gitaneusa.com Forum Index » Vintage Gitane » Grand Sport Deluxe Age    View previous topic :: View next topic  Grand Sport Deluxe Age   Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 12:44 pm 1eugene445 Joined: 24 Mar 2011 Posts: 5 I just bught an older Grand Sport Deluxe and have a couple of questions: 1. Is there a serial number stamped somewhere on the frame? 2. How can I tell how old the bike is, when it was built. Thanks for your help. Gene in NC Gitane Serial Numbers   Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 8:48 pm verktyg Joined: 14 Jan 2007 Posts: 2814 Location: SF Bay Area The serial numbers on those bikes were on the left rear dropout. Save it, it's a lucky Lotto number! Welcome to the Gitane Forum. A picture tells more than a 1000 words. If you post some pictures someone here can answer most of your questions. After collecting Gitane "serial numbers" for several years we decided that they had no basis in reality and that maybe they were used to keep track of frames during production??? 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   Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2011 2:53 am 1eugene445 Joined: 24 Mar 2011 Posts: 5 Chas, thanks for your reply, but I am not a bike pro, and don't know what the "left rear dropout" is. Pleae explain Gene Dropouts   Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2011 11:01 am verktyg Joined: 14 Jan 2007 Posts: 2814 Location: SF Bay Area The dropouts are the parts of the frame that the wheel hubs slide into. This is the left rear dropout. Your dropouts will look a little different but serves the same purpose. In the front, dropouts are also known as fork ends. _________________ 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: Sat Mar 26, 2011 5:08 am 1eugene445 Joined: 24 Mar 2011 Posts: 5 Chas, I did find a serial number in the location you gave me. It looks like 349, a relatively low number. Does this have any significance as far as determing the age of the bike? I just am interested in whether I really have a vintage bike or not. Thank for your help. Gene Gitane "Serial Numbers"   Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2011 12:14 pm verktyg Joined: 14 Jan 2007 Posts: 2814 Location: SF Bay Area 1eugene445 wrote: Chas, I did find a serial number in the location you gave me. It looks like 349, a relatively low number. Does this have any significance as far as determing the age of the bike? I just am interested in whether I really have a vintage bike or not. Thank for your help. Gene On this Forum, we came to the conclusion that there was no logical basis for the numbers stamped into Gitane frames. If there were any traceable records of those numbers, they were all lost years ago. Question, how do you know that your bike is a Grand Sport Deluxe? Gitane produced the Gran Sport and Gran Sport Luxe or Deluxe model bikes between 1968 and 1976. This was their entry level model for the US market. There were almost no changes to the frames during those years except for the decals which changed in 1974. The major differences were in the components which varied because of parts availability problems during the Bike Boom between 1970 and 1974. What is "VINTAGE"? A 35+ year old bike would certainly qualify as vintage. There were hundreds of thousands Gitane Gran Sport bikes imported into the US during their 8 year life span. I estimate that the 'street life" of a bike like that is about five years. That means by the early 80s, most of those bikes had been reincarnated into Datsuns (Nissans) or Toyotas or ended up in landfills! Whether it's a bike worth keeping or restoring, depends on the condition. Even in the best shape these kinds of bikes rarely bring over $200 on eBay and other outlets. That doesn't mean that it's a piece of junk! These were very nice riding bikes, better than much of the competition back then. As I mentioned in my first message, please post some pictures if you want our help, we're not psychics! The components and decals are the only way to GUESS the approximate age of one of these types of bikes. _________________ 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: Sat Mar 26, 2011 7:32 pm 1eugene445 Joined: 24 Mar 2011 Posts: 5 Chas, I know the bike is a Grand Sport Deluxe because it has two small decals on each side of the front down tube. As far as originality, it really isn't. It has pull back handlebars, ( only kind I can use due to wrist problems), and the shifters have been moved from the front downtube frame to the handlebars. However, it does have a ton of decals all over the frame which I will make pictures of, when I figure out how to post photos on the forum. Gene _________________ Gene, 25 year old Schwinn bike 30 year old Mercedes 35 year old Honda cycle 40 year old VW Convertible ?? year old Gitane Grand Sport Deluxe, (just acquired)   Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2011 7:34 pm 1eugene445 Joined: 24 Mar 2011 Posts: 5 Okay, I did figure out how to post a photo. Have to wait till it stops raining. Gene _________________ Gene, 25 year old Schwinn bike 30 year old Mercedes 35 year old Honda cycle 40 year old VW Convertible ?? year old Gitane Grand Sport Deluxe, (just acquired) Gran Sport   Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 3:16 am verktyg Joined: 14 Jan 2007 Posts: 2814 Location: SF Bay Area 1eugene445 wrote: Chas, I know the bike is a Grand Sport Deluxe because it has two small decals on each side of the front down tube. That's one of the things that positively identifies the model That places the bike between 1968 and 1973. _________________ 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 Grand Sport Deluxe Age     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 1   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.