Gitane serial numbers
 

Gitane numbers: what are all the numbers?

This series of posts will deal with Cycles Gitane bicyles form approximately 1969 to 1981. As best that I can determine this is the period when Cycles Gitane stamped completely numeric serial numbers on its frames.

During this time period Cycles Gitane serial numbers were stamped in two locations: the non-drive side dropout and the bottom bracket shell.

In the middle of this time period Cycle Gitane also started to stamp into the frame what I call a frame model number and size.

These posts will not cover the high end Gitane professional racing bicycle which had several different serial number formats.

During 1981 Cycles Gitane changed the serial number format and serial numbers began with a letter.

Gitane frame model numbers and size.
 

To avoid confusion I will discuss first frame model numbers and size.

As best that I can determine frame model numbers and sizes began to appear in 1975 and continued into the 1980s. For frames with the serial number on the bottom bracket the frame model number and size were also stamped on the bottom bracket. For frames with the serial number on the dropout the frame model number and size were stamped on the bottom of the chain stay bridge.


The first frame model numbers were three digits in length followed by spaces and a character for the frame size.

Not long after the frame model number was increased to five digits. Mostly what I have seen are five digit frame model numbers.

A given frame model number can be stamped onto multiple frames. This number is not unique to the bicycle.

I am not knowledgeable enough about Cycles Gitane models, nor do I have enough data, to translate frame model numbers into specific Gitane bicycle models.

That task is left to the reader.




MiloFrance bicycle frame model number and size is: 564 5.

The stamping of the frame model number and size is always very uniform, unlike the serial number stamping on the bottom bracket.
The frame model number and size are stamped upside-down relative to the serial number stamping.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...091397b8ee.jpg
Frame model number and size: 95065 57




Frame size deciphering.

Single digit frame sizes, add 50 to the number and this is the frame size in centimetres.

Alphabetic characters translate to "A" = 10, "C" = 12, etc.. Again, add 50 to get the frame size in centimetres.

Some frame sizes on the chain stay bridge are simple stamped as two digits which is the frame size in centimetres.

Gitane Serial number and date code.
 

Serial numbers on the bottom bracket.

At first the serial number was stamp one a single row, with two components: a four digit group followed by spaces and another group of numbers.

Serial number: 2244 57 ?

Later the serial number was stamped on two rows, one row with the four digit group and the other with another group of digits.

Serial number: 5067 413 8


Initially when stamped in two rows the top row had the four digit group. A few serial numbers from 1979 have the four digit group on the bottom row.

In the first quarter of 1980 the four digit group is moved on the bottom row.


The stamping of the serial number is not uniform. Sometimes numbers are stamped at an angle. When stamped at an angle the number "1" is often confused for a "7".

The digit "1" is sometimes stamped sideways 90 degrees and sometime stamped upside-down. The digit "8" is sometimes stamped upside-down.


Serial numbers on the dropout.

The serial number stamping on the droupout has the same two components as above: a four digit group and another group of numbers.

Due to space limitations on the droupout the serial number is not usually on a single line.

The four digit group is stamped on the lower tine of the dropout. It is usually stamped uniformly with well spaced digits.

Serial number: 3082 47

The second group of numbers is usually stamped at the end of the dropout, but not always.
Sometimes some of the digits are stamped in the middle of the four digit group. Sometimes the other digits are stamped in front of the four digit group. Usually the four digit group is stamped with one font and character size and the other digits are stamped with a different font and size.



The four digit group is a date code.

Interpretation of the date code:

digit 1: day of the week.

Digits 2 - 3: week of the year.

digit 4: year of one of the decades 1960, 1970, or 1980.

The serial number date codes above

2244 - day 2, of week 24, of year 1974

5067 - day 5, of week 6, of year 1977

3082 - day 3, of week 8, of year 1972

Gitane serial number: observations.
 

Some readers will doubt this interpretation of Cycles Gitane serial numbers form this time period.
In many cases I can understand why.

Gitane serial number stampings on the bottom bracket and the dropout can be difficult to clearly read. The serial number stampings are sometimes inconsistent. Due to this serial numbers are often misread and misquoted.

