Gitane ID garbage save
04-06-20 | 04:00 PM
#1
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Gitane ID garbage save
A friend in the garbage business saved this for me. 80's Gitane? It was a poorly done ss conversion. Stamped dropouts. Any idea on the model?
04-06-20 | 04:45 PM
#3
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From: SF Bay Area, East bay
Bikes: Miyata 618 GT, Marinoni, Kestral 200, Soma double cross 2002 Trek 5200, KHS Flite, Koga Miyata, Schwinn Spitfire 5, Mondia Special, Univega Alpina, Miyata team Ti, Santa Cruz Highball, Waterford rs11
Thanks.
04-06-20 | 06:20 PM
#5
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Gitane USA - Catalogues
edit- looks like an 83" Gran Sport
Last edited by curbtender; 04-06-20 at 06:27 PM.
04-06-20 | 07:39 PM
#6
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From: Alta California
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Stronglight chainset bottom of the range at this time. Here is the model 101 from catalogue Nr. 27 of 1984 (nominal), publication date August 1982.
Cannot answer your other questions.
No doubt chas. shall enlighten us all when he comes along
To help readers here is the manufacturer's specification crosstable for 1983 model year U.S. market Gitane cycles -
-----
Stronglight chainset bottom of the range at this time. Here is the model 101 from catalogue Nr. 27 of 1984 (nominal), publication date August 1982.
Cannot answer your other questions.
No doubt chas. shall enlighten us all when he comes along
To help readers here is the manufacturer's specification crosstable for 1983 model year U.S. market Gitane cycles -
-----
Last edited by juvela; 04-06-20 at 08:23 PM. Reason: addition
04-06-20 | 07:56 PM
#7
I do believe the Vitus guide has an "snap-in plug" that corresponds to the small hole, so pry carefully around that area, (remember this is OLD plastic), maybe a very smooth-edged putty knife or painter's spatula
04-06-20 | 09:34 PM
#8
verktyg
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 4,034
Likes: 1,271
From: SF Bay Area
Bikes: Current favorites: 1988 Peugeot Birraritz, 1984 Gitane Super Corsa, 1980s DeRosa, 1981 Bianchi Campione Del Mondo, 1992 Paramount OS, 1988 Colnago Technos, 1985 RalieghUSA SBDU Team Pro
1983 Gitane Gran Sport "Dump Rescue Bike"
curbtender THROW IT BACK.... 
Not trying to be too snarky but what you have is probably a 1983 Gitane Gran Sport which was two steps above their entry level model that someone did a poor quality rattle can spray job on...
A few years back during the Fixie Fad, that frame or bike could have got you $200-$300 bucks!!! A fool and his money are soon parted...
End of snark....
As far as spec go, see the caveat above in the spec sheet: les spécifications sont sujettes à modification sans préavis
The tell on the year is the head tube sticker. In 1983 Gitane used a white outline around the "G" with CYCLES GITANE underneath.
In 1984 the outline changed to yellow and CYCLES GITANE was dropped.
Some history: between 1977 when Gitane West, the US importer went keel up and 1983 Gitane had very little presence in the US. In 1983 Trek and Gitane formed an unholy alliance - Trek would import and distribute Gitane road bikes in the US under the name Cycles de France and Gitane would market Trek MTBs in France.
Why? Gitane was in the cat bird's seat in the European racing scene with the likes of Hinault, Lemond and Fignon. Trek wanted to became a player in the growing US road racing scene. For Gitane, MTBs were just starting to take off in Europe and Trek had a good reputation. The marriage only lasted a few years.
The frame could be a 1982 but Gitanes didn't start to appear again in the US around late spring of 1983.
The cranks on your frame appear to be Solida brand not the Stronglight 101 in the spec sheet - see caveats above. They're cast aluminum with a swagged on spider to compete against the Japanese "melt forged" cast cranks. At some point Solida became part of Stronglight and they made a lot of versions (revisions) of those cranks.
Here's a review of one version of those cranks with a different spider:
(Scroll past the Monty Python stuff) The Wobbly, Irreparable, Solida Crankset and a Bit of Monty Python - The Velo Collective
Gitane AEROTUBE 102 was no great shakes, just marketoid BS like Peugeot Carbolite 103. They were probably seamed tubes that may have had a thinner wall thickness than gas pipe tubing and were heat treated to a higher strength.
For a comparison, the 1983 Gran Sport model with AEROTUBE 102 tubing and alloy components had an advertised weight of 26.4 Lbs. The entry level 1970's gas pipe Gitane Gran Sports with steel components weighed around 27-28 Lbs. depending on size!
