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woody

first off, hello to all from las cruces, nm.

i just bought a gitane interclub off of craigslist. from pics and info i've found here it appears to be about a 72-74. it is in working order after new brake levers and handlebar tape. i have a few questions for your collective knowledge.

1. should i just replace the steel 27" wheels with nice aluminum 700c? there is a little play in the front hub anyway.

2. if so where do i find a rear hub that will work? modern 9 speed wheels are too wide, right?

3. where can i find a 25mm seatpost that isn't carbon and $150.

4. is it pronouced zhi-tahn?

i am sorry as these may be newbie questions, but i gotta start somewhere right?

thanks for any advice
cheers
ben-

sandranian · Site Admin

Welcome to the site, and please post some pictures! They are always appreciated and almost demanded by the readers here! We like looking at pictures...I am not sure what that says about our relative intelligence levels.... But I digress.

Regarding your Interclub:

(1) Replacing the wheelset with aluminum-rimmed wheels will be the single biggest improvement that you can make with that bike, as far as the ride / performance is concerned. 700c wheels will work, depending on the reach of the brakeset. If it is a Mafac brakeset, it shouldn't be a problem. The play in the front hub can be easily fixed with a cone wrench, so that isn't a reason to ditch the wheels. Performance certainly is. Oh...and there is nothing more maddening than trying to stop a bicycle with steel rims when they are wet!

(2) You are right about the modern hubs. They will not fit unless you do some serious spreading of the rear triangle, which I do not recommend. You need to measure the distance between the dropouts in millimeters, and look for a rear hub that will fit. Ebay and/or Craigslist are good places to find them. They are almost always available on either or both.

(3) The seatpost can be found...either an old one on Ebay or you may be able to find a new one made by "Kalloy" online. They are usually special order items, but shouldn't cost you more than $30-40. Here is a link to one for $14: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CJV76Y

Be sure that it is long enough to fit correctly/safely.

(4) I think you are right about the pronunciation. We discussed that a while back on the forum, and I think you have hit the nail on the head!

"Newbie" questions are always welcome and encouraged. Thanks again for coming on...I hope that you become a regular. Again...pictures!

Stephan

woody

thanks stephan-

i will post pictures as soon as i take some, and figure out how to post them.

the advice is great, i will try to tighten up that front hub untill i get some new rims / wheels.

the brakeset is infact mafac and works well, so i see no need to change that. plus i think they look great.

once i post pics i am sure to have more questions.
cheers
ben-

greyhundguy

Ben,
Are you sure the seat post is 25mm? That sounds a little small for a Gitane of that period. My 73ish Interclub is 25.4 mm.

Jay

sandranian · Site Admin

Measure the seat tube very accurately...or use the old post (if it fits right) to measure it. If you are leaning towards a new post, Kalloy makes them in just about every size.

woody

thanks guys, the seatpost is infact 25mm. but i think i can make it work for now. got it all loosened up and functioning.
i am in the process of looking for new rims, as the originals are not in great shape.

oh one other thing, the pedals are not original nor are thet the correct thread. someone muscled them on a few turns and they seem to have held so far. i saw some french thread pedals somewhere, are those correct? if so, does anyone know what size thread that is so i can buy a tap the clean up the crank arms?

will try to take some pics today.

cheers
ben-