gitaneusa.com :: View topic - Help finding Serial number and age on 70s tandem

Rambler

I have a Tandem bike that I bought 20 years ago. It has been repainted and has Raleigh stickers on it, but I was told at the time of purchase that it was a Gitane. After looking at the catalog pictures, it obviously is. I am trying to determine if it should be restored to be riden, or just trashed and a new tandem bought. My wife and I are reconsidering riding again.
This bike has few original parts. One of the owners was a bike mechanic and replaced the deraileurs with Shimano, put a new wheel on the from and replaced all the handlebars. It has the drum brake original and the original bottom brackets though, that I suspect all need to be serviced. The rear rim brake is gone, but the front brake was replaced with a cantalever brake.
I can't find a serial number on it anywhere. It may have been obscured though the repaint job, I can't tell.
It did have a front rack when I bought it, but I removed it because it was of no use.
Any help in what to look for to determine which year it is? I suspect 71-75.
Thanks.

vanhelmont

Nobody here has been able to discern any system to Gitane serial numbers. Gitanes of the early '70s had serial numbers on the dropout.

I have no experience with tandems, but have looked into getting one. I decided against it because it's harder to transport than two normal bikes, but read some comments on used tandems that were negative toward older French tandems. The problems stem from components designed to carry one supporting two instead. Wheels, brakes, and headset would face double the usual load. A good modern tandem has stronger components designed for that. On the other hand, you have a cantilever brake and a hub brake, and one wheel was replaced by a mechanic, who may have chosen a stronger hub, rim, and spokes. If your headset is in less than great shape, velo orange has a French thread stronglight delta headset that uses roller bearings, which is probably as strong as any 1" (or should I say 25.4mm) threaded headset ever made.

If it was mine, and if it fit me and whoever I was riding with, I would clean and lube it and upgrade any overstressed, failing parts.

verktyg

Gitane marketed a number of different model tandems in the 1970s. The most popular model was the Tandem Sport which was more or less based on the Gran Sport single bikes:

http://www.gitaneusa.com/images/catalog/1970_pg7.jpg

These had an Atom rear drum brake and I seem to remember that they had Mafac cantilever brakes rather than standard centerpulls like shown in the catalog. They had 27" steel rims. I think that these also had 1 1/8" or 1 1/4" special tandem headsets.

They also sold a Europa model with 650B tires. These had lugless steel frames that were sold by at least half a dozen other French bike makers. Rumor has it that these were made by Urago. Mel Pinto sold some of these as bare frames with no decals or built up to spec.

http://www.gitaneusa.com/images/catalog/1968/1968_pg6.jpg

There was also a very rare Gitane tandem model that was made lugged Reynolds 531 tubing. They had TA Cyclotouriste cranks, Campy hubs with sewup rims and Mafac cantilever brakes. Probably Campy headset and seatposts too along with Ideale 90 saddles.

Chas.