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Interclubs 
PostPosted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 11:21 pm Reply with quote
verktyg
Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 2814
Location: SF Bay Area
With all this talk about Interclubs lately. look what I found! Very Happy

This is a 60cm 1968-69 Gitane Interclub frame. I saw it hanging in a LBS a few months ago but since it's too big for me I passed on it.

I stopped by the shop yesterday and I didn't see it. I asked about it and they said "It's in the back, we're saving it for you"! Wink

It's in very nice condition for a 40+ year old frame. If it were a 54cm or 57cm frame I'd build it up and ride it.






It has 12mm seat stays instead of the 14mm or 16mm stays found on the later model Interclubs. Also, I've never seen this type of swagged seat stay top.




I've never seen a "Custom Made" sticker like this before either.



They usually looked like this.




Standard Bocama medium point lugs like used on the Gran Sport model, Gitane headset and Nervex lower level model fork crown used on Interclubs and occasionally TdFs.




Nervex crown. Bocama lug showing BCM stamped in it and Interclub fork decal.




Seat cluster with brazed on brake cable bridge. I've never seen an Interclub with this before either.




SOVEXIA fork blades. I've seen these used before on other French bikes from the 60s. I don't know anything about them.



The dimensions:

Seat Tube 60cm C to T
Top Tube 58.5cm C to C
Head and Seat Tube Angles 72°
Wheelbase 104cm
Chainstays 43.5cm
Made for sewups with long reach MAFAC brake but can use 700c or 27" clincher wheels

I bought it to hang on the wall because it looks so good (from 5 feet). Wink

If someone has to have it PM me.

Regards

_________________
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
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 6:45 am Reply with quote
greyhundguy
Joined: 09 Apr 2008
Posts: 678
Location: South-Central VIRGINIA
Chas.,
From the 1970 French and US catalogs it appears to me that the Interclub has the rear brake cable bridge. Look closely...
http://www.gitaneusa.com/images/catalog/1960_pg2.jpg
http://www.gitaneusa.com/images/catalog/1970_pg4.jpg

The seat stay top looks just like those on my 1971 TdF College bike.

Curious, What is the seat post size?

I'll suggest a '69-'70 model as the Red color is not listed in '68.

Jay

_________________
Dance like nobody is watching.
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 3:47 pm Reply with quote
verktyg
Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 2814
Location: SF Bay Area
greyhundguy wrote:
Chas.,
From the 1970 French and US catalogs it appears to me that the Interclub has the rear brake cable bridge. Look closely...
http://www.gitaneusa.com/images/catalog/1960_pg2.jpg
http://www.gitaneusa.com/images/catalog/1970_pg4.jpg

The seat stay top looks just like those on my 1971 TdF College bike.

Curious, What is the seat post size?

I'll suggest a '69-'70 model as the Red color is not listed in '68.

Jay


Your are right about the bike in the 1970 Gitane catalog but, back then catalogs were made using expensive, time consuming "cut and paste" methods. That's probably one reason Mel Pinto used the same catalog from 1970 until 1974. Also there were only minor changes in the models and features during those years.

The US Bike Boom was just getting started and that catalog may have been done in late 1969 (for the 1969 Christmas season) or very early 1970.

The catalog was printed in the US and I've heard several people comment that the pictures were taken in Virginia?

If so the bikes used in the pictures were what Mel Pinto had in his inventory and may have been assembled and on display for a while (maybe for trade shows).

For example, look at the Super Corsa in the catalog, it has a foil covered head tube.

All of the TdFs and SCs frames from 1968 on had 16mm (5/8") seat stays. The early 70s Interclubs that I remember had 14mm (9/16") or 16mm (5/8") seat stays.

All of the competition model Gitanes from the early 70s that had the swagged seat stay tops looked like this.




Most Interclubs had this style as well as some Track Standard bikes. All of the Super Pista, TdF, SC, Gran Turisme and tandem models from the early 70s without the brazed on willow leaf caps had that style swagged top.

Willow leaf cap





As I mentioned, this frame has 12mm (1/2") seat stays and it appears that the top of the seat stay was filed flat and to a point after it was swagged. I've never seen this feature on any other Gitane.





How swagged seat stays are produced. The end of the seat stay is put into a swaging machine that cuts an angled notch into the end of the tube.

The remaining top "lip" is compressed flush with the bottom of the tube and voilą, you have a crude but ready to braze on seat stay.

The swagging operation takes only a few seconds, much faster than brazing on the willow leafs. Most production European bikes from the 70s came with these type stays.




The seatpost size is 25mm so the frame is made of good old fashioned French gas pipe!


I had several early 70s Interclubs that I used for beater bikes. They all had the 16mm seat stays.

The workmanship ( Wink ), the small seat stays with the pointed tops, the brake cable bridge, the fork crown, the SOVEXIA fork blades plus the old "Custom Made" sticker all lead me to believe that it's a pre-bike boom model.

_________________
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
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Interclubs 
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