Classic & Vintage - Need help with Gazelle Champion Mondial

I've been talking to someone for about two weeks now about purchasing his Gazelle Champion Mondial frame and was wondering if anyone here could help me look through the images to see if they can find anything wrong with the frame.


His description.

Rare 70s Gazelle Champion Mondial road frame. 54cm c-t-c top tube, 53.5cm seat tube c-t-c. Reynolds 531 tubing (decals on frame and fork legs). Stunning deep cherry paint with white accents. Older long Campy dropouts and fork ends (eyeletted), beautiful Bocama lugs with white pinstriping, incredible rear brake bridge. Awesome flat crown pointed fork crown with curved tangs. Paint has very few chips or imperfections, especially for a bike of this vintage. All decals in perfect shape. Steerer in perfect shape with no corrosion at all. Really stunning wraparound seatstay lugs. 27.0mm seat tube diameter. Stamp on BB reads "Gazelle 317057". English threaded BB shell.

Here are the images.
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t261/parlayersball/various12-08-10014.jpg
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t261/parlayersball/various12-08-10005.jpg
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t261/parlayersball/various12-08-10007.jpg
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t261/parlayersball/various12-08-10009.jpg
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t261/parlayersball/various12-08-10013.jpg

A couple more images in his listing, http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/bik/2184667371.html


I was also wondering if anyone had any suggestions for parts I should consider to build it up as a single speed.

Thanks for taking the time to read this thread.

I'm not that knowledgeable about Gazelles, but I am a fan. I can't find anything to knitpick about the frame. Seems remarkably in great condition. As a live-and-let-live kinda guy, I'm not even going to criticize someone wanting to turn it into a single speed. (Please don't drew it!)- I am wondering if it's worth the asking price. My understanding is that these bikes were made to be an economical alternative to the pricey Italian bikes. Otherwise, looks like a winner.:thumb:

"economical alternative to Italian bikes"

I would say that is at least a real simplification to the actual situation. They are other bikes with own qualities and their being relatively economical is based on the way how they were produced: large numbers and pragmatic.

On this frame: No Bocama long point lugs. Nice quite rare touch. A quite early example obviously.

Nice frame. I could see it built with Campy NR parts, or you could do a french twist and do Stroglight crank or TA crank. I see TA track cranks once in a while on ebay. Or if you want funky, an old Williams steel track crank. A Brooks or Ideale saddle would add a period touch. Stay away from any sort of aero rimmed wheels, yuck, especially on a nice vintage frame like that. A steel track stem and bars would be cool too.

I've been talking to someone for about two weeks now about purchasing his Gazelle Champion Mondial frame and was wondering if anyone here could help me look through the images to see if they can find anything wrong with the frame.


Nothing apparently wrong with the frame, that's how they were made.
It's a legit early 70's "frame A" (as opposed to "frame B" made with Durifort tubing), without over-BB-cable-guides. The ser.no. confirms that. BTW, seatpost size should actually be 27,2, but it's not unusual that people used one size smaller because it "fits better", I've seen that more than thrice.
Condition seems to be good at that. And you wouldn't see many of these very early Champion Mondials even in the Netherlands.
Only that the price seems a bit steep to me ... but that's just me. For that money it'd be a pity to waste this rare frame on a fashion bike (~SS), IMHO.

For reference on Gazelle Ch.M. see here (http://www.fivenineclimber.com/bikes/gazelle/gazelle_pages.htm).

I'd go for a classic build up with low profile rims like Sun CR18 or Velocity Aeroheads(both the Sun and Velocity come in 27") or Velo-Orange's box section rims. Formula hubs. You can find Campy Veloce or Centaur 110BCD (compact) cranks cheap on eBay NOS in the box. Convert to single chainring. Cinelli stem with Giro d'Italia bars or Campione du Monde or Nitto 115 or 176 bars. Brooks or San Marco leather saddle. I'd run Campy brakes and you could use aero brake levers to hide the cables for a cleaner look. Not blasphemous to have a mish mash of parts from different time periods if they all look good together.

Frame is way too nice to consider grinding anything off of it. You may want to convert it later to a geared bike or sell the frame. Much more valuable the way it is.

I didn't see whether it took 700c or 27" wheels but it comes from a time when most wheels were 27" so measure before you buy. It'll matter the most when it comes time to add brakes.

link to lots in interesting Singlespeed builds http://cyclofiend.com/ssg/index.html