gitaneusa.com :: View topic

le_wormenstein

Thanks to the sticky available on this forum I was available identify and then pick up this 70's Gitane Tour de France. I found it locally in my area on craigslist, and bought it for 85$

Thinking it was a good deal for a classic bike, I took home and immediately began to identify the components using the sticky'd thread

http://www.gitaneusa.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2636

it has:
Sugino Mighty Competition crank
Lyotard pedals with Cristophe cradles
Stronglight P3 Headset
Simplex Criterium derailers and shifters (rear shifter missing)
Mafac Competition brakes
Mafac brake levers (with what looks like added on dia-compe secondary brake levers??)
Pivo stem with recessed allen head
Campy high flange hubs front and rear
Simplex dropouts

There is remnants of a reynolds 531 decal on the seat tube as per the sticky stating position on '74s and prior

but also there is remnants of another reynolds decal on the fork, even tho I have simplex dropouts

any information/comments/questions on this bicycle would be appreciated

thanks

verktyg

For starters, I'm going to beat you up for your newbie transgression!

The MOST important parts of a bike for determining a model are the drive train components on the right side... those ugly, dirty, scary, obscene thingys.

Dog "modesty skirt"

Bike modesty skirt...

and... for maximum modesty, the bike burqa!

Now that you've been kicked to the curb... Wink

Your bike is a 1972 or 1973 Gitane Tour de France model made for the US market. $85.00 is a GREAT deal! Very Happy

It's a 60cm size frame measured from the center of the bottom bracket to the top of the seat tube.

Please reread my sticky... the US model TdF bikes imported between 1969 and 1973 had "all" Reynolds 531 frames.

Someone kludged together some shift levers on the stem and bars. Also, that stem is at it's maximum SAFE height. It probably should be lowered about 1/2".

From the insertion point of the seatpost, it looks like the frame may have been too big for the previous owner.

For safety sake a rider should be able to stand over the top tube with at least 1" (25mm) of clearance (versus writhing on the ground for 5-10 minutes in exquisite pain if someone has to dismount in a hurry). Shocked

MAFAC made their own version of "suicide" brake levers. They were a far better design than Weinmann and and Dia-Comp used.

Someone went to a lot of work mounting Weinmann/Dia-Compe extensions to those MAFAC brake levers.

Weinmann and and Dia-Comp suicide levers.

So called "safety levers" are unsafe because of an increased likelihood of the rider's weight being thrown forward in a hard stop resulting in a header with accompanying face plant.

Also when the pins loosen up the suicide extensions can pop out of the space between the lever and the lever body living you with your hand on the top the bar and NO brakes on that side.

Replace the cables and housings, brake pads, shift levers, repack the hubs, bottom bracket, headset, get a comfortable saddle (also a 24.6mm adjustable alloy seatpost) and you'll be all set.
Remove the suicide levers too...

White paint is easy to touch up, even on your bike.

Before

After

Use Semichrome polish to clean up the aluminum parts (the Sugino cranks are anodized so wont polish up).

Fine steel wool will clean up light surface rust.

Good luck and have fun working on your new bike.

Retrogrouch!

le_wormenstein

wow thanks verktyg for not only the abundance of information but the quick reply
i was kinda hoping you'd chime in, seeing that you were also the author of the sticky i was reading

so since its before a 74 that means the fork is reynolds tubing as well?

im really pumped that you confirmed my inclinations towards the bike
cant wait to start working on it, but gotta finish my other bike first ('78 schwinn speedster w/ internal 3 spd/another craigslist find) (way to many projects lol)

i will definitely posting more in the future as i get farther along with it

thanks again!