Thread: Gitane info
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Old 09-22-20 | 07:52 AM
  #5  
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rustystrings61
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From: Greenwood SC USA

Bikes: 2002 Mercian Vincitore, 1982 Mercian Colorado, 1976 Puch Royal X, 1973 Raleigh Competition, 1971 Gitane Tour de France and others

Were this my bike to sell, I would clean everything GENTLY, so as to leave patina, but to remove dust, dirt and grease AND to allow for a really good inspection for any damage of any sort. I would clean all bearing surfaces. Not so sure I'd relace the wheels, though. In this case, what you really have is a project for a collector of what is frankly a niche bike. You need a Francophile to buy it, because this one is as much an artifact as it is a bike, and it both suffers from being BEFORE the models that have the greatest nostalgic appeal in the U.S. (Super Corsa, TdF, even the Interclub) while benefiting from being a pre-bike boom machine that the serious cognoscenti might adore. Where's the Jacques Anquetil-wannabe when you need him?

I would research 1969-71 Gitane Professional Super Corsas and price comparably. If you researched comparable condition Tour de France model from the same year, that would be your floor I think. This isn't an exact match of the '66 catalog, but Gitane built different bikes for different markets.

EDIT: Go here and look at the entry form the 1966 price list for the Gitane Professional. There you are!

Last edited by rustystrings61; 09-22-20 at 07:58 AM.
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