It took long looks at some serial numbers to see what the digits actually might be.

As the reader you will need to make your own observations and draw your own conclusions.

While I was collecting Cycles Gitane serial numbers for this project in 2021, I found another group who were doing the same as myself.

From this group I was greatly aided by the two things that they had determined:

The character at the end of the frame model number was the frame size. This explained why the character at the end of the frame model number varied.

They also determined that the digit at the end of the four digit group was for the year.


I had already determined that the frame model number and size were not part of the serial number.

Determining the meaning of the first three digits in the four digit group mostly became an exercise in collecting data, i.e. more images of Gitane serial numbers.


If you have a different interpretation of the serial number and the date code I would be interested to hear it.

Interesting ,
I have a Gitane with very similar markings to pic from milofrance above
Would be interesting to compare frame specs to see what makes sense ?


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...cd3fca2b44.jpg

Hummer, thanks for sharing this info.

Thanks for sharing your Gitane information.

The 4 digit date code is 3197. Translates to day 3 of week 19 of 1977.

The frame model number is the same as the [MENTION=384627]MiloFrance[/MENTION] Gitane. Different frame size.

Wow, how much wine did Gitane workers drink at lunch?

So - how do we interpret this number? The frame is a Gitane Tour de France from the foil sticker Mel Pinto era with long point Prugnat lugs and a curly Nervex Pro fork crown with swaged seat stay tops and a brazed-on rear brake cable stop bridge, 60 cm to top, 58 cm top tube. The only markings are 31161 on the NDS dropout.


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...18ff37415.jpeg


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b194ca5ae.jpeg

Thank you for posting pictures of your bicycle.

The four evenly spaced digits for the datecode are 1161. This translates to day 1 of week 16, of year 1971.

Why not the "3"?

The 3 is a different size of character and it is not in line with the other four character.

The 3 I believe is what makes the serial number unique.

For Cycles Gitane serial numbers stamped onto forged dropouts the uniqueness digits were sometimes stamped in front, sometimes stamped behind, and sometimes stamped over top of the four digit date code.

So then it would be the third bike built on April 12, 1971?

Interesting. I like decodeable serial numbers!

In 1977, Gibson went to a decodeable serial number system for their guitars, which is kind of analogous - mine, no. 02625045, breaks down as 02625045 the 45th guitar built on 02625045, 262nd day or September 19, of 02625045 or 2005, and 02625045 indicates it was built in Bozeman, MT, whereas 02625545 would indicate Nashville production.

3197 -3 Wednesday
-19 week
-7 year 1977
564 9 -reynolds 531 certainly world champion and 9 For the size 59

Good to know !

Full pic of bike

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...ce724c25e0.jpg
honeycomb rear dropouts
paint is a bit distressed in places but looks ok from a distance :)

Any idea what the stampings on the INSIDE of the rear dropouts means? I have a Super Corsa (date stamp 4431, so 1971) with a large "L" above "0" inside both rear dropouts, and a Tour de France (date stamp 3272, so 1972) with "Y" above "2" on the inside of the dropouts. I also have a 1971 Tour de France (date stamp 1231) which does not have any marking on the insides of the dropouts.

Due to the nature of the stamping you need to provide pictures of each serial number stamping, so that the four digit date code can be correctly determined.

Dug up this thread as I've just acquired a Gitane and am trying to make sense of the numbers. Not succeeding, so far.

This is what I've found on the NDS dropout. Nothing I'd call evenly stamped and spaced:

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e5ec8629d3.jpg

This is what the bike looks like:

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...2527752855.jpg

It has a French Reynolds decal indicating butted 531 frame tubes, forks and stays. (Date) codes on both Mavic rims and on the Huret Challenger rear derailleur say "0275" (if my eyes don't deceive me). Frame size is 52cm (C-T). The closest match I've found in the catalogues is the 1975 Super Evry:

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b037db4cd8.jpg

Interesting dropout. This bicycle has the traditional Huret forged dropout. This has the normal Gitane serial number stamping, however the date code appears to be double struck and the first digit for the day of the week is not readable.

