Saved from the trash! Champion du Monde. Any info on this bike?

[FastJake]

Today my buddy almost threw out his commuter, but instead I took it because it fit me and because I thought it was a cool old French bike.

The only surviving decals say Champion du Monde on the headbadge and "SPECIAL Tour de France" on the top tube. I believe they are original. "2069" appears on the left dropout. The bottom half of the fork is chromed. The bare frame only weighs .5 pounds more than my Reynolds 531 Trek, so I assume this is at least a decent frame. The tubes have a nice ping to them, and the dropouts appear to be forged, not just stamped. The amount of rust does make it difficult to tell...

Obviously it's worth about $0, but I'm just curious as to who made it and a little history about the bike.

I believe the Mafac Racer centerpull brakes and levers and PIVO stem are original. Thank you in advance for any info!

[uncle uncle]

Hey Jack, does it have a french threaded bottom bracket? Juenet made a Champion du Monde. The fork has an almost Gitane like G in the middle of the chevron. Foil stickers say "mid 70's" to me. Is there any numbers anywhere else?

[FastJake]

I couldn't find any other numbers, I'll keep looking though. I'm not sure about the BB threading, I just salvaged the original BB and did not remove the fixed cup. I'm pretty sure the headset is French threaded, however. It definitely has a French stem (not pictured)

I was thinking Giante too with the G on the fork.

[Ex Pres]

Not a Gitane. Looking at Sheldon's list, probably a Ginet or Ginay

[FastJake]

Thanks for the info so far.

Anyone else know anything about this bike? I may shamelessly repost it in the regular C&V to look for more... Mainly I'd just like to know who made it and possibly what it's made out of.

I realize it's not a high end bike, but I'd struggle to call it low-end knowing some of the junk produced then. The aluminum stem, aluminum bars, cotterless crankset BB, and Mafac Racer brakes all lead me to believe this was at least a decent bike at the time.

[Trakhak]

That looks like an entry-level mid-'70s French frame to me, equivalent to a Peugeot UO-8, approximately. Frame weight of 0.5 pounds heavier than a 531 frame sounds possible for straight-gauge tubing. French bike manufacturers didn't use stamped dropouts or one-piece cranks of the kind seen on U.S.-made low-end Huffys and the like. That doesn't mean it wasn't a decent bike for its time, but bike companies didn't do so many gradations of quality in those days.

The fork crown race looks suspiciously askew: front-end impact/bent fork/frame? You might want to check the top and down tubes near the head tube for evidence of damage, too.

[FastJake]

Yeah, I'm not sure why it looks so funny in that picture. It might not be perfectly straight, but it's definitely not that bent now that the bike is all back together.

[Steve A]

I couldn't find any other numbers, I'll keep looking though. I'm not sure about the BB threading, I just salvaged the original BB and did not remove the fixed cup. I'm pretty sure the headset is French threaded, however. It definitely has a French stem (not pictured)

I was thinking Giante too with the G on the fork.

I have had a Champion du Monde since new in 1972. They were made in Mulsanne. I replaced my original cottered crank with a TA and, about five years ago, with a Japanese one.

[FastJake]

I have had a Champion du Monde since new in 1972. They were made in Mulsanne. I replaced my original cottered crank with a TA and, about five years ago, with a Japanese one.

Cool, thanks for the reply. Does yours have similar badges? Any pictures of it? Based on google searches several companies made Champion du Monde models which is why I couldn't figure out mine.

[Steve A]

The badges are identical, except mine never had a "Tour de France" sticker on the top tube. They had a "never ridden" C D M for sale on eBay a year or so back. OE on the bike was Mafac Racer brakes, Simplex shifting gear, Gnutti hubs, steel rims, and mine had Bluemels fenders that now reside on my Falcon.

[randyjawa]

My guess would be entry level and manufactured to meet the incredible demand presented during the Bike Boom of the very early seventies. The drops do look like they are stamped to me, and based on the way the fork fits into the head tube, I would guess that the fork steering tube is bent right where it meets the fork crown. That observation could be incorrect due to distortion caused by many of today's digital cameras.

Other features suggest entry level also, the side stand mounting plate being another good indicator of the bicycle's quality level. These old plates were common issue with entry level bicycles in those days.

I am not trying to burst the OP's bubble but to me the bicycle is worth a bit more than his/her evaluation, but not a heck of a lot.

[FastJake]

I am not trying to burst the OP's bubble but to me the bicycle is worth a bit more than his/her evaluation, but not a heck of a lot.

Thanks Randy. No worries, I think I was a little over-excited when I found it. I built it back up into a single-speed "cyclocross" bike and I really love the way it rides. Still thinking about what I want to do with it. I agree that my previous observation was incorrect, the dropouts do appear to be stamped.

[anixi]

Nice save on a grand old frame! A couple of things I would've done different:
-remove all the paint
-framesaver
-rattle can it gaudy yellow, with clear coat
Just because I love old stuff that can be passed on when I'm finished abusing it.

[Steve A]

The reason I chose the CDM over the Peugeot when I bought it was that I couldn't quite afford the Peugeot UO8 and the CDM was almost identical other than the brand name. I have no idea about any "side stand mounting plate," either on mine or the photos in this thread.

[FastJake]

Sorry for bringing this thread back again, but I've finally found some information on my bike, in case anyone else ever comes across this thread. There's one for sale on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Cham...item43ad5c71e6

From the description: "You are purchasing a vintage used Champion Du Monde Tour De France road bike. Manufactured by Gottfried Industries of Mulhouse France (very near the German/France border) this bike is the quintessential French import from the 1970's ten speed bike boom era. Featuring lugged steel construction, chrome fork accents, an almost fully French drivetrain (some parts have been replaced due to wear and tear, see full specifications below), and Merckx orange color this bike is an essential component for your Sunday morning classy crepe and coffee ride."