WGB 

Posting as unsure what the model was and if worth a visit???


Seller asking $99 and claims "Bike has been ridden less than 100 miles in it's lifetime. It will clean up beautifully. Only rubber components will require replacement." Having seen that phrase before I am already a little leery....

per ad

Features :

• Chrome-Moly 21" Frame
  
• Sachs Derailluer
  
• Weinmann Side-Pull Brakes
  
• Aero Alloy Chainwheel and Crank
  
• Alloy 700C Wheels
  
• Toe Clips
  

RD looks like a Rival short cage, FD looks to be either rival or ??. Cranks seems to be Coronado. Pedals look pretty suspicious for "ridden less than 100 miles".

Flying G

Maybe the seller is saying that he/she rode this bike for less than 100 miles but if it is the original owner, you should be able to get a lot of info about the model, year, etc. Looks like a mid-80s Gitane, maybe a Defi (?), but you can check out the catalogs at GitaneUSA.com and narrow it down.
$100 for a vintage bike is not much money and worth a visit if not too far away. Give it a test ride.
I'd take a closer, in-person look. You may have found a nice bike at a good price if you like the ride!

Flying G

Pretty sure that I found the page at the 1988 catalog at GitaneUSA.com. Unable post the link but you should have no problem finding it.

Check it out and Good Luck!

WGB 

Flying G Thanks for the GitaneUSA.com idea!

Just unsure on the Defi because I thought they were "slate grey" and unsure the did any in "Gitane Blue". i have a call into the seller and who knows what he/she will say as to it's availabilty....

WGB 

Fyi

Selller away until 4th. I talked with him just now. Bought new for spouse who passed. Missing pump, but will go for drive when he returns and we shall see.......

bikemig 

Did you buy the bike? Looks to be middling to low end bike and it's a time capsule. The model looks to be the "victoire" if it's from 1988 with vitus 999 main frame and hi tensile fork and stays. It's worth $99 as a rider but it's nothing special. I might pass or I might not,

StarBiker

^
Did you read the thread.

tkamd73 

StarBiker

It's a Gitane week in C&V.

WGB 

I collected it last night. Seller advised he had bought it for his wife (he thought in 1991, then said unsure of date). Wife became ill about that time and only rode a very short bit (he again suggested less that 100 miles). After she became ill, seller hung bike in basement rafters and after she died in 1994, no one rode it again.

Bike seems to be in very good shape with slight rust spots which I believe will vanish with a good cleaning and some very careful application of either evaporust or an extra fine steel wool + car polish buffing. (OOPS - Aluminum foil not steel wool!)

After viewing components I am wondering if it was a french bike made for France or a french bike made for the North American market?

Top tube is 26mm, not 25.4 which is ISO (My hand shook in the cold and thats why it shows the extra .24mm!), yet seat post is 26.2mm and bar stem is 25.4. I would have thought that it would be either set for USA or set for France and not both at once. I guess I won't know all facts for sure until I strip and clean it. If it truly hasn't been ridden since 1994 then it will need all wheel, BB and headset bearings removed, grease stripped out and new grease applied before anyone rides it.

All in all I think it's a nice bike and will clean up quite nicely. Does anyone know where the serial number might be? BB underside is quite dirty and I couldn't see if there was a number there due to dirt.

























Ps I know rear cable routed wrong in last picture as I lifted it up there to allow for a photo of the stem.

merziac

Imho, that is the nicest stamped rear dropout I have ever seen and one of very few with integrated RD hanger.

Chombi1 

Peugeot also used a very similar (or the same, exact) stamped rear dropout that had a window cutout and a derailleur hanger. Even had the same thickened area around the axle slots. They used it on their 1982 and later model PH10. Could have come from one manufacturer used by both bike companies.

zukahn1 

The bike looks to be French or foreign market model that was likely independently imported to the US. This model was somewhat dated when new by the time this bike was made nearly all mid level US market road bikes had indexed shifting aero levers full cro-mo frame sets. The components and tubing seem to be selected to keep the bike pretty much all French and under the $300 or so US price point when new. Nice budget classic sports bike for the price should make a great basic rider . The op did very good for the price.