The next model up Interclub with similar components but a Vitus 788 tubing frame was listed at 25.3 Lbs. 1.3 Lbs. lighter!
Not to say "Your dog sure is ugly" but... back in the 70's I had a number of Gitane Gran Sports. I built several of them up with decent components for use as trainers/shop bikes. The main issue is that a frame like yours is going to have a dead feel compared to one made of thinner alloy steel tubing. Life is too short to drink cheap wine!
BTW, at about 60cm gas pipe frames start to have better rides because the longer tubes can flex more and absorb road shock better.
I live near you, we should get together some time. If your interested, I have some Gitanes and Motos I'm going to be parting with.
Best regards...
verktyg
Not trying to be too snarky but what you have is probably a 1983 Gitane Gran Sport which was two steps above their entry level model that someone did a poor quality rattle can spray job on...
A few years back during the Fixie Fad, that frame or bike could have got you $200-$300 bucks!!! A fool and his money are soon parted...
End of snark....
As far as spec go, see the caveat above in the spec sheet: les spécifications sont sujettes à modification sans préavis
The tell on the year is the head tube sticker. In 1983 Gitane used a white outline around the "G" with CYCLES GITANE underneath.
In 1984 the outline changed to yellow and CYCLES GITANE was dropped.
Some history: between 1977 when Gitane West, the US importer went keel up and 1983 Gitane had very little presence in the US. In 1983 Trek and Gitane formed an unholy alliance - Trek would import and distribute Gitane road bikes in the US under the name Cycles de France and Gitane would market Trek MTBs in France.
Why? Gitane was in the cat bird's seat in the European racing scene with the likes of Hinault, Lemond and Fignon. Trek wanted to became a player in the growing US road racing scene. For Gitane, MTBs were just starting to take off in Europe and Trek had a good reputation. The marriage only lasted a few years.
The frame could be a 1982 but Gitanes didn't start to appear again in the US around late spring of 1983.
The cranks on your frame appear to be Solida brand not the Stronglight 101 in the spec sheet - see caveats above. They're cast aluminum with a swagged on spider to compete against the Japanese "melt forged" cast cranks. At some point Solida became part of Stronglight and they made a lot of versions (revisions) of those cranks.
Here's a review of one version of those cranks with a different spider:
(Scroll past the Monty Python stuff) The Wobbly, Irreparable, Solida Crankset and a Bit of Monty Python - The Velo Collective
Gitane AEROTUBE 102 was no great shakes, just marketoid BS like Peugeot Carbolite 103. They were probably seamed tubes that may have had a thinner wall thickness than gas pipe tubing and were heat treated to a higher strength.
For a comparison, the 1983 Gran Sport model with AEROTUBE 102 tubing and alloy components had an advertised weight of 26.4 Lbs. The entry level 1970's gas pipe Gitane Gran Sports with steel components weighed around 27-28 Lbs. depending on size!
The next model up Interclub with similar components but a Vitus 788 tubing frame was listed at 25.3 Lbs. 1.3 Lbs. lighter!
Not to say "Your dog sure is ugly" but... back in the 70's I had a number of Gitane Gran Sports. I built several of them up with decent components for use as trainers/shop bikes. The main issue is that a frame like yours is going to have a dead feel compared to one made of thinner alloy steel tubing. Life is too short to drink cheap wine!
BTW, at about 60cm gas pipe frames start to have better rides because the longer tubes can flex more and absorb road shock better.
I live near you, we should get together some time. If your interested, I have some Gitanes and Motos I'm going to be parting with.
Best regards...
verktyg
__________________
Don't believe everything you think! History is written by those who weren't there....
Chas. ;-)
Don't believe everything you think! History is written by those who weren't there....
Chas. ;-)
04-07-20 | 11:13 AM
#9
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 9,179
Likes: 5,362
From: SF Bay Area, East bay
Bikes: Miyata 618 GT, Marinoni, Kestral 200, Soma double cross 2002 Trek 5200, KHS Flite, Koga Miyata, Schwinn Spitfire 5, Mondia Special, Univega Alpina, Miyata team Ti, Santa Cruz Highball, Waterford rs11
Thanks all for the updates. The crankset has Stronglight dustcaps and some of the black paint left around the pedals.The silver paint is truly bad with no prep at all so I'm guessing it would come off easily. If someone local has an interest in it let me know(free). Verktyg, I need to get more rides in and less bikes, lol.
