like a Brooks Pro but they never broke in. The Ideale 2000 series saddles were more round topped in the rear. These type saddles are uncomfortable for me because the put undue pressure in the middle and cause "sleepy winky" syndrome. 
Here's a link to a great collection of pics of bike saddles:
http://www.bikecult.com/works/saddle.html
Chas. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | | | | | | | |
|