The date code appears to be: - 1 0 5 , for week 10 of 1975. The sequential numbers is 511 or 611.

Most of the 1975 Gitane bicycles that I have data for were bicycles exported to North America. These bicycles had the honeycomb dropouts. The serial number for these exported bicycles with honeycomb dropouts was stamped on the bottom bracket shell.

Double struck. Of course. And the second time they didn't get the day on clearly either. Oh well, I think mrs non-fixie may be able to live a happy and fulfilling life without knowing what day of the week her bike was produced ... :)

Thank you very much for your swift reply. Much appreciated!

BTW, there's a sticker on the seat tube suggesting this bike was originally sold by former racer René Matigot of Sarlat-la-Canéda, France, whose name has been brought forward by juvela before on this forum: R. Matigot.

More foil era serial numbers to confirm Hummer

The first 3 are all 1972 Tour de France models, all in the 24 1/2" (62cm) size:

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...09a7a6f32f.jpg
1162-53 green
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8b93d0cc7c.jpg
5222-27 sent to Murray Missile
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...99cdffb46a.jpg
5222-32 green that I bought in HS
These frames all lack the rear brake cable stop. The two green frames came equipped with Sugino Cranksets.
Note that two of these frames were made on the same day.

The next photo is from a 25 1/2" (64cm) red TdF. It was made earlier in the year and does have the braze-on rear brake cable holder:

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c606290276.jpg
1092-37 red TdF

Lastly, a Super Corsa:
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...575454d67f.jpg
1441-43 Super Corsa

The TdF's also have 2-character stampings inside both real dropouts, using larger stamps.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b8a193b754.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f68f14ba3f.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...634818db08.jpg

‘74 supercorsa w/ vent holes underneath seatstay caps and rear brake housing stop.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...185c54ebf.jpeg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f1944700c.jpeg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...2403cbd28.jpeg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...958c27466.jpeg

‘74 hangerless tdf w/ vent holes, but no housing stop.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a01463229.jpeg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6a41e32bc.jpeg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7ff72cfe5.jpeg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...627b10a12.jpeg

For the blue Super Corsa, I read the day of week, week of year, year numbers as 4 4 3 1, evenly spaced and all struck at the same time. The 2 and 6 straddling the first 4 indicate the 26th frame of the day.

For the hangerless TdF, I read it as 5 4 9 1 and the 34th frame of that day.
So both would appear to be 1971 frames.

hm, I guess that would explain the foil and bridge braze-on.

The site is performing very poorly today, so I am entering small amounts of data, saving, then adding more.

Hummer contacted me earlier today about the ID number on a bike posted for sale over at the CABE. Here is the bike:


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a1a1aae4fa.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a81a408558.jpg
This one has a 1971 Campy derailleur to somewhat confirm the date, and a large "RO" stamped inside both dropouts.

We have two additional Supercorsa frames that are easily accessible. This is a red metallic frame that has basically identical decals and frame characteristics:


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...39dd9c33d8.jpg
This one does not have the large letter number combo stamped inside the dropout.

This is a flat orange Supercorsa frame with identical frame characteristics and similar decals (but seat tube decals are mostly missing):


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e202c8ef47.jpg
This has "R4" stamped inside the dropouts.

I could not find any other identifying numbers on these bikes on the bottom bracket or other places where a serial number might usually be found.

The collector of these bikes told me he liked to collect one of each color for a catalog year, so it makes sense these would all be the same year.

We have a half dozen or so TdFs as well, but it will take time to pull them out and remove the wheels for pictures so I probably won't get around to posting that information until next week.

Didn't have time to take off all the back wheels and photograph ID numbers, but I did sort them out and put them in an accessible location.


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...880d45d601.jpg

Thanks @albrt for posting all the Gitane bicycle information.

Member @non-fixie posted a date code stamping that was double struck.

The date code above is another example of double striking. You can see the top portion of "7" and "1" on the last two digits of the date code.

I do not know the mechanics of how the date codes were stamped or at what point in the build process the stamping occurred. My guess is that the dropouts were stamped before the dropout was assembled into the frame. The operators of the stamping machine could make mistakes.