a bit racialist

I picked up a grand sport de luxe last week, and, alas, the frame is too big for me. The bike is in pretty good condition considering its age. My intention was to convert it into a SS/Fixie, so I'm looking to swap it out for either a smaller frame or some SS/fixie parts.

I'm not as knowledgabel about bike,s particularly Gitanes, as I'd like to be. The only exs. of similar bikes ive been able to find on ebay seem a little off... one seller expected to get $100 for a bike that even I could tell was a little beat up. So, whats reasonable?






thanks in advance

Little Darwin

Size sometimes matters... I noticed in another thread you said this is a 54 cm frame... It sure looks bigger than 54 cm to me. What is the standover height?

Also, part of estimated value is based on location. Where are you located?

You may want to try the For Trade thread... in which case value doesn't matter as much as getting what you want.

mswantak

I sold a '71 a few months ago for $120, and it wasn't quite as nice as yours. Of course it's a little more of a seller's market here in the Bay Area than other places.

a bit racialist

I live in the dc area, so prices are pretty inflated, generally.

I havent measured it, but 54 seems about right.

sykerocker 

First off, given the foil decals, I'll put a guess as the age being 1970-73, definitely not older than 1973. In 74 Gitane changed their graphics.

I wish those pictures blew up so I could see the details better, but it looks like it's got a Campy Valentino or Gran Sport front derailleur, not sure what the rear is, but it sure ain't original. I always remember those bikes coming with Simplex Prestige, at least the ones that hit Erie, but then again this is a bike boom bike, so who knows what it originally came with.

That head tube spacing looks identical to my 23-1/2" frame Tour de France, so I have a feeling that's what you got. Bet the top tube step over clearance is something like 32" or 32-1/2". Bottom line, that's the low-buck Gitane, sold new for $129.00 in 1972. As a comparison, Re-cycle has a Bottechia of about the same vintage, about the same equipment, not quite as nice a shape, same frame size, and they're asking $120.00. And it's not moving, been up for sale for about three weeks now.

mswantak

Syke, that's a Prestige FD; the back looks like a Suntour Honor.

a bit racialist

The rear is a shimano 600, actually... I'm not sure about the year of manufacture.

sykerocker 

In which case, we're talking a variant of the normal 70's upgrade - keep the Prestige front, and go to SunTour or Shimano as soon as the rear started getting sloppy. Lord, I must have done a million of those jobs back then. Given it's a 600, I assume that's late 70's, early 80's, so the bike mustn't have been used heavily. I was always used to the harder riding types wearing out a Prestige rear in two seasons at most.

Rabid Koala

I rode one of those several years ago. I paid $15 for mine. I kept it until the French chrome started to peel off the forks!

Noah Scape

You'd better measure... my guess is 63.

Little Darwin

That's what I thought, when I saw the mention of 54 in another thread, I thought it was off. I ride a 56 and some 58s are OK, and I would expect that Gitane would be too big for me based on proportions.

Maybe top tube = 54? Naahhh... the top tube looks longer than that too.

bigwoo

You're going to need to seek out a very tall rider to purchase it..... that bike is at the very least, a 61cm....
BTW, beautiful color on this bike

Sammyboy

My money's on 60 in the size sweepstakes. I definitely don't think it's 54. I'd ride it, but I'd want to pay no more than $40 for it. Then again, I'm cheap.

Blue Order

A bit "racialist"?

a bit racialist

I'm bad with internet names, so I started off as what I thought was a funny Ali-G half quote, only to find that 'racialist' is an actual britishism and, well, actually means something. Pretty good, considering I have a BA in english and all...