Seventies Gitane info
 

I run a project called Gears For The Gospel where I accept donated bikes and fix them up for resale. The proceeds benefit local charities like a ministry for the homeless called OurCalling. Unfortunately, the past few months I was slammed at work and didn't have a chance to really do anything for it. Last week, however, my friend messages me and says "hey, are you still doing that bike fixing up thing for charity?" I met him to accept the donated bike and WOW. It's better than the usual bikes that are donated. Seventies to late seventies Gitane, best I can tell. Full Campagnolo. It definitely has some character and patina. I'll have to completely soak and scrub all components, deep clean the frame, and polish all chrome. I think I will even re-lace the wheels.

Can anyone give any insight into the model and year? I can probably better ascertain a value after that. Thanks!
Pics to come momentarily from my phone.


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I think ‘60s because of the Nervex lugs and the graphics - by the time Mel Pinto starts importing them they had gone to plainer Italianate lugs. Very cool bike!

Super cool! Haven't seen that color on a Gitane and would agree it may date to the 60's The 1966 catalog lists lime as a color for the TdF as well as Nervex lugs. You can see it at Gitaneusa.com

Appreciate the comments so far.
I guess I’m not going to get much closer to coming up with a value for it than I originally thought. I know this isn’t technically the correct forum for valuations, but can anyone speculate as to what I might be able to get for it after the aforementioned care is taken for a restoration?
Again, this will benefit a charity. I usually price things low enough that they will sell soon, but I don’t want to GIVE it away when more funds could possibly be raised for the benefit of those who seek care at OurCalling. Thanks!!

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!

Thank you very much for the detailed advice!
I agree with your cleaning and restoration methods. Really, I don’t WANT to replace all the spokes, these are just a bit rusty and I think a potential buyer might appreciate the look of new ones. Then again, I could try to polish these best I can with steel wool or scotch brite and polish the wheels themselves.

I will search for some of those models you listed and try to come up with a good price!

Does anyone know a source for some 26.2 cable clamps? These are MIA and I can’t find that size on eBay... I don’t mind if they’re French or not.

Not a Professional. [edit] 531 Reynolds decal says "3 tubes" 531. Not forks or stays.

Looks like an mid-60s Hosteller. Catalog page from '64 if you want to visual on it. http://www.gitaneusa.com/images/cata...64/Page_02.jpg

That said, A light rubbing compound will get the paint back to the condition you see where the shifter clamp was. It should polish up nice and get that awesome emerald metallic to pop and gleam. Don't forget to tape-mask the decals while rubbing it out.

For the top tube clamps, I'm pretty sure a set of Simplex clamps should suit you fine. If you need a set, I can dig in my bins to see if I have something suitable.

Curious, what are you planning for the bottom bracket, you already have 35x1 French-thread cups and a suitable spindle?

Ahh. That is interesting info. The only French bikes I'm 'kinda' familiar with are Peugeot. I had a PX10 which also had the diagonal 531 logo. I assumed the 'lower' 531 triangle bikes would've had a horizontal logo?
Doesn't really matter at the end of the day.

If you do come across some clamps, please do let me know!
I have a Campagnolo BB that came on the bike along with all the other Nuovo Record stuff. Must have been a rider upgrade situation. I think the brakes are Mafac.

I need to check on the wheel diameter. I hope they’re 700c... doh.

Interesting. Actually, you're right and I must be forgetting a detail about the diagonal vs. not-diagonal. Non-diagonal is main triangle only. Diagonal can be either, must be. But I clearly see '3 tubes reinforces' on the sticker, and no mention of blades and stays in French, so ... it's only 3-tube. That and the general characteristics would put it in the Hosteller camp. verktyg may be able to confirm or deny that truth.

As for the Simplex bands, I may not get a chance to check where I think I have them stashed til Thursday. Meanwhile, you may want to post here: https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...t-5-a-129.html

Post a pic of the bike, 60's Gitane, rebuilding for charity, looking for Simplex cable clamps. I just gave a send one of my last full sets set of clamps to someone - maybe greg3rd48 for his Gitane SC rebuild? I forget - so if I have a spare set, it may actually be my last complete.

Update-
found some clamps on here via my WTB!

Regarding the frame, I researched more into 531 and the history of their decals. Interesting stuff. This bike is kind of a puzzler as to why it would have the three tube decal but it also has original 531 fork decals. Does the three tube designation just imply only three tubes are butted or only three are 531?
Also, the frame itself has a Campagnolo record sticker under the saddle that looks original. I guess vintage bikes were more made to order than I thought.
Lastly, what in the world are these clamps near the stem for?


