70s Gitane TDF?
 

Hello All,

I recently purchased this 70s Gitane which the previous owner indicted was a TDF.

Can anyone confirm this? The rear dropouts are the Huret “honeycomb” and the fork ends are Campy. I didn’t think TDFs had Campy dropouts, but I know Gitane was using whatever they had on hand in the mid 70s.

Any ideas on the headset? Looks like a Stronglight but I can’t find a match for the model. I don’t have the proper size spanner for the lock ring. Maybe RFG?

It’s obviously been repainted and the original owner stated it was green prior to repaint.

Came with a steel 26.4 seatpost.


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Not that anyone asked, but I'd say the tiger stripe bar tape goes pretty well with the orange paint.
But I just can't stand the green tires on the MB! :lol:

Stay ends look fishmouthed - good sign. I have one whose rears look like that, will check what the fronts are.

I have a similar frame which turned out to (most likely) be a 1975 Champion du Monde, there is a discussion of it here: https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...-get-here.html

Mine is built up now, and rides very well. The rear dropout has stops for both Huret derailleurs, and Campy derailleurs, which is nice! I am currently using a Huret Jubilee derailleur with a modern 24T 5 speed freewheel, but ended up mounting the Huret with a campy adapter to space the derailleur out a bit more for better shifting. Seems odd but everything works great. In my thread someone said that dropout will take Simplex derailleurs too--don't know myself and haven't tried, but I noticed the Simplex cable guides on yours.

Nice paint and I think it is a Gitane color, though it seems Gitane usually left their fork crowns chrome.

Great bike and there is no problem finding appropriate decals as I recall!

Nice bike! Gitane for sure, and probably a Champion du Monde, as the TdF was officially dumbed down to 531 main frame only for the U.S. market. The fishmouth stay ends and chrome are usually a sign of 531 stays for Gitanes. Not sure at all about the headset - I would have expected a Stronglight P3, but I don't think that's what you have; I'm not seeing the toothed sections like the RFG on my Liberia. I'll have to wait for @verktyg or @juvela to weigh in on this one!

Gitanes usually came with Simplex fork tips no matter what the rear dropouts were. the Campy fork tips lean towards it
being a Super Corsa. the headset is probably a Lightrace

Thanks for all the insight thus far!

I pulled the spindle out of the unmarked French cups and see it is a “5SB” Spindle measuring 123mm.

It must have been swapped at some point. Will there be an issue if I find a new 5SB spindle? This one has damaged threads.