gitaneusa.com Forum Index » Vintage Gitane » "Bonjour" from France    View previous topic :: View next topic  "Bonjour" from France   Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 3:08 pm Diggs Joined: 31 Oct 2012 Posts: 4 Location: Hazebrouck, France Hi! I'm a french happy owner of 2 Gitane, first is a "Tour de l'Avenir" 1974, and the second one is a "Tour de France" 1975... I'm very glad to see that there are many fans of Gitane in the U.S.A... A small trivial question: Is anybody knows exactly the brand and model of front derailleur on Gitane Tour de France 1975? On mine it's an Huret, but I think the original was a Simplex??? Re: "Bonjour" from France   Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 8:35 pm verktyg Joined: 14 Jan 2007 Posts: 2814 Location: SF Bay Area Diggs wrote: A small trivial question: Is anybody knows exactly the brand and model of front derailleur on Gitane Tour de France 1975? On mine it's an Huret, but I think the original was a Simplex??? Welcome, The front derailleur will match the brand of the rear one. Does your Tour de France have the Huret "honeycomb" rear dropouts? These came with Simplex Criterium or Huret derailleurs. Even Campagnolo style derailleurs would fit these dropouts. I've seen 1974- 1975 Tour de France bikes with Huret Jubilee derailleurs plus Challenger and Success models too. _________________ 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: Wed Oct 31, 2012 10:53 pm Diggs Joined: 31 Oct 2012 Posts: 4 Location: Hazebrouck, France Hi verktyg, and thanks! Yes my TDF have the honeycomb dropouts, and the rear derailleur is a Simplex Criterium... So the front derailleur should be a Simplex and not a Huret Club... The owner has changed the Sugino Mighty Black cranckset for a Sugino Mighty Competition 53x42, for convenience... maybe he has changed the front derailleur for same reasons, he does'nt told me   Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 1:20 am verktyg Joined: 14 Jan 2007 Posts: 2814 Location: SF Bay Area Diggs wrote: The owner has changed the Sugino Mighty Black cranckset for a Sugino Mighty Competition 53x42, for convenience... maybe he has changed the front derailleur for same reasons, he does'nt told me There weren't that may post 1973 Tour de France Gitanes sold in the US. Most of them that were imported had Stronglight 93 cranksets. I've seen some pictures of TdFs with Sugino Mighty cranks with black chainrings but I think that most of them were European model 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: Thu Nov 01, 2012 6:12 am Diggs Joined: 31 Oct 2012 Posts: 4 Location: Hazebrouck, France Quote: I've seen some pictures of TdFs with Sugino Mighty cranks with black chainrings but I think that most of them were European model bikes. Mine is european model, I live in France For the front derailleur, I don't know at this time what will I do... Find a Simplex or mount Campagnolo record (front, rear and shifters)... I've found Campagnolo Record (1973-77) complete set for just a little more expensive that a single Simplex front derailleur and I'm waiting for the seller answering me Front Derailleur   Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 10:50 am verktyg Joined: 14 Jan 2007 Posts: 2814 Location: SF Bay Area I wouldn't waste time or money on an early push rod style Simplex front derailleur. For on thing, the plastic is going to be over 30 years old and tends to crack easily. Secondly that was a 40+ year old design that never shifted very well compared to a dual pantograph style derailleur. The Huret front derailleurs shifted very well, as good or better than a Campy, even the old Allvit model. BTW. the cheap plastic Simplex rear derailleurs shifted far better than the Campy Nuovo record derailleurs when well lubricated and with new or good quality cables! _________________ 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 Re: Front Derailleur   Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 12:56 pm scozim Joined: 26 Sep 2008 Posts: 629 Location: Ellensburg, WA verktyg wrote: BTW. the cheap plastic Simplex rear derailleurs shifted far better than the Campy Nuovo record derailleurs when well lubricated and with new or good quality cables! Completely agree with this. I came across a decent plastic Simplex and decided to use it. I was shocked at how well it shifts and how quiet it is. Even better than the Suntour stuff I have on other bikes. I think the date code on the Simplex is 1972 or 1973. _________________ 1984 Gitane Sprint 1984 Gitane Tour de France mid-1970's Gitane Olympic Plus many more http://eburgcycling.blogspot.com Re: Front Derailleur   Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 3:31 pm verktyg Joined: 14 Jan 2007 Posts: 2814 Location: SF Bay Area scozim wrote: Completely agree with this. I came across a decent plastic Simplex and decided to use it. I was shocked at how well it shifts and how quiet it is. Even better than the Suntour stuff I have on other bikes. I think the date code on the Simplex is 1972 or 1973. Scott, I've seen Simplex Prestige plastic rear derailleurs work with 52-36 chainrings and a freewheel as large as 14-32T. From the mid 60s on Simplex rear derailleurs were reinforced with metal in the critical areas where the plastic was highly stressed. Unlike Campy, both the upper and lower pivot points were spring loaded. In 1960-61 Simplex made an all metal rear derailleur which performance wise was years ahead of the competition. In the 1950s and early 60s plastics were considered the magic materials, strong, light. requiring little or no machining and CHEAP! The front dérailleurs were a copy of the 1962 all metal Simplex model LJ23 which was a copy of the 1951 Campagnolo Gran Sport model. The problem was/is that the un-reinforced plastic on the chainring side of the front derailleur mounting clamp tends to crack from over stress! _________________ 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 Nov 03, 2012 1:31 am Diggs Joined: 31 Oct 2012 Posts: 4 Location: Hazebrouck, France Quote: Simplex rear derailleurs shifted far better than the Campy Nuovo record derailleurs I totally agree... Ideally, I want to keep my rear Simplex which is in perfect condition, and find a decent front Simplex, because I want to keep my bike as close as possible to the original...Even if there are disadvantages (Derlin collar, shifting compared to pantograph derailleur...). But it's hard to find in France (maybe because all Delrin collars broke ) If I can't find front Simplex in perfect condition, so I'll mount campagnollo set , as if the first owner wanted to upgrade his bike... Edit: Yessssss! I've just found a front Simplex (AV233) for "une poignée de clous". It looks like a brand new one "Bonjour" from France     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.