gitaneusa.com Forum Index » Vintage Gitane » Preservation vs. Restoration and Updating Goto page 1, 2  Next    View previous topic :: View next topic  Preservation vs. Restoration and Updating   Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 10:57 am verktyg Joined: 14 Jan 2007 Posts: 2814 Location: SF Bay Area Preservation vs. Restoration and Updating "It's your thing, do what you wanna do." But here's my outlook: If you have or acquire a classic bike that's all or nearly all original in decent condition then I feel strongly about cleaning it up and preserving it in the style that it was manufactured. For safety and comfort reasons period correct updates are acceptable to preserve an historical artifact. Most of these kinds of bikes have been recycled already and as interest grows in collecting older bikes their value increases. See my link to The League Of Cycling Purity below for clarification! http://theleagueofcyclingpurity.wordpress.com/ Restoring a bike to like new appearance is OK in my view if you start with a rustbucket bike that has bad paint and/or chrome. Because of existing conditions these kinds of bikes usually have very little collector's value anyway. Be aware that new paint and chrome if needed can set you back at least $300 and up to $700+. New paint with old chrome looks funky. Another thing is the condition of the components. Funky looking components on a newly refurbished frame stand out like a sore thumb so you have to budget in cleanup time or the cost of replacements. The cost to restore an old Gitane can easily run up to a $1000, an amount that you will rarely recover if you want to sell the bike. Over the past few years I've noticed that restored bikes selling on eBay have almost always brought less money than similar bikes in original used condition. So if it's a matter of not liking the funky paint job, old Gitanes looked funky out of the box! Shiny components and some paint touch up can make a world of difference and will definitely pass the "5 foot" test ( at 5 feet you don't see the defects as easily). Here's my my 1969 TdF. Lots of elbow grease cleaning and polishing, some touch up paint, overhauling the bearings plus some replacement components and voilà - the 5 foot test! There have been some beautiful restorations posted in the Forum, for instance Jay's TdF and Kinst von Sterga's Super Corsa. Aside from those kinds of restorations my opinion is if you want a shiny new bike then buy a shiny new bike! Updating, putting on period correct upgraded components on a classic bike or modern components and saving the old ones to reinstall at a later time is OK. So is starting with a bare frame and installing modern components since the original parts can cost a fortune. This is a great solution if you want a rider since the frame and wheels are the most important parts of a bike and determine the ride and handling. My 2 Francs worth... _________________ Chas. SF Bay Area, CA USA ============== 1984 Criterium 1969 TdF 1971 TdF 1974 TdF 1984 TdF x 2 Bikes 1970 SC 1971 SC 1972 SC 1984 SC 1984 Team Pro 1985 Professional 1990s Team Replica   Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 12:51 pm sandranian Site Admin Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Posts: 2701 Location: Southern California Chas.' post might be adopted as the "official" position of GitaneUSA.com. Now my 2 cents: While I get that it is "your bike...do what you want", as the owner of the website, that attitude doesn't mean I have to put up with it, or sit idly by as a classic frame gets ruined. If you want to experiment with your bike, do it on your own time, and in secret! _________________ Stephan Andranian Costa Mesa, CA www.gitaneusa.com   Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 5:56 pm trois tubes Joined: 16 Apr 2010 Posts: 136 Amen to that !!!   Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 5:59 pm FORDSVTPARTS Joined: 25 Sep 2010 Posts: 32 I completely agree, you only have that original patina once. I feel the same way about vintage cars.   Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 8:43 pm verktyg Joined: 14 Jan 2007 Posts: 2814 Location: SF Bay Area sandranian wrote: "While I get that it is "your bike...do what you want" That song came to me while I was writing the post... All hail Cesar! _________________ Chas. SF Bay Area, CA USA ============== 1984 Criterium 1969 TdF 1971 TdF 1974 TdF 1984 TdF x 2 Bikes 1970 SC 1971 SC 1972 SC 1984 SC 1984 Team Pro 1985 Professional 1990s Team Replica   Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 8:47 pm scozim Joined: 26 Sep 2008 Posts: 629 Location: Ellensburg, WA Couldn't have said it better. _________________ 1984 Gitane Sprint 1984 Gitane Tour de France mid-1970's Gitane Olympic Plus many more http://eburgcycling.blogspot.com Do I need to resign?   Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 7:54 am jischr Joined: 30 Mar 2008 Posts: 14 Sorry but the 84 Super Corsa is my only road bike and my 'motor' is getting old. So the frame now sports a 105 triple, 12-25 10-spd cassette, brifters and 32 spoke wheels. I would have loved to buy a Litespeed Tuscany or maybe a Specialized Roubaix but the budget was never there. Since I became unemployed 10 days ago getting new is definitely out. Besides, I can do a 5:15 century on an 'old steel' bike while the guys on new/lighter stuff complain that they need 1,200 gram wheels. Maybe my motor isn't so lold after all. But I still only have one bike, and quite frankly I'm not sure anything newer would ride as smoothly or accurately. When I'm done I'll group the remaining original components and frame together and let somebody here buy and restore it for a wall hanger. But for now, I'll ride it until the frame cracks or flexs to the point of auto shifting. my $0.02 John   Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 10:49 am sandranian Site Admin Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Posts: 2701 Location: Southern California I suppose I need to clarify/amend my comment a bit: I don't have a problem with people doing whatever they like with their Gitane bikes when it comes to components. All I am talking about is the frameset itself, which, to me, contains the heart and soul of a bicycle. The components are infinitely interchangeable (unless pantographed!), and I have no real sentimental attachment. It is the frameset that makes a Gitane a GITANE, not the parts that are dangling on it! _________________ Stephan Andranian Costa Mesa, CA www.gitaneusa.com Component Updates vs. Repainting   Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 12:54 pm verktyg Joined: 14 Jan 2007 Posts: 2814 Location: SF Bay Area sandranian wrote: I suppose I need to clarify/amend my comment a bit: I don't have a problem with people doing whatever they like with their Gitane bikes when it comes to components. All I am talking about is the frameset itself, which, to me, contains the heart and soul of a bicycle. The components are infinitely interchangeable (unless pantographed!), and I have no real sentimental attachment. It is the frameset that makes a Gitane a GITANE, not the parts that are dangling on it! Agreed. (do I get suck up points) I bought my 1984 Super Corsa frame on eBay at the beginning of 2007. I got it to build as a wet weather beater bike. It was my first Gitane in over 30 years. That's when I discovered this group. Not knowing any better at the time I assembled it pretty much like the bike pictured in the Models section of this site. Since it was going to be a beater, I used components that I had or decent ones that I bought cheap. When I got the frame aligned, I had the rear triangle spread to 130mm so that I could use a Shimano 8 speed cassette hub. It's a real "Frankenbike" with a complete mishmash of components. After riding the 84 SC a few times it quickly became my all time favorite bike. I've changed a few things for functionality reasons since then but I doubt that I'll ever try to make it look original. On the other hand, the 1960s and 70s models that I bought as complete bikes are going to remain original - patina and all. The ones from those years that I've built up as bare frames are mostly period correct too. Back in the early 70s, many if not most Gitane Tour de France owners swapped out the Simplex Criterion derailleurs for Campy or Suntour models plus many got Brooks Pro or Brooks B17 saddles. The American tradition of customizing cars quickly spread to bikes during the Bike Boom era. So for me, period correct component upgrades do not detract from a bike meant to ride. Just don't repaint a perfectly good frame! The French made bikes to ride, not look at! _________________ Chas. SF Bay Area, CA USA ============== 1984 Criterium 1969 TdF 1971 TdF 1974 TdF 1984 TdF x 2 Bikes 1970 SC 1971 SC 1972 SC 1984 SC 1984 Team Pro 1985 Professional 1990s Team Replica   Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 2:11 pm scozim Joined: 26 Sep 2008 Posts: 629 Location: Ellensburg, WA OK - so what about painting