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rustlover

try to open here a topic for the 83 team pro bikes where we can
putt all the information, bikes and pictures together

i start with some scans, pictures

rustlover

scan 1 is fignon at the tdf 83
using in this stage modolo master pro brakes in some other stages of the 83
tdf he uses silver mavic or modolo professional brakes

scan 2 is hinault with his mysterios full chromed steel bike at lüttich - bastogne - lüttich 83, he uses the same bike at fleche wallone 83

scan 3 ist great greg at the world championchip 83

scan 4 is ? at lüttich bastogne lüttich - with this nice fork missing some color

mountaindave

Great photos... traurig über mein Deutsch Wink

rustlover

it will be nice if some others have nice pictures of 1983

what i know about these model after doing some research over the last
3 years - since i found my first one - is that they were produced beginning in
February and march 1983 they produced the early team bikes for the early classic races, these bikes were fully under chromed and had the problem that
they lost the color - (may be sometimes in one race Laughing

) for the giro or for the tdf a second marge of team bikes were produced and i think that may be some of the early team bikes were new and better coloured and than may be used further in the team or sold. The bikes before the tdf all have only the production date and the size as frame numbers, the serial team pro models were started produced while, after the tdf and have the production date the size and a typical serial number on the bottom bracket - you have to remove the plastic for the cable routing.
In the last 3 years i saw 4 bikes sold in europe, one i bought in the area of paris offered in leboncoin - a fully under chromed team bike from march 83, a second in the france bay offered as the bike of madiot, one in size 60 in germany in the bay - a later serial bike from november 83 and last the one sold last month which was offered for 9500¢ - this bike was from oktober 83 a "normal"
serial model with production date and serial number in nos condition.

Did any one know which semi pro teams used these bikes and when they get them?

Did anyone know the frame number, production month of gregs world champion bike?

Why used hinault in some early races this not colored bike?

Had the team riders bikes which are only produced, used for training?

Who else have one of these 83 bikes and can give us the production month?
so how many were left

lofter

I have one , let me get the bb numbers the paint on mine was and is in bad shape.

lofter

mine doesn't have a chrome under finish

lofter

these models (with the braze on front derailleur) didn't appear in our catalog until 84.

verktyg

lofter

yup understand chas

rustlover

dear chas and dear lofter,
nice to read your informations in this thread.
I know about 6 frame numbers of 83,84 team pros and 2 of profiles and
they have all the same style, early 83s and profiles have the production dated and size as frame number like 01 03 83 54, later serial 83s and 84s have
the production date, size and a serial number (lucky number) like
12 10 84 52
786532
This means may be the frame numbers for the us market where different
to the ones of the european market or the one you got lofter is a special one
or it is not a team pro - it will be nice to see more pictures of the frame - special with details.
Chas the most important trade fair of this time was the trade show in mailand
every year in october, november where the new models and also prototypes where presented - there was no new team bike in 82 and i think that the first ones where produced in february 83 - catalogs where printed in late 82 for 83 -
your right. I believe that the changing from camp to other parts would take some time so that the new team bike was very late finished and there was either no capacity for producing beginning 83 a serial team pro version.
I think gitane did this while or after the tdf and may be announced it with a flyer - cause for the 83 catalog it was really to late - and definitely there exist
83 serial team pros.

I don't think that there where problems with the braze on front derailleur and neither that there where frame damages about this type of mounting.
I think this was changed cause of using, changing to campy parts in 84 and campy didn't have a braze on front derailleur - and think they changed cause
of a lot of money for using campa not while the material in 83 was so bad -
they won the most important races with different drivers.
The pro teams drive and drove the material they paid for!!! not the best and not what they want to drive - it has had to work!!!
This is why one of the reasons why this 83 model is very interesting - it shows
how the pro scene works like no other bike - changing from camp to simplex ... and back and in the same from reynolds to columbus and back with no necessary of missing victories or bigger problems.
I think that they changed from braze on to clamp on in 84 so it was not using
old pictures for the 84 catalogue only the changing happens while the time of the catalogue.
This means it will be very necessary to see more 83, 84 team pros to find something like a timeline of changing - but i am sure there are not a lot existing anymore.
Nice will be to know when gregs world championship bike was produced -
which frame number it has and maybe to open a team pro frame number chart.

congratulation you both for your great collections and knowledge.

with best wishes from the old europe

lofter

my 83 t pro is the one with the god awfull yellow paint on it . I bought both the 84 and 83 from same guy in Madison Wisconsin . the two bb pics are of both bikes. both have simplex drops both of Columbus tubing . 83 has the brazeon hole . 84 does not. a fellow from france who I tried to buy the delta from said he spoke to a team mechanic and they would stamp rider initials into bb to determine whos was whos. I haven't plopped down the cash to redo the paint on the 83 , so that's why its just half ass built up. cant stand the yellow paint on it . cringe every time I look at it .

lofter

first pic is my collection when I first started. I had three 84 team pros at one time . bottom pic the interclub with white decals is what started my sickness. lol present count is 18 or 19 gitanes , a melton a vitus carbon a vitus degribaldy 979, a 86 look frame couple other beaters .I kept the images of lemonds 83 worlds bike that Stephan took when he got to touch the greatness .

mountaindave

I could think of a lot of worse "sicknesses" than collecting Gitanes. Wink

You have a nice little collection going!

MD

verktyg

The serial number on my 1984 Team Pro is 75916 55 12 3 84.

I'm assuming 55 = 55cm frame size and 12 3 84 was the date of manufacture March 12, 1984?

It was originally equipped with all Campy NR components.

My 1985/86 Professional serial numbers are: E039898 and E039995

FYI, My 1984 Super Corsa is E12792

75916 must have some commonality as one of lofter's bikes and my Team Pro are both stamped with that number. Maybe a batch run of these frames made at the same time?

verktyg