WGB 

Zukahn

I think that it is a French bike and now I wonder if, when I open it up I'll find it's got a French BB. Hope not as I don't know if you can remove the BB with standard Park wrenches, or if they take weird ball bearing sizes but can only wait until I have free time to find out. Same goes with the headset. The top tube was is 26mm, not 25.4 which is ISO and seat post is 26.2mm (photo above) so I doubt it actually is a Victoire as the catalogue shows that the Victoire came with a 26mm seat post.

Perhaps someone has a couple of French (France sales) Gitane catalogues from the 1980's???

WGB

tkamd73 

zukahn1 

On this one crankset and BB should come apart with the standard park tools the part that may be French is the threading on the cups which should be fine considering the bikes condition as for the bearings you can just use standard loose balls for the rebuild.

T-Mar

Regarding the bottom bracket rebuild (and other movements for that matter), if the bicycle has only 100 miles on it, then the balls and races should be in good condition, with only new grease being necessary. I've never seen metric bearing balls, only imperial, even on French components. However, given the metric standard tubing, the cups are likely French threading standard.

The required bottom bracket tools could be standard or proprietary. It all depends on whose bottom bracket they spec'd. Thun, who manufactured the crankset, did have some proprietary designs but later converted to conventional. Unfortunately, I don't see enough Thun canksets and bottom brackets to know when this occurred.

Based on the components, it is almost certainly a circa 1987-1988 Victoire, despite the discrepancy in post sizes, as the tubeset is Vitus 999 like the specs. Your slightly larger post is probably just a result of the seat tube reaming operation

bikemig 

Good things that the French did not go tout metric when it came to ball bearings, . That would make a mechanic's job hard.

WGB 

Thanks to all - Now I have to fit it in between now and spring for a good strip down, cleaning and rebuild back to fighting trim, just have to do at co-op as garage is unheated and working on bare metal in sub-zero weather wouldn't be that much fun. Was starting to think I wasn't going to be able to rebuild without a big investment in tools......

WGB 

Just thought I'd post an update as I finally got around to cleaning up this one. Please excuse the jerry can, I didn't notice I'd photo'd it until I got inside tonight.

I know it needs new cables, just threw the old ones back on to show how it looks. Cleaned up really, really well. I am really really impressed by the paint job, very nice and very smooth and the blue just seems to leap out, it's that good. Nobody in my house needs a bike right now so might just flip it though the components aren't too bad in and of themselves so might be keepers for something else. If I sell I think $150 is reasonable. If anybody comes across one that is their size I'd say go for it because, based on this one I'd say Gitane made nice bikes. I'd had a "Sport Deluxe" and Gitane sure got a lot better at making bikes by the time they made this Victoire.

I still need to add bar tape (I have blue to match the frame) and Cane Creek hoods. I would like to replace the cable housings with new (yellow) ones. As for pedals, I will throw on a set of flats.

PS tkamd73 your bike is gorgeous and it's a nice size too.

zukahn1 

Wow it cleaned up real nice new bar tape spend a couple more bucks for something in a yellow and nice set of casual pedals and you should get $200-250 in a better market.

WGB 

Zukahn1 - Very kind. Any idea on appropriate source of hoods for the levers???

Flying G

Great job on cleaning up the Gitane - looks pristine! I agree that $150 is too low. On CL, I routinely see bikes that are in rough shape listed, and sold, for much higher. Suggest watching eBay, CL and other sites for several weeks or a month or so before you determine a listing price. Bar tape and brake hoods along with some pedals will complete the picture. Are the pedals English or French threaded? If you need to find the right pedals and brake lever hoods, the BF forum is a great place to request if anyone has the components available. You may be able to charge more if you attach period or even catalog correct pedals. BF members routinely provide great deals. Super job on the bike! Have fun with the next phase!

bertinjim 

WGB-

When you take the cables out to install the lever hoods, check the lever ferrules the housing mount into. I think you have them installed upside down as they do not seem bedded into the lever body. Try Dia Compe 165 lever hoods, they are available in black or tan.

WGB 

Jim - They were just put "there" for show as I needed some yellow housing.

Got that on order now need the 165's you recommended from UK