Originally Posted by
gitane1953
I've heard a lot of people say the Interclub was Gitane's entry level model ….. I believe the Grand Sport Deluxe was.... I found one in a yard sale and it all steel with a cottered crank …… very heavy bike ……(1972 model)
I believe you taken statements out of context. As noted by member 'big chainring', the Interclub was Gitane's entry level "racing" model, as it was the cheapest model to come with a tubular wheelset, which was considered necessary for competition. Basically, the posts you read were making a distinction between the true "competition" line and the general purpose "recreational" line. If you look at things from an all encompassing perspective, even the Gran Sport wouldn't be considered the entry level model, as there were less expensive models in the Gitane line, There's a difference between "an" entry level model and "the" entry level model.
Back when we carried Gitane, the Gran Sport and Interclub had a lot of common components, including the same tubing, headset, stem, brakes, derailleurs, crankset and hubs. The biggest difference were the tubular rims and tyres, which added about 15% to the cost, and removed a few pounds of weight.