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The clamps on the handlebars near the stem were probably for a water bottle cage.

Sticker situation makes sense: Reynolds couldn't realistically mass-produce a wide variety of stickers in every language. There were a couple of basic stickers: "531 main tubes" (i.e. triangle/"3 tubes"), and "531 frame, fork, stays". I'm guessing they didn't want to double the number of variations by doing separate "frame, forks" and "frame, stays" stickers. In a way your stickers make sense: The manufacturer made the main triangle out of 531, but not the stays, so they used the 3-tubes sticker on it. Then they used 531 on the fork blades, thus marked it as such.

I don't think the variety on bikes was much different from cars once we got to the 60s/70s in that you could easily get a car with any number of options. Pickups of the era, especially those from GM, would come with an options sheet glued to the interior of the glovebox door listing off any RPO codes associated with options/upgrades installed or ported into the vehicle, although they came with the same basic frame. I wouldn't say the cycling world is a direct comparison, but y'know...

The clamps look like those which came with the coveted T.A 213 or more common REG brand handlebar bottle holders, along the lines of:
T.A. (most likely): Specialites T.A. - ref:213 - handlebar mount bottle cage
REG (also possible): https://steel-vintage.com/reg-162-cl...le-cage-detail

There's a few varieties of the same, I've got a couple of these T.A. 213 holders sitting on a shelf in the shop, they were selling pretty regularly a couple years ago on eBay in the $50-100 range.

Cool! Thanks for the info guys!

Just wanted to share the photos after I finished it up. Still need to glue the tires on and determine how much I’ll ask.

I really want to find some 9/16 20F pedals so I can ride it before it sells. I hate to re-tap it...

Sorry the photos tilted. I’ll try to fix later on my computer.

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That colour with chrome looks so good.

Cool bike and nice job fixing it up. What size is this?

verktyg will likely know what this is.

Thanks! I probably could've done more. Originally I wanted to re-lace the wheels with new spokes. However, with the frame being in the patina shape that it is in, I settled for polishing them. The wheels trued up pretty nicely and I didn't break any spokes or nipples, so that's something.

This is a 57cm.

I could be wrong but this looks to be a full Reynolds 531 frame. I just can't read enough of that downtube sticker but that looks like a full 531 sticker. Plus the bike has campy drop outs and AFAIK that means that this is a top end Gitane. Plus those campy parts are original right? Are those Mafac tiger brakes? I can't make out the name on them.

One thing that seems odd to me are the pump braze ons. In the bikes I've seen from this era, the top end bikes have few if any braze ons. It's when you went down the food chain so to speak, you'd start to see some braze ons.

Maybe this is a 60s era Champion du Monde? If you look at the '62 catalog, this came with Mafac tigers (yeah I know parts are not a great way to ID a bike)

http://www.gitaneusa.com/images/catalog/1962/Page_4.jpg

Use the GitaneUSA catalog dates with caution, the 1966 price sheet and 1967 catalog have incorrect dates....price sheet is likely 1964 (Anquetil was not riding a Gitane in 66) and that catalog is no newer than 1965 (I have absolutely identical catalog but instead of Gitane, its Geminiani...these two brands separated in 1966). The braze one pump pegs are found on the early 60s Gitanes and Geminianis which were both built by MICMO through 1965. Here is top of line Gitane of early 60s with pegs and Nervex Pros very similar to bike in question. That was a standard color too...here is similar era Gitane pista in that color and with Nervex Pros. Both these have Anquetil on seat tube. Bike in question is likewise not a Hosteller...no fork or stay braze-ons...this is Professional Elite or perhaps early CdM.
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...and here is my mid-60s Champion du Monde frame...how do I know its a CdM you ask...it has the Number 100 designation on fork blade which was the number Gitane used to designate the CdM. I date to 66 or maybe 67; 531, Nervex Pros, Campy dropouts, and same seat stay finish as bike in question (pre-Carre willow-leaf) BUT no pump peg braze-ons and with foil decals. Euro-spec model with no chrome like team bikes too.
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And what kind of donation would you be looking for?

Possible early mid-60s Gitane Superbe model.

Did you leave the original decals on or get them printed? If not, are you able to touch those up? Asking for the sake of my Gitane I'm working on.