I haven't done a build thread on this Gitane TdF yet, as I'm trying to decide what my plans for it will be. I'd like to build one of these bikes into a keeper.

I know French bikes aren't renowned for having great chrome, although the Jeunet 630 I own is pretty decent. This Gitane didn't seem to have very much rust on its chrome, just a bit of greenish corrosion that scrubbed off with foil and polish. A lot of black speckling remains that seem to go through the chrome, especially on the rear dropouts.



I know it really isn't that bad, so for those of you who've owned these bikes, is this typically as good as it gets? The small frame size is hard to find, that being said this particular frame needs a bit more work than expected.

What polish did you use?

Considering the age, it cleaned up pretty decent, considering it had corrosion. I just finished up a Raleigh Super Course, that had been kept near the Chesapeake, in a garage. It still had the green stuff on it, but it cleaned up really well, better than what I'm seeing here. I just cleaned it off and used chrome polish. But it's also an English bike.

I have a Mercier 300, purchased from my older sister, the original owner, 1971. She had kept it on a balcony at an apartment complex, and the chrome suffered. It didn't clean up as nice as yours, but I'm still pretty happy with it.

As you said, French chrome isn't the best. What you have looks pretty decent, for a 40+ year old bike.

I don't knoe what vintage TdF you hsve, but my 84's fork chrome looks very good.
Might have been the Trek connection at that time (I heard that some sort of agreements were made to sell Gitanes exclusively from Trek dealerships in the early and mid 80's?) that forced Gitane to provide better chrome on their bikes?

If it won't clean up any better than that, it doesn't really matter what other Gitanes look like, yours won't be a show piece. It will, however, most likely be a joy to ride. What year is it? Check my wife's Gitane for a full resto example.

A bit of a rub with aluminum foil does wonders.

I used Mother’s polish to start off. I also just bought a can of Blue Magic to compare, it does seem a little more aggressive.

I’m not accustomed to the green corrosion on chrome. The bike was supposed to have come from Long Island, so maybe that contributed.

I imagine the green corrosion is oxidation of copper. Often a thin layer of copper is used when apply chrome plating, as the copper provides and idea metal for generating a good electrical field. The electrical field is what attracts the free chrome molecules to accumulate on the part.

I believe it’s probably a 71 or 72, although the bike was repainted a non original color and lost it’s decals.

It does ride nicely, even with the work it needs. I will be sure to check out the resto thread, I enjoy those.

I just reread my post and it may have sounded harsh. Sorry, I didn't mean it that way. Even with the chrome in less-than-perfect shape, you can still build a beautiful bike. I just meant that it won't look museum-quality like some people are able to do with full restorations. Looking closely at my wife's bike, the chrome is less-than-perfect. But polishing it up and waxing it helps to keep it looking great from 5 feet.

I like to ride my bikes, not hang them on the wall and look at them. I also hate putting the first chip into a paint job, that's why I prefer used bikes. I only restored my dad's old Gitane for my wife because it was so far gone that all the little paint chips could have led to serious frame issues down the line. And it looked like hell - it deserved better.

If your bike has already had a repaint, you are free to do what you want - there's no loss of "original paint job" on your hands, the PO did that for you. Do whatever suits your fancy and then get some repro decals to keep the identity of the bike. And enjoy the ride!

I may not like to hang my bike on the wall and look at it, but I do enjoy bike porn - post up some pics!

Have you checked over at Gitaneusa? The forum there has some great info and can help you identify the bike. Chaz is very knowledgeable - he also haunts this forum from time to time. If you are correct, you likely have a full 531 frame - a sweet ride!

Please note that the GitaneUSA forum went zombie for new members a couple of years ago. Unless you have been a member before it went dead (admin-wise), you can't enter any new posts. I hope somebody wake the admin up over there so new members can post again.....

I heard that about the forum - so sad (woah - sounding like a presidential tweet there!). However, one can still access the sticky on identification, member or not.

That’s an interesting point, and maybe explains why the spots seem to go through the chrome, and won’t polish out.