 |  | | | |  | |  |  | Gitanes on eBay Jan 2, 2008 |  | |  |  | |
 Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 9:55 pm |
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| verktyg |
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| Joined: 14 Jan 2007 |
| Posts: 2814 |
| Location: SF Bay Area |
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Editorial Comments - some things to look for in used bikes:
The first one: "BICYCLE WHOLE ROAD GITANE FRANCE VINTAGE"
http://cgi.ebay.com/GITANE-c-c-52cm-frameset-Reynolds-501-no-Colnago_W0QQitemZ160195384700QQihZ006QQcategoryZ56197QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
$1,700.00 - Lester, what have you been smokin dude?
The next one is from Germany:
http://cgi.ebay.com/GITANE-c-c-52cm-frameset-Reynolds-501-no-Colnago_W0QQitemZ160195384700QQihZ006QQcategoryZ56197QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
The decals on this Gitane frame from Germany look like factory original but Gitane only used Reynolds 501 on a few models on none of them in the catalogs are this color blue. Maybe Stephan has some input on this.
"Frame and fork are straight and true but show heavy signs of use. Front area is repainted by amateur."
I'm always leery of any signs that a bike has been crashed and the top and down tubes have been bent or reworked at the head tube. Same thing with any bikes replacement forks.
Last summer I bought a rare 1972 Motobecane Team frame from a local seller. There was no tubing sticker on the frame. I was trying to determine whether it was made of Columbus or Reynolds 753 tubing which would determine the exact year.
I looked at the fork blades because Columbus and Reynolds have different shapes. I realized that they weren't either. When I looked down at the dropouts I saw that it was a Tange replacement fork. My eyes immediately went to the head tube to check out the top and seat tube lugs. The frame had been straightened and there were still slight ripples at the bottoms of the tubes..
My heart sank and so did the value of the frame. We renegotiated price substantially downward. While the Tange fork looked correct the frame it's no longer a collectors item just a another old rider.
Finally this 1975 Tour de France from Holland:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280188942427&indexURL=11&photoDisplayType=2#ebayphotohosting
Two issues,
1. only the 3 main tubes are Reynolds 531.
2. the decals on the fork were used on lower end pre 1974 Gitanes like Gran Sports. From late 1974 on, Gitane used stylized yellow or green decals like those on the rest of the frame.
These little things send up red flags for me when I'm looking at bikes and frames.
Chas. |
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