I thought I'd drag this one up again for you 531Aussie.

Now that I've had time to play (about 500km) on the thing and get used to all the changes in technology I can say that it's a fantastic little bike. No real troubles aside from some minor teething problems and that ultra-thin paint. I'll prolly replace the seat next week because its still aggravating Mr Perineum, though not as much now that I've adjusted setup for the umpteenth time.

The 105 gear is very smooth, much to my surprise. The non-105 brakes are also very impressive since I adjusted them to my liking rather than the LBS guy's preferred setting. They are especially good in the pouring rain. I've never been on a bike where caliper brakes actually work properly in the rain

So the Gitane Mach 1800 is well worth every cent of $1500, but I see some all Ultegra (9s) Mach 2200's for just over $2200: now that's a bloody bargain. Same frame, better running gear. I might just skip down to the local and put one on lay-buy before the 2005 (10s) version comes in at a higher price. Maybe the missus wont notice a shiny new white and yellow bike on the garage wall... waddya reckon saccy?