a different make of french bike metallic blue and adding Gitane decals. Not sure that my dad would be real happy but I like Gitane so much I may have to pull a "Nicolas" with the bike. Scott _________________ 1984 Gitane Sprint 1984 Gitane Tour de France mid-1970's Gitane Olympic Plus many more http://eburgcycling.blogspot.com   Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 2:24 pm sandranian Site Admin Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Posts: 2701 Location: Southern California That doesn't offend me. I don't care what you do with other makes! _________________ Stephan Andranian Costa Mesa, CA www.gitaneusa.com   Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 5:49 pm Wisey Joined: 19 May 2009 Posts: 631 Location: Brisbane, Australia scozim wrote: OK - so what about painting a different make of french bike metallic blue and adding Gitane decals. Not sure that my dad would be real happy but I like Gitane so much I may have to pull a "Nicolas" with the bike. Scott That's all cool, but just don't try to sell it later as a 'real' gitane. Recently there was an 'Interclub' for sale on eBay here in Oz, but it was very obviously one of the 85 lower end bikes with a re-spray. That's poor form, I reckon. I have to admit that if money was inexhaustible, I would put together an awesome modern TT bike all painted up like a Delta. _________________ Kind Regards, Wisey Delta Dreamin'   Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 10:39 pm scozim Joined: 26 Sep 2008 Posts: 629 Location: Ellensburg, WA Wisey wrote: scozim wrote: OK - so what about painting a different make of french bike metallic blue and adding Gitane decals. Not sure that my dad would be real happy but I like Gitane so much I may have to pull a "Nicolas" with the bike. Scott That's all cool, but just don't try to sell it later as a 'real' gitane. Recently there was an 'Interclub' for sale on eBay here in Oz, but it was very obviously one of the 85 lower end bikes with a re-spray. That's poor form, I reckon. I have to admit that if money was inexhaustible, I would put together an awesome modern TT bike all painted up like a Delta. Nah, I wouldn't sell it as a Gitane. Heck, I seem to have a problem with not getting rid of bikes so it would most likely be in the stable for a very long time. _________________ 1984 Gitane Sprint 1984 Gitane Tour de France mid-1970's Gitane Olympic Plus many more http://eburgcycling.blogspot.com   Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 11:28 pm Wisey Joined: 19 May 2009 Posts: 631 Location: Brisbane, Australia Hey, I have that problem too. My missus calls it a 'disease'. But she's never told me to choose between her and the bikes. Perhaps it's because I showed her Chas' post where he replied to the old girl, "geez, I'm going to miss you" _________________ Kind Regards, Wisey Delta Dreamin'   Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 11:05 am Gtane Joined: 14 Sep 2007 Posts: 681 Location: UK I feel it's all down to personal choice. For my machines, I'm all for original preservation, the chips, dings, rust spots, transfer peels, the lot. The life of the bicycle for all to see, showing lineage back to the day the frame or components were made with a graceful ageing as time goes by. Whether a bicycle is a showroom special or a rusty gate with odd pedals, cranks and all, they all have one common factor and that's that their owners would not be without them. That's what makes a bicycle a bicycle, the personal touch. Rather like a favourite pair of slippers or a special comfy chair, all good, all great, yet all very different and individual in their own way. It's interesting to see some of the great machines of Coppi, Merckx, Anquetil and Bartali, and more besides, that have just been displayed since the last day they were raced. My favourite line from The League Of Cycling Purity is 'Extra kudos is given for making bits by hand with a file in your shed.' Good thread Chas, thanks. Tim _________________ Everything has a cycle Preservation vs. Restoration and Updating     gitaneusa.com Forum Index » Vintage Gitane You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum All times are GMT - 8 Hours   Page 1 of 2   Goto page 1, 2  Next All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First  Select a forum Gitane USA----------------Vintage GitaneGitane RacingModern GitanePro Racing - Classics/Giro/Tour....Owner Gallery   Powered by phpBB © 2001-2004 phpBB Group Designed for Trushkin.net | Themes Database.