Originally Posted by
Nich
I own a Gitane, built in the '70's. It needs work...badly. Been riding it all along but this past summer it died. Is it worth the refurb? Here is an idea of what it needs all of these parts are original, It needs..1 new wheel (should I replace both?), front chain ring (bent, been living with it), cogset (if I replace the original rear wheel w/newer wheel), maybe new derailleur (depending on replacement of rear wheel), handlebar wrap.
Two best choices:
1. Sell it as is to someone looking for a project.
2. Do the project work yourself, and rebuild it. The key to controlling expenses is to find a donor bike. A decent donor bike can provide you the wheels, derailleurs, and any/all other parts you need. I rebuilt my 1975 Peugeot UO8 (basically entry level) thanks to a $5 donor. The donor UO8 supplied a cotterless crankset and bottom bracket, a nice original leather saddle, a rear derailleur, and some other misc parts. I paid $7.50 for the donor. The paint on the donor was shot, and very rusty.