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mcrane

Hello everyone, I am restoring (in fact now in the re-assembly stage) of a Gitane TDF I picked up a few months back. I want to get close to the model year. I have it posted as a 1970 TDF on the show your bike page and believe it is close to that year.
Here are pictures of what I started with and the in process results. Any help in identifying the age (best guess) is appreciated.

After painting:

verktyg · Last edited by verktyg on Sat Apr 16, 2011 7:43 am; edited 1 time in total

Greetings,

Guesstimating the year of a bike involves a number of elements: when was the frame built, when was it painted, when was the bike assembled and when was it shipped out the door at the factory??? Confused

Add to that, when was it sold by the importer/distributor and finally, the bike shop?

Frames were most likely built in batches of specific models and sizes. Certain sizes were more popular so they were produced in larger numbers and shipped more frequently.

Gitane frames were made in NOMINAL sizes, measured from the center of the bottom brcket to the top of the seat tube.

The metric sizes were 50cm, 54cm, 57cm, 60cm, 62cm & 64cm.

The inch nominal equivalents were: 19 1/2", 21 1/2", 22 1/2", 23 1/2", 24 1/2" and 25 1/2"

The most common sizes were 54cm and 60cm followed by 57cm.

It's quite possible that the less popular size bikes in 50cm, 62cm and 64cm could have sat in Gitane's warehouses for some time before being ordered by wholesale distributors.

The US importer Mel Pinto had a few 50cm and 64cm Bike Boom (1970-1794) Gitane TdF and Super Corsa bikes left over as late as 1976! Confused

Gitane factory in the 1970s

Gitane factory in 1980

The following information applies to Gitane Tour de France models built during the foil decal era from 1968 until mid 1974.

The are 2 distinctive features that changed on early 1970s Tour de France and Super Corsa frames. I use these changes as a way of guesstimating the years of production.

The first is the seat stay tops. Some time probably in 1970-71 Gitane discontinued using the brazed on "willow leaf" shaped seat stay caps and switched to swaged over tops. It had to have been done as a cost and time savings change that took place as the Bike Boom was ramping up.

Brazed on seat stay caps can take 10 to 15 minutes per frame to install.

Swagged top

Swagging is done on a stamping machine that takes several seconds to perform.

The second change was the elimination of the brazed on brake cable stop bridge at the top of the seat stays.

Both of those features required the use of highly skilled employees who could avoid over heating the thin walled seat stay tubes. Those changes could have saved the company 15 to 20 minutes time per frame.

The next change was the fork crown. Gitane switched from the Nervex Professional to the Nervex Dubois style crowns. I estimate that this took place around 1972.

Nervex Professional fork crown

Nervex Dubois fork crown

Tour de France frames occasionally came with several other style fork crowns, probably due to availability problems.

Wagner flat top crown, late 60s early 70s.

Nervex variation

The last change in the frames was the switch from Prugnat Type "S" long point "Italian" style lugs to medium point Bocama Professional lugs. This change took place around 1972. The Super Corsa fames continued to use the Prugnat lugs.

Prugnat lugs

Bocama lugs

Components are never a good way to determine the date of manufacture because they are so frequently changed. If it can be determined that a bike is all original, then some components have date codes that can be used to reinforce the age guesstimate.

For example, some Simplex rear derailleurs had a date code stamped into the cage.

Simplex Criterium stamped 2-72 built in February, 1972

Some rims such as Mavics sometimes had the date code stamped into them. Later Normandy hubs were date coded too. Occasionally Campagnolo Tipo hubs had the date stamped into the axle locknuts. Wheels are probably the worst components to use for dating purposes because they were changed around so much.

TdFs originally came with Normandy Luxe Competition hubs. So did Peugeot PX-10s. In the early 70s Gitane changed to Campagnolo Nuovo Tipo hubs because of availability problems.

Normandy Luxe Competition

Campagnolo Nuovo Tipo

Gitane TdFs originally came with MAFAC Racer brakes stamped Dural Forge. About 1970 these change to jsut MAFAC Racer brakes. In the early 70s they switched from MAFAC Racer brakes to MAFAC Competition brakes.

MAFAC Dural Forge (Racer) brakes

MAFAC Racer brakes

MAFAC Competition brakes

About 1973 Gitane switched from Stronglight 93 cranks to Sugino Mighty Competition cranks, again due to availability problems

Stronglight 93

Sugino Mighty Competition

The last change was also about 1973. Gitane switched from the old PIVO cast aluminum "death stem" to a better quality PIVO stem with a recessed Allen head expander bolt.

Old style PIVO

Newer PIVO stem

Based on the considerations listed above (seat stay caps, lugs, fork crown) I'd say that your frame is an early 1971 to early 1972 model.

mcrane

Chas,
Once again a wealth of information. I apprecaite your knowledge and asisstance in hleping me narrow down the time frame of this bike.

smilingroadrunner

Nice looking finish, ??? a red ?Candy Apple, or Candy Apple Metallic ? looks great on the images posted. Advantage or Disadvantage of powder coating the frame VS painting. My question probably is directed towards build up of powder coat on lugs, and/or clean up of Seat Tube - Head Tube internal aspects and/or Bottom Bracket threads in the refinish process.

Just curiosity on my part as I have a S.C. project that I hope to start this year after some time of vegetating in my basement. It will need a frame refinish I'm afraid and just pondering the options. Just not sure how I will accomplish that here in KS. Thinking of contacting the folks at Waterford, they helped with some frame damage on my '74 Paramount a few years ago.

Nice Project--So If I follow Chas, this frameset is dated as an Approx '70 to '72 vintage??

I Like Steel !!!!
_____________

C.A.
Salina, Ks.

P.S. Sorry Chas, when I initially looked at this forum post--for some bizarre reason I did not see the last half of your Post ----and your additional information Embarassed

mcrane

Thanks, yes it is a candy apple red.

I was also concerned with buildup, etc but really it turned out about the same as painting. This frame ended up with two coat of powder due to a few spots and blems that should not have materialized but of course did! If I look real close I notice a buiildup some areas around the lugs but I doubt the average person would pay enough attention. If this wasn't my first attempt most likely there would be no buildup. Have to start somewhere! The big questions is will I try to do another frame with powder, most likely as it was pretty simple and should hold up better than paint.

As far as having it done look up Groody Brothers in Kansas City as this is something they do as well. I know they frequent Craigslist under the bike section and it looks like they do nice work. If I wouldn't have had to ship it off I would have tried them myself. I think cost should run about $130.00 or so to have it blasted and powdered.

Good luck if you decide and please post some pictures after completing.
Have a great day. Mike