I was given a Gitane (what I was told) frame. I would like to get an approximate age to know what style of decals to put on it when I restore it. It has a Campy headset, BB (French thread), dropouts, and bolt-on DT cable guide; Nervex BB shell, fork crown(?), and lugs. Appears to be mostly chrome under the paint. It has a "forked" rear pump peg along with the standard pointed "L" peg in the front under the top tube. Serial number is not totally legible, but this is what I can make out - ?0.3864.022F38. Where I have the 2 periods in the number there are superscript o's, like a degree marking. The F could be an E. Below the number appears to be a small "jug" on it's side stamped with a 6 inside. Any help would be greatly appreciated! I have photos but can't post them b/c I don't have the minimum 10 posts yet.

OP's Album.

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Zeusman -

the long string of markings beneath the NERVEX name on the bottom bracket shell has nothing to do with the cycle's manufacturer

these markings are from NERVEX and give technical information such as the angles of the shell's tube sockets

if a serial is present would expect it to be visible on the dropout

the forked pump peg to accept an AD HOC pump head puts the frame back into the nineteen sixties





front peg is NERVEX Ref. 845 and rear peg is NERVEX Ref. 846

possible that shield shaped symbol on bottom bracket shell may have been put in by a licensing agency


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Unaware that Gitane used Nervex. Possibly Motobecane?
The earliest Campagnolo headsets and bottom brackets used a unique script or font.
Close-ups might help.

Load the pics to your album and they will get moved here.

Welcome aboard, glad you found us, you're in the right place, we live for this.

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...note presence of "willow leaf" seat stay caps...

...these are a MICMO signature and one not employed by Motobecane

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Looks early to mid-1960s to me as well especially with pump pegs; however, the seat stay finish at top of stays does not look completely like Gitane (or MICMO’s pre-1966 sibling to Gitane, Geminiani) to me…can we get more photos of this key area? It may be just the angle, a little profile of seat stay top would be good

During the early to mid-1960s, MICMO used two seat stay finishes, on frames a step below the top, a diamond shaped cut and crimped swedged finish is used:




On high end frames, the top of seat stay is fitted with a “s” shaped cap inset into a diagonal cut in the stay, you can see the cut and crimped finish is designed to emulate the higher end cap (and the “s” shape shows up clearly in this photo):



Your frame has an inset cap but it looks to be a convex arc, more akin to a later willow leaf cap as found on top end Gitanes of circa 1968 to 1970 (but your bike looks earlier and does not appear to have this type either as on willow leaf you can run your fingernail under edge of cap around its entire circumference … also, no pump pegs):



Again, it might just be the angle. Better photos would allow for better answering you questions (or letting you know it ain’t a MICMO frame).

Some aspects appear Bertin, some not.

MICMO built Gitanes and Geminianis of early to mid-1960s commonly used Nervex lugs … posted some pix above, here are a couple more, first is my 66/67 No. 100:



…and here is a slightly earlier bike, maybe 65/66 with pump pegs:

Did Bertin use the Schwinnish pinstriping like this?

Gitane did in early to mid-1960s … an upper mid-level bike, 3 tubes 531, mixed French and Italian components with cut and crimped swagged seat stay caps…an early TdF or CdM perhaps of 1963-1965 vintage given Jacques picture on seat tube:

Well I’m sure thinking early to mid-1960s Gitane…sure would like to see that seat stay finish from different angle though. I found another pic in my collection of a Gitane with the “s” shaped seat stay finish (as opposed to cut and crimped as I posted above) and it has the pinstriping too:


This is a high end bike with the finished caps, full 531, and full Campagnolo Record (Mafac brakes) instead of the 3 tube 531 with mix of French and Italian components found on bike in my previous post: