gitaneusa.com :: View topic - 1970 Grand Sport De Luxe

msbella

This bike has had nothing changed on it -- probably not even the tires. Been riding horseback the last 35 years (original owner) so this baby hasn't seen much action except for a trip to Block Island with my daughter about 4 years ago. I was inspired by this daughter to ride a bike again after she rode her bike across the country after graduating. Then she headed to New Zealand to ride around that country and now she's in Australia. So I want to ride, too. I knew I'd gotten a good bike in high school so I decided to check it out online and look what I found! Shocked

I know nothing about restoring a bike but I know enough about restoration ... that doing nothing is better than doing it wrong. So I put away the polish and the steel wool and I'm here with pictures of my bike. It's small but mighty. Honestly, I want to ride on the trail so I don't know if this bike is appropriate for me but I'd like to see it live again. Where do I start? Maybe someone else wants this project. I have lots of projects already ...

vanhelmont

First of all, depending on the trail, I think it's suitable for most places you would take a bike. You probably have 27x1 1/4 tires, and I ride on a dirt road on an old road bike with 27x1 1/4 tires. Sometimes it bogs down in the sand, but my daughter's bmx bike does too. I set the seat a little lower than I would for street riding, so that I can put my feet down easier. One day my daughter and I even rode the bmx track at the park (it's not a very challenging track, it has some steep but very short ups and downs). The other parents, some of whom had mountain bikes, sat and watched, but I rode with her and the other kids on their bmx bikes. I have low gears on the bike, but your mixte probably does too. You can also get 27x1 3/8 tires, which would probably fit.

As for restoring, what it surely needs is for all the bearings and the drive train to be cleaned and lubed. If you like to work with wrenches, bikes aren't very complicated. My non-destructive cleaning method for alloy and chrome parts is to rub them with aluminum foil. I read about it somewhere on the internet. It cleans and polishes pretty well without abrasive. If you need specific info, post again.

Many of us have too many projects. Besides garden, house, and car projects, I have a Gitane to paint and build, and a Mixte (non-Gitane) for my daughter.

msbella

Vanhelmont - Thanks for the response. I would like to ride this bike again. When I told my daughter about the site all about Gitane she got excited and wants to restore it for me. Very nice; she's in Australia! I could certainly start on it myself, no rush. She's working in AU in a bike shop now doing repairs. Experience gained since she restored and maintained the bike she's been riding the last 2 years.

Then she discovered mountain biking in NZ. Of course she's telling me about riding straight up and staight down and over slippery roots in the rain forest of New Zealand and it makes me itch to ride the woods like I ride a horse in the woods. Razz

But maybe better not to start that project. I need to build those pedalling legs again. One step at a time.

I read about the aluminum foil for polishing on this site yesterday. Didn't think it would be enough but I'll definitely start there, then. Just crumble and rub, I suppose. I think there's a book in my daughter's room somewhere on how to rebuild a bike. First I need to finish the mudroom. Rolling Eyes

cooltech

Very cool bike. Enjoy to the max! I recently restored my 1974 Gitane Sport. a blast to ride! By the way; though there are some paint chips and wear, I won't repaint. Compounded and cleaned as much as possible. Wanted to keep frame and and main hardware original.
cooltech Cool

msbella

cooltech: Thanks for the encouragement. I agree, I just want to clean/compound the paint because I don't want to lose the original decals and that truely unusual color. So there's some patina to it ... it can be a good thing. Ride on. Wink