gitaneusa.com :: View topic - I wonder if someone will spring for it...

grumpyphil

Probably you've noticed the TdF (supposedly) TT bike on sale at eBay....who of of you might go for the 6 grand asking price? And frankly...I think it's an ugly bike.
Grumpy

scozim

I saw it first thing this morning - the distance photos looked kind of cool. But, close up, I agree it's not super attractive. If it's truly a bike ridden in the TdF I could see paying good money - but for $6K I don't think I'd do that.

verktyg

Happy New Year,

I saw that on eBay this morning too but it's way tooooo rich for my blood.

Maybe someone will bid $10k and it'll show up on the Tuscon Craigs List several months from now for 2 grand... Laughing

I had some year end "spend it or loose it" money that I put to good use yesterday. I figured it will look a lot better sitting in my basement than in the bank at 1%...

I grabbed that orange 1972 TdF that was briefly listed on eBay yesterday. Very Happy

I negotiated with the seller and they ended the auction early. Cool

I've been wanting a 57cm orange Super Corsa or Tour de France for the past 35 years! Laughing

It's not a Super Corsa but it's the next best thing! Besides, who needs another Campy bike. Razz

Unfortunately the seller yanked the photos as soon as the auction closed so I didn't even get a chance to download the eBay pics. Oh well, I'll have it in a week or so and I'll post pictures then.

The bike was in a collection and it's in mint condition. It's all original except back in the day someone switched the wheels from sewups to narrow 27" rims. I can fix that easily. Wink

Chas.

smilingroadrunner

Sometimes good things do happen for those who wait. Very Happy

Chas,

I'm glad to see you finally got the right frame size opportunity, and good to hear it's in primo form.

Maybe that Candy Apple Gold Super Corsa frame will pop up one of these days. Wink

I Like Steel !!!
___________________
C.A.
Salina, Ks.

sandranian · Site Admin

That is not an "ugly" bike. That is a great bicycle and full of history. However, I don't know if it is quite worth $6K, but it might be. Considering its pedigree and its place in bicycle design history....

verktyg

Here's a link to a Japanese collector's website. He has a lot of "zoomie" bikes pictured here. Start with the 1984 Team Chrono.

http://tinyurl.com/9454dd

This is one of the "black holes" where classic bikes and components disappear into and why prices keep going up! Evil or Very Mad

http://tinyurl.com/8s2yy8

Chas.

Gtane

This is a nice bike and with the history too (worth checking out) would make a lovely centerpiece to any collection.

Price is what anyone is prepared to pay. A Lemond Gitane team bike went for approximately $3,000 a few years ago and one of Carlos Sastre's CSC team bikes went for approximately $5,500 earlier this year. A Saeco Cipollini machine, was on Ebay UK for $3,000 a couple of weeks ago. Some original Huffys from the 7 Eleven team came up earlier this year and they went for reasonably low prices.

Tim

grumpyphil

I suppose if you are so Gitane centric, this bike could be considered a beauty. For me, it is not. When you look at bikes from other builders, it looks like crap. Why would I spend 6 grand on this thing? Why would anyone? There are SO many other old bikes that deserve consideration...
Gitane is almost the least of them. That is the sad truth

lofter · Last edited by lofter on Sun Jan 04, 2009 2:56 pm; edited 1 time in total

grumpy^^^^^^ Laughing

i am that centric Wink

thats why i choose to hang out here and own 7 gitanes Smile

verktyg

sandranian · Site Admin

Grumpyphil:

I encourage alternative view points. I don't mind it at all, and don't feel like anyone here would be insulted....but:

"Ugly" is subjective.

Sure, there are better finished bicycles. I don't doubt that for a second, and quite frankly, it is admitted over and over again on the website itself. Gitane was not the "Gucci" of bicycles: It was a blue collar bike, purpose built for the not-so-finished roads of France. Think of it perhaps as a Pabst Blue Ribbon to other people's micro-brews.

However, the place that the bike holds in the history of TT bikes is undeniable. That was one of the first frames to be designed with aerodynamics in mind, which came about as a direct result of Gitane being purchased by Renault. The designers had access to a wind tunnel, and they began using it. I am unaware of any other major bike manufacturer at the time who used wind tunnels to design a bike.

So while it may be ugly to you, it is definitely a collectible and deserves a place in any cycling collection. In fact, it is well above any Masi, Confente, Cinelli (insert other Italian/craft bike here) of similar vintage as far as the history of racing machines is concerned.

The finish, and arguably the ride, may be better than the Gitane. But historically this was revolutionary and therefore significant. Beautifully finished lugs and clearcoat anyone* can do.

*An exaggeration to make a point, to be sure!

Paul Wiseman

While we are on this subject again........ I have speculated in the past that these first generation TT bikes may have only been produced in very small numbers and may only have been ridden by Cool

Hinault

and maybe a few others in competition. Since then we have seen this design in lower price point models, as well as Don's machine that seems to have been spec'd with Shimano gruppo. I have since managed to purchase an old book on Cool

Hinault

. The cover photo has the Renault team in a Teams time trial, with Cool

Hinault

in yellow jersey. Perhaps 1980? The important bit is that the entire team is riding this model TT aero frame, with the flatened forward raked drop bars, deep section aero rims, and front caliper mounted behind the fork. Cool

So. the bottom line is that my idea of limited numbers appears to be wrong. Embarassed

Completely Embarassed

. Which is fantastic, but where on earth are they all? Confused

greyhundguy

...for a complete bike of this importance. Try building a bike around this...
http://tinyurl.com/87pwkk
Likely many more, lots more, thousands more, of these made than Gitane Profil Team bikes.

Jay...still into Delrin

Gtane · Last edited by Gtane on Mon Jan 05, 2009 10:37 am; edited 1 time in total

LOL, Jay,

What an amazing price. I doubt that will ever grace a bicycle.

Well, an early Campagnolo Gran Sport rear changer circa early '50s went for over $6,000 dollars last year.

Thanks for the post.

Tim

sandranian · Site Admin

A "atta boy" for anyone who can find the link to that museum in France that includes the bike that is the subject of this post. Also, there is a link somewhere to video of the unveiling of this bike (in French) and how revolutionary it was for the time.

Interestingly, now it appears that as far as technology goes, the US has been dominant over the past 10-15 years, and has won most of the Tours. In the late 1970's, Gitane (and others) were driving the bus, and winning most of the races. (This leads to a "chicken-or-the-egg" debate.)