gitaneusa.com :: View topic - Newly Acquired Reynolds 531 (Partial?) Cycles Gitane

Grayrider

Greetings Vintage Gitane Fanciers!
I have high hopes that you folks can assist me in identifying a particular model of Reynolds 531 endowed Cycles Gitane. It is unclear to me whether the forks and stays are constructed of Reynolds 531, but certainly the main tubes are - as the old Reynolds 531 decal attests to.

I am enthusiastic about building this frame back up, as it was purchased as you see it here: a headset, a Campagnolo bottom bracket, single front Weinmann center pull, and the seat post bolt. It has seen many miles according to its former owner; and THANKFULLY has not had the derailleur hanger removed. The hanger is in fact threaded, so assume it can accept either a Simplex Super LJ (yes, I do like the alloy bodied Simplex derailleurs), or a Campagnolo Nuovo Record. Haven't given much thought to a Huret.

The frame measures a full 25 1/4 inches (64 cm.) from the center of the bottom bracket spindle to the top of the seat tube cluster. It is tall even for my 6' 2" body with 33" inseam, and I would have preferred a 62 cm. tall frame, but this Gitane was available and I definitely wanted to try a Cycles Gitane after my trusty old Peugeot PX-10.

I will include here some pictures recently taken. They are high resolution so I hope that I can get them to transfer properly.

Thank you very much for your comments and information in advance, and I sincerely enjoy the "Vintage Forum" of the www.gitaneusa.com website.
- Randy Roop
Canby (near Portland), Oregon

gmany

Looks like the the 3 main tubes are reynolds, not the stays and probably not the fork. If the stays or fork were reynolds the tips would be coves, not domes as seen in the pic of the stays.

I'm rather new at this too, so I'm not sure if you've got an Interclub or a Tour de France model. I think it's a TDF from 74-76, but Chas or another more knowledgable member will chime in.

greyhundguy

Randy,
Welcome to GUSA.
It appears to me that you have a 1974-75 Tour de France. Long point, cut out lugs are a good clue. The three main tubes being 531. I'm not sure but the fork might be also. Scalloped ends at the drop outs would suggest such. Does it have Huret or Simplex fork drop outs?

Though I now prefer a 58-60 cm frame, my original 62 cm from College is still not a problem to ride.

Jay

Grayrider

Hello Garrett and Jay,
Thank you both for your responses, surely appreciate them.

In response to your question Jay about the fork ends, I took a couple of additional shots. I do not see any of Simplex's tell-tale 'signature S', but then I have not seen many Simplex drop-outs either.

I am under the impression that the rear drop-outs in this 'honeycomb' design, (that some on the forum seem to admire and others seem to tolerate Wink

) ), were manufactured by Huret. Is that correct, or were these also Simplex's creation?

Additionally, a Pivo stem came with the frame and this somewhat odd headset, of which I can find no identifying marks.

So here are those additional shots of this venerable old Gitane's front-end.

Thanks again!
-Randy

greyhundguy · Last edited by greyhundguy on Mon Dec 28, 2009 2:04 pm; edited 1 time in total

verktyg · Last edited by verktyg on Tue Dec 29, 2009 3:08 am; edited 2 times in total

Greeting and welcome to the fray!

EDITED: I'd say that you have a 1974-75 Tour de France frame, here's why: Embarassed

On closer examination of the original pictures posted above and seeing the stamped steel fork crown plus the stamped steel fork ends pictured below, I've revised my guestimation: "I'd say that you may have a 1976 Interclub frame"... Confused

...or maybe a very early 1974 TdF frame. In 1974 Gitane "dumbed down" the TdF model by switching from all Reynolds 531 tubing to only the 3 main tubes made of Reynolds 531 plus changing from forged Simplex dropouts to investment cast Huret honeycomb rear dropouts. They may have briefly switched to stamped steel fork ends too (especially for a less popular 64cm sized frame, or... maybe they used a fork from a lesser model)???

Now to muddy the water even more...

There were unsubstantiated rumors to the effect that for a short time in the mid 70s, Gitane Pacific was bringing painted frames into the US, applying the decals and assembling the bikes in Hawthorne, Calif.

