gitaneusa.com :: View topic - Restoration of a Mixte Frame from the late 70s or early 80s

Mixtup

Hi all,

I have just discovered this forum and am thrilled it exists as I am having some problems restoring my Mum's old Gitane from the 70s or early 80s. I am restoring it as my partner would like to ride to work and wants a simple commuting bike.

It is a Mixte frame and I am not sure how the rear brake cabling is done nor whether or not I can get cotter pins to reattach the cranks. The rear brake cable goes between the twin tubes that make up the ‘top tube’ and then loops up through a pulley attached to the seat bolt and then down to the centre pull brake arms.

I have attached a photo of the routing of the cable and was wondering if anyone could tell me how it is done. My particular confusion is exactly where the cable needs to be housed and where it should be bare and also where the adjuster goes. The hole in the cross piece nearest the front of the bike is large enough to take the housing through it but I don’t know if this where the adjuster should sit. The hole in the cross piece at the rear of the bike is too small on the side towards the front of the bike but larger on the rear side. I was wondering if this was because the cable entered the hole bare and exited through a stopper attached to a piece of housing which then went up the seat post. Currently I am thinking that the cable is bare between the two cross pieces and housed everywhere else.

I look forward to getting some responses.

Cheers,

Mixtup

edorwart

Welcome and good luck with the restoration. I can help you with the brake cables but the cotter can be found on Ebay on occasion as Harris Cycles has 9mm cotters for $2.50 a piece they can be found on this page
http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/french-cranks.html#chainwheels

But based on your "mum" and "cheers" I suspect you are not in the US and I am not sure if the ship overseas. They have been helpful with my most recent project so maybe they can help you out.

Erik

Mixtup

I am indeed not from the USA, in fact I come from Australia where Gitanes are not as common as they are in the rest of the world. I would love some advice on the brake cables and will keep on trying to track down some cotter pins. Failing the discovery of some I might try and convert the bottom bracket to a cotterless one if I can find one with a French thread.

Many thanks,

Mixtup

edorwart

I am in the process of converting a cottered crank to a cotterless one and have purchased a modern sealed bearing french thread bottom bracket from Velo-Orange. They do ship world wide.

http://www.velo-orange.com/grcrufrthbob.html

Erik

edorwart

There are cotters in 9mm and 9.5mm avaliable on Ebay, not cheap though. Hear are thge 9mm and the same guy has 9.5mm

Erik

Wisey

Hi Mixtup

Where you from in Oz? Cotter pins shouldn't be a problem.

Cheers from Wisy in Bris-Vegas.