pullup

I am not a big Gazelle connoisseur but here is a pretty good collection of catalogs:

Webklik.nl - the original Gazelle Champion Mondial

Lenton58 

FLAMES! Just don't know why that page won't open for me. I've tried all night! Thanks ... I'll try tomorrow.

old_dreams

There was another good resource which sadly is no longer maintained. Maybe it's the one mentioned by the OP. Owner went by the name Jan Nicolaisen I think. Anyway it's available in part on the waybackmachine and you can link to other pages from there.

Serial Number Chart

Gazelle Main

gomango

Jan was an outstanding c&v member back in the good old days.

He was bitten by the mtb/bikepacking scene like many of us, myself included.

He still contributes on a mtb forum I frequent.

Italuminium

Hard to not get bit, though. I'm spending the week in mtb paradise now

best plan of action is probably swindling @Elev12k out of one of his 531 Gazelle mtb's that rolled put of the champion mondial program.

non-fixie 

Let me know if it doesn't work. If you PM me the serial # I can send you the relevant data via e-mail if you like.

gomango

Very cool.

Not to derail the thread, but where did you go?

I'm off to Moab this summer.

Elev12k

The AB was introduced later (around 80) as economical alternative for the AA (since early 70s). The AA has a Roto or Cinelli shell and a nicer crown. I think that is pretty much it. Tubing is same.

ddeand 

I picked up a Champion Mondial (AB) last summer and have thoroughly enjoyed it. I was a little worried about it handling my size (I'm a Clyde), but it has been a tremendous ride. The bike was built from a new frame in 1985 by the original owner, so it wasn't a factory-fresh bike from the start. I decided to make it a rider as opposed to a garage queen. At my age, I am very uncomfortable shifting from the downtube, so I installed brifters (Eventually, I hope to find some that are more period correct for the bike). I also built up a set of wheels from the original Shimano 600 hubs and a period-correct Campy rimset. I use the bike for my moderate (20 mi.) road rides and sometimes for my commute to my retirement job. I haven't gotten around to matching the paint yet for chip repair, nor have I sorted out the stem I want for the best fit. The bike is a nice one, though! I think these Gazelles have a tendency to fly under the radar sometimes. Here's my bike before I did the makeover:


To the OP, as far as hooking up with the very informative Gazelle site, you might want to Google the actual name of the site: The Original Gazelle Champion Mondial
It really is a pretty thorough overview of the bike. You might also be able to use this link Webklik.nl - the original Gazelle Champion Mondial - it works for me. Here is a page from one of the brochures:


Have fun with the new bike! It's a beauty!

Dean

gomango

Very nice Gazelle Dean!

There are a few nice Gazelles available around the Twin Cities.

[IMG]IMG_1580 by gomango1849, on Flickr[/IMG]

Michael Angelo 

I Bought Jan's Gold Line Racing Gazelle, one of my fastest bikes I own.

repechage

I think the bike looks quite handsome. The gearing looks Southern California Junior category racer to me, 44x14 max. (So, close)

kroozer 

That is a really sharp looking-bike. I have never seen those logos.

Lenton58 

Thanks. I'm going to update my OS and see what happens. I may get back to you.

Lenton58 

A very nice looking bike, Dean. I'm glad you are keeping it alive. And, thanks for the archive tips.

Lenton58 

You NEVER see Gazelles in Japan — AFAIK. So, I've seen these logos here. But i have seen photos on the net that show the same — but very rarely. Someday, they should date the frame pretty precisely. I wonder if they were used only on the German export frames.

non-fixie 

The graphics on your frame were used in '88 and '89 on AB frames, according to the aformentioned site. If your serial number is 3322042 or higher, it's an '89.

Lenton58 

Well, we are getting close. I found the '89 Catalog and it does not list the AB frame for that year. Also, the Reynolds decal for the same tubing has changed. And the serial number: 3308524 on a Gazelle marked BB shell.

I was coming around to perhaps 1985, but you may be on the mark with 1988. Still on the trail .... Thanks — Lorne

non-fixie 

According to the same site the serial numbers for 1987 were 3298624 to 3314981. So, '87 production for the '88 model year, would be my guess for now. Apart from the decals there were no other differences between the '87 and '88 models, as fa as I know.

Lenton58 

Thanks for the lead — and to others above too!

I have been researching too. Risking another screw-up with my back, I got off the futon and tipped the Gazelle over:

My serial number: 3308524

Besides the obvious with the number, it can't be an '89 for some other reasons. I found an '89 catalog. The AB frames not listed. (However, they were getting into some really specialized professional racing frames that year.) Also, the Reynolds 531c decal had changed to Reynolds 'Competition' type.

Then I found this as suggested above. I dunno how or why I missed it a couple of years ago when I was hunting around collecting hundreds of pics off the net and so on:

From:
https://web.archive.org/web/20100830...al_numbers.htm

Possibly I am not going to get much closer than this, even though the blog-owner warns that production dates may be only 3rd party guesses. As you can see, the 33XXXXX series begins in '86. And the entry I have outlined states that the "new" Gazelle logo has come in. I guess I will be editing my intro to this thread.

I hope that this may help out future Gazelle collectors — if we are on the right track.

non-fixie 

For your convenience, this serial number list (thanks to jvs) has the Gazelle factory as a source. Can't get any more reliable than that, can it?

non-fixie 

I don't know about the export markets, but 1995 was the last year for the AB in the Dutch catalogs.

Lenton58 

No, you are right, it can't. and you were dead on target in post # 44. In case I have missed something, would you please cite the URL where you found the chart. I may need it for future reference in case I find another Gazelle frame. Thanks for all — Lorne

jimmuller 

A brochure in English! I'd really like to see the English version for 1986.

My AB Frame has a serial number near the middle of '86 (as the seller described it). The paint is the pearl-fade-to-gray but not on the BB as shown in the catalog. Instead, the fade is to gray on the HT like the A Frame.

It's a great rider and likes to be pushed hard.

non-fixie 

It can be found, with lots of other Champion Mondial goodies, at jvs.webklik.nl.