Here's a picture of what a seller claimed was a NOS 1974 Gitane Interclub bike (most likely an 1976 model Interclub).

It has long point lugs, stamped fork crown, a very strange Reynolds 531 decal on the seat tube not the down tube, low flange hubs, Atom pedals instead of Lyotard pedals used on most Gitanes, Huret Challenger derailleurs and so on. Check out the svelte suede covered cheap plastic saddle too! Notice the showroom hang tag.

CAVEAT: After the bike boom ended around mid 1974, there were never a lot of mid range Gitane Interclubs and Tour de France bikes imported into the US.

We never had more than about 10 1974-76 Tour de France or Interclub bikes go through our shop - for a number of reasons including availability. Aside from assembling all of those bikes, I didn't have much experience with Gitanes after about 1975 because we pretty much stopped selling the line (or rather Gitane Pacific priced themselves out of the market plus they couldn't deliver).

Everything I wrote below is still relevant and to the best of my knowledge accurate:

In 1974-75 both the Tour de France and Interclub models came with the notorious Huret "honeycomb" rear dropouts also called "waffle" or "spiderweb" rear dropouts.

These dropouts were used on some models up through 1977 (some >1976 TdFs may have had Campy dropouts). Most of the better quality models listed in the mid 70s French catalogs also used these dropouts.

Note the 2 derailleur stops for use with either Huret or Campy style derailleurs.

The TdF forks came with Simplex dropouts. Most had domed fork blade ends but some had "fishtail" cut blades. While Gitane used the fishtail cut ends on Reynolds neither style was a guarantee of Reynolds 531 because Reynolds forks and stays came both ways.

Some ~1974 Interclubs may have had stamped steel fork dropouts but the later ones came with Simplex dropouts too.

The 1974-75 TdF frames changed from the previous Foil Decal models with all Reynolds 531 tubing to just the 3 main tubes made of butted Reynolds 531. Also the Reynolds decals were moved from the seat tube to the down tube.

As far as I've been able to tell, over the years Interclubs used a variety of tubing that ranged from the same seamed tubes that came on the Gran Sport models to Durifort tubing with butted or straight gage (888) main tubes.

I've seen several ~1976 Interclubs with the same frame as the 1974-75 TdFs (long point lugs and 3 main tube Reynolds). See additional information above.

Around 1972-73 Gitane switched from long point Prugnat Type S "Italian style" lugs to Bocama Professional medium point lugs.

Sometimes the Bocama lugs had reinforcing rings around the top and bottoms of the head tube lugs, sometimes not. These lugs had "BCM" stamped in the front and numbers like 72 or 73 stamped in the rear which were the lug angles not the year of manufacture.

The 1974-75 TdFs came with long point lugs, usually Prugnat Type S with cutouts stamped into them.

The fork crowns also changed from Nervex Dubois with a raised V to smooth top Nervex crowns

So how do you tell the difference between a 1974-75 TdF frame and an Interclub frame from the same time period?

Simple, 2 things to look for:

TdFs used Stronglight P3 headsets with a round top lock nut that had 4 spanner pin holes.

Interclubs had the same headsets that were used on the Gran Sport and other entry level models. They had octagon top lock nuts.

The second thing, 1974-75 TdFs used long point lugs. Interclubs in 1974-75 used medium point Bocama lugs without any cutouts. See Pictures above.

One final note, I think that the new style 1974 Gitanes sold in the US were actually 1975 models introduced in mid 74. I never saw a 1974 Gitane catalog. The 1970 US Gitane catalog was used through mid 1974.

The TdFs were not listed in US Gitane catalogs between 1975 and the early 80s???

The Interclub was the top of the line Gitane model in the 1976 and 77 US catalogs.

We had some one page flyers with dealer specs for the 1974, 75 and 76 TdFs and Interclubs, nothing else.

Obviously there were a few better model Gitanes imported into the US in the mid 70s but they probably never got to far away from the location where they were imported in to.

The bottom line is that it's a sporting model Gitane and should ride and handle nicely.

greyhundguy

verktyg

Seasonal Greetings fellow Contrarian... Wink

Please see additions and edits to my previous message.

greyhundguy