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sebseb

hello, new to gitane bicycles I am not shure if this frame is worth it to plunge myself into restoration...found this frame and don´t know what to think about it....as I suspect to need special french parts to get it going I would like to know if abybody has informations about the exact model and year (about the middle of the 70´s? - frame sticker reynolds 531 (horizontal) ). regards -sebastian.

sandranian · Site Admin

Welcome, and yes that bike is worth it. That appears to be a 1976 Tour de France. It was made with the three main tubes Reynolds 531. The "special french parts" that you need are already on there: The Bottom Bracket, Headset, and Seatpost. So...you really don't need all that much to make that bike work.

verktyg

This could be a 1974 or 75 Tour de France because they only had the 3 main tubes made of Reynolds 531 tubing. In 1976 the TdFs were all Reynolds 531 again like the earlier pre 1974 bikes.

The headset doesn't look like the Stronglight P3 that came on TdFs and the cranks are not the Stronglight model 93 either.

Based on the headset and cranks it could be a 1976 or later Interclub. A few of them came with 3 tube Reynolds 531 frames.

...or else it could be a 1974 or 75 TdF that someone changed the the cranks and headset on.

Chas.

sandranian · Site Admin

Listen to Chas. He is wise and has knowledge.

greyhundguy

I tend to lean to the '74-'75 date (as Chas. suggests). The Head Tube decal and short point lugs lead me to this. In '76 the "Gitane" was within a Black Panel on the Head Tube decal, though the '75 Catalog does show one on a Men's Gran Sport Deluxe. My "known to be" '76 TdF has the Black Panel decal and Long Point lugs. Also, the 531 decal is on the Seat Tube and Fork. The 531 on the Down Tube of this bike suggests three tubes Reynolds (as Chas. stated).

Jay...sometimes obsessed with decals and details

ikersey

Great find, Sebastian -- looks almost identical to mine, with the "Racing Team" decal on the drive side chain stay, 3-tubes Reynolds 531 decal on the down tube, and chrome socks only on the fork.

Mine came with the lesser Sugino Maxy crankset, 'though.

Based on the collective posts I'd seen in this forum , I came to the conclusion that mine was either a '76 or '77 TdF/Racing Team.

For an awesome discussion by list members, see the "Typical componentry found on Gitane TdF's (1970 - 1975) thread.

Also see pix of my restoration at the "Restored '76/'77 Gitane Tour de France" thread.

Looking forward to seeing pix of your restoration posted here.

Cheers,

Ian Kersey
Williamsburg, VA

sebseb

wow, so many answers and information - thanks a lot so far - but I don´t know if I want to restore this bike - another one is waiting for me and this gitane seems not special enough to invest so much time and money...

sandranian · Site Admin

Not special enough? I'll agree with you and take it off your hands: What size is it?

sebseb

no problem - it is for sale for 20€ in the south of France...the link is:
http://www.troc-velo.com/cadres-cadres-route-gitane-renolds-531-1-1-158086.htm

good luck -seb.

antonyfromoz

Dear all,

I am sorry to drag up such an old post but I wondered if anyone had a definitive identification of the bike in the orginal post? I have a bike at my parents house in Australia that I am positive is the same model as this bike and I am wondering if it is worth spending the money to bring it over to Norway and restoring it. The bike was the first new bike I ever bought and I used to ride it to school many, many years ago... The paint work is identical to the one in the picture, as are the stickers but I do not remember if it had the Reynolds sticker on it. Would Gitane have made two bikes that were identical in colour and chromework but used different tubing? It is possible that the sticker is there and I have just forgotten about it (I have not looked at the bike for many years). When I last looked at the bike it was in good condition in the garage and in the years i rode it the only change i made was the rear derraileur as the old one (Simplex?) exploded one day when the chain got stuck. Any feedback would be most welcome!

sandranian · Site Admin

Yes, Gitane made those bikes without Reynolds tubing. They are still good and solid bikes, but not quite as light as the one pictured. The ride wouldn't be quite as nice either (so I hear, because quite frankly, I can't tell the difference!).

verktyg

Hi gang,

Looking at the original photo again (and having done some work on my recently acquired 74 TdF frame), I now think that it's a 75 or most likely a 76 Interclubs.

I base that guess on the short point standard Bocoma lugs, the Sugino Maxi cranks and as Jay pointed out the head tube decal.

Prior to the major changes in 1974, Gitane Tour de France bikes had all Reynold 531 frames and went mano-a-mano against Pujoe PX-10s. Only the 3 main tube on the newer 1974 and 75 TdF frames were Reynolds 531. In 1976 Gitane went back to all Reynolds 531 frames for the TdFs. They also upgraded Inteclub frames to 3 main tubes Reynolds 531 around that time.

They listed the Interclub frames as also made of Durifort tubing around that time. Clear as mud, eh?

The more I learn the less I'm sure of.

Chas.

Don't believe everything you think!

antonyfromoz

Thank you both for your input - it is very much appreciated. Please forgive my ignorance but if the bike is an interclub then how desirable is it and would you recommend it as something worth investing much time and money on? As I mentioned earlier the bike is pretty much original - even down to the chromed rims - but after sitting in my parents garage for many years I would think it will require some attention to get it in decent riding condition again. And that is not even considering the expense of shipping it to Europe...

sandranian · Site Admin

Tour de France and Interclubs were fairly common, so it isn't like they are especially hard to find. That being said, they are both quality bikes, and you would be able to sell either for a few hundred dollars. You won't get too much for either, though, depending on the condition of course.

It is also dangerous to ask the question of whether a restoration is "worth it". The reason is that if you are going into it thinking it is a monetary investment, then you are in the wrong business. It is "worth it" if you plan to ride it and get use/enjoyment out of it.

It is common for people to spend $500-$1000 on a bicycle that...when completed...is worth $450 on the open market. I have bikes that I have spent some money on and they are probably worth the same, but are priceless to me, so it doesn't really matter. The point is, I guess, that if you do it for the hobby, then cost shouldn't be an issue. If you are doing it for the investment, you should get into another business.

Joke: The quickest way to be left with $1,000,000 is to open a bike shop with $2,000,000.

verktyg

About 2 1/2 years ago I decided to build myself a wet weather "beater" bike so that my nice bikes wouldn't get dirty from riding on wet roads (notice, I didn't say riding in the rain).

Up until then I hadn't recalled ever seeing any Gitanes here in NorCal. I found a 1984 Super Corsa frame on eBay for around $100. I got a crank set with it for an extra $15 and so on. Anyway, I pieced it together with parts that I had or picked up for the job.

I originally intended to spend about $200 max on the project but I figure that it ended up costing me about $400+.

It's become my all time favorite riding and handling bike. While it cost more than I planned which is almost always the case, it was well worth it.

It's not restored by any means, just assembled out of usable somewhat period correct parts.

So like Stephan said if you want to restore a bike do it out of love rather than for the money.

Only a few people make any money off of restoring bikes and they're usually rare hand made high end models.

Chas.