gitaneusa.com :: View topic

greyhundguy

I sure hope someone on the list has the funds and respect to keep this bike from falling into the hands of a "Stripper". If it were bigger, I would be all over it. If it were not for the Economy I would buy it just to keep intact for the future of another person who would appreciate it. Buidling up a Super Corsa frame set to specs. with all Period Campy can get expensive REALLY FAST! A $50 decal set is a drop in the bucket.

Jay...who rescued a properly sized (for me) TdF from the hands of a Bandit.

verktyg

I've been communicating with the seller since it was first listed (you think old eagle eyes would miss this one?). I made him a first offer to end it early and placed a starter bid. I can do local pick up which would save the seller some time and money.

With the economy the way it is, bikes like this one are bringing a lot less money than they were a few months ago. I know a number of regular eBay sellers that specialize in classic bikes and components. They've quit listing for now because they haven't been making their reserve prices or getting realistic price for their items! It's a buyer's market.

IMHO there are 3 types of potential buyers, collectors like us; fixie fools who weren't even a gleam in their grandpa's eye when these bike were new, who pay WAAAAY to much for older bikes; and the "junk yard dogs" who part everything out!

Several months ago this bike would have brought $900-$1200+ parted out. Today, maybe $700 - $900 tops so a Junker can't afford to pay too much for it (if they know what they are doing).

There's one thing that I'm concerned about with this bike. Check out the chrome on the rear triangle:

It looks like a mat finish, as if it were lightly sandblasted or someone "polished" it with ultra fine grit Scotch-Brite (or even silver paint).

Compare it with the shine of the chrome on the fork crown:

I asked the seller about this and he responded "Nothing has been painted the chrome is original. It could use some polish which could be why it has that painted look in the shot."

Once burned, twice shy.... The paint and chrome on the 1971 TdF below is really spotty, another reason I've become paranoid about these kinds of things.

Id' been looking for a 57cm Super Corsa or TdF for years. my color preference was orange, gold or turquoise. Any other color would have been OK if the chrome was great. Bad chrome jinxes a deal! A quick paint job, some new decals and voilà - magnifique! Cool

I recently acquired the gold 54cm Super Corsa frame that was posted in the forum.

Last week I received an almost all original 1971 57cm orange TdF (more pictures to follow). So right now, I'm a little biked out on early 70s Gitanes....

Again, I'm bidding on this one so if anyone else is interested in it let me know so that I don't step on your toes.

Chas. Le Magnifique Twisted Evil

greyhundguy

Chas.,
The major difference in the eBay bike and the Gold one offered on this list is the fact that the eBay bike does NOT have the rear brake cable bridge (unless it was cut off). This would indicate that the eBay SC should be an original ALL Campy including SP Brakes. The presence of the bridge would likely indicate a SC with Mafac Competition CP Brakes (they were produced both ways). That's why I suggested the cost to rebuild an SC frame with all Campy would be expensive [possibly exceeding $1K even in this down economy (+ $50. for decals Wink

)].

Jay... if YOU (Chas.) win it, I'll pay for 1/2 of the decals.

verktyg

Jay,

It would seem that Gitane made frames for both centerpull and sidepull brakes but I don't think that was the case.

Mafac centerpull brakes (and occasionally Uninversal centerpulls) were the choice of pros until the early 1970s when Campagnolo sidepull brakes became readily available. The brake bridge was originally a luxury feature found on better bikes. It allowed you to change the seat post height without affecting the centerpull rear brake adjustment.

I've seen TdFs and Super Corsas with and without brazed on brake bridges. I think that just like the "willow leaf" seat stay caps, brake bridges were left off of some frames more as a cost saving factor than anything else. Additionally there were frequent component shortages during the Bike Boom so it's hard to judge manufacturing dates from just these features.

Willow leaf seat stay tops with brake bridge.

Here's a European model with Huret derailleurs and dropouts with the willow leaf stays but without the brake bridge.

This 1971 bike has swagged over seat stays plus a brake bridge.

Both features added to manufacturing times at a point when bike makers were hard pressed to meet the demands of the Bike Boom. My guess is the willow leafs were eliminated around 1971 and the brake bridges in 1972.

Gitane price lists showed Super Corsas with Campy brakes. I've heard a number of owners saying their bikes came with them but I've never seen one in the flesh.

For one thing, Campy brakes added an additional $100 to the price of the Super Corsa which was a lot of money during the Bike Boom days. For the same amount or maybe a little more money you could have gotten an all Campy Italian bike from a prestigious marque like Bianchi, Legnano, Frejus and others.

Also, Campy brakes were in short supply until at least the mid 70s. Campy didn't have the modern manufacturing plant it has today. Campagnolo's facility along with Cinelli's were more like small blacksmith shops. After forging and macining, most of the aluminum parts were hand finished. Also, much of the work for small parts was farmed out to other suppliers.

I remember the local Raleigh dealer that sold a number of all Campy Raleigh Pros in the early 70s. For a while all of the Pros were coming in with Weinmann brakes instead of Campys because of availability problems.

I suspect that most of the Gitane Super Corsas with Campy brakes had them installed by bike dealers either before or after they were sold.

Removing the brake bridge is pretty easy. I put Universal sidepulls on my first Super Corsa I took the brake bridge off with a jeweler's saw and smoothed it off with a small file. Some white touch-up paint and it looked like it was never there.

When I GUESS the age of a TdF or SC I base it on the seat stay tops (older frames), lugs (Prugnat or Bocama on later frames) fork rake (later forks have less rake) and fork crown (Wagner, Nervex or Bocama on the later frames). The brake bridge was used on early frames and probably up to 1972.

You can't judge a book by it's cover... Wink

BTW, Jay, I my hold you to the decal offer.... Twisted Evil

Chas.

verktyg

verktyg

Picking it up tomorrow night.

Saved from a short dreadful life as a fixie on The streets of San Francisco. Cool

Also the hands of an arbitoir who would break it down and sell it for parts! Crying or Very sad

It's headed for a nice green pasture where it will spend the rest of my riding days being gently exercised (or is it excorcised) like a good old thoroughbred. Wink

Chas.

scozim

Very nice, Chas.

Thanks for rescuing another quality piece of history.

Scott

verktyg

Thanks,

It's now time to start culling out the herd. I've decided to start selling off the bikes that aren't comfortable riding or don't fit well. The ones that don't have any special interest or collector's value.

Chas.

Gtane

overfedlonghairedgnome

Nice one, Chas

I was set to bid but that Super Corsa overshot my limit. I'm glad it will be kept together.

Congratulations - Jim

verktyg

Jim,

I didn't want to appear greedy but it never rains but it pours. Embarassed

As I mentioned above I'd been looking for an orange early 70s 57cm Super Corsa for years. Second choices were a TdF and gold or turquoise as alternate colors.

I already had a white 54cm late 60s TdF that's been in the process of overhauling for the past year. I can ride a 54cm bike for shorter rides but prefer 55cm or 56cm frames. The plan was to eventually repaint this one orange if I didn't find a 57cm bike or frame.

Last month a 61cm TdF came up on the local Craigslist. Eagle eye Jay turned me on to that one. It's too big for me but the price was right and Chas' Bike Rescue Mission saved another soul from fixiedom. Laughing

I'll find a good home for it one of these days.

A gold 54cm Super Corsa frame was listed here in the Forum. I grabbed that one then an orange 57cm TdF showed up on eBay. I was able to negotiate a Buy It Now deal with the seller.

My bike quest pretty much ended (for a while) then this 57cm Super Corsa showed up on eBay. I was hoping to get it for $300-$400. With local pickup it would be real affordable. It overshot my budget too!

I'm getting rid of a Bianchi and a Motobecane to make room for these new Gitanes. Wink

I'm still not sure whether I like the color or not. This is the 4th flavor of light blue that I've seen on early Gitane Reynolds framed bikes. It's sort of a dark turquoise blue. The color is a little darker than in the eBay pictures.

I would have preferred this color instead.

Several hours of steel wool, rubbing compound and metal polish and it looks a lot different. If I decide I don't like the color, the chrome is in great shape and I'll get it repainted.

This is probably a 1972 Super Corsa. It looks like it may have been parted out and then reassembled because the rear derailleur is from 1971 one crank arm 1974 and the other 1975. The brakes are 1st generation Campys but they had a lot more surface rust than any of the other components.

One odd thing is the 25.8mm Campy seatpost that seems to fit well. It should have a 26.4mm or 26.6mm post. I'll have to check into it when I tear the bike down to align the fork and frame, they're both out about 1/4" which is common on a lot of bikes.

The bike now has a 1973 vintage Brooks Pro saddle with small copper rivets, new pedals and new brake cables. I'll probably put on a shorter stem and wider bars too.

It seems to ride nicely in the classic 1960s early 70s road racing style. I guess that I've been spoiled by the ride and handling of my 1984 Super Corsa and TdF bikes (the Super Vitus 983 tubing is a lot thinner walled than the Reynolds tubes used on these older Gitanes resulting in a smoother ride).

It's funny, I remember the way the early 70s Gitane 531 bikes rode, how smooth they were and how nice they handled compared to most of the other bikes available. "You can never go home again..." Sad

Chas.

overfedlonghairedgnome

Well, Chas

I'd happily trade my gold 54 cm TdF for either 57 cm SC or TdF. The 54 is really a little small for me and my son. I have most of the original components, Brooks Pro, Stronglight, Simplex, Normandy, Pivo, and Lyotard. The bike is in Monterey with my son at school.
Fork is probably not original - It's all chrome. It looks similar to a replacement fork I used on my PR10 back in the 70's.
Think about it. - Jim
cobrapatrol@verizon.net