Saw this listed and was having a hard time figuring out what I am looking at? Anyone have a guess what this was before it was fixie'd?

typical lousy ad photos

FWIW that's a Stronglight crank (104 BIS I think) and the fork appears to have a Wagner-esque crown plus "fishmouth" tips, so clues may point to European origins.
I can't make out the graphics for any hint to a brandname but they may not be OEM anyway.

Yep, I think the graphics are a later add.

one last thing; it would really help to have more close-ups but the DO has a hanger than MIGHT make it a Simplex but too hard to tell for sure.
If it is then my guess is even more for it being French (or Belgian, perhaps)

I apologize for getting ready to yell at you but I guess these are the only provided pics?

The hanger looks odd like maybe there isn't a stop on it or it's at a different spot the 'normal' 6 O'clock area? Do I spy wrap around stays? Could it British?

One of the first things I think when I see a chrome bike with no decals is that someone stripped the paint off of something the chrome will be a pain in the rump to keep shiny. Hard to tell from these pics. Nice brake levers though

unworthy1 I was thinking the same thing but you just got here a bit faster.

"I apologize for getting ready to yell at you but I guess these are the only provided pics?" Yes those are the only pics (that show frame) - "typical lousy ad photos"
I was thinking the same about stripped paint possibility. The crank/brake/levers probably cover the ask, but I don't really need another project and have no use for those wheels. The frame I wish there were better/detail pics

Link to bike if anyone is curious - https://offerup.com/item/detail/2b2f...chrome&cid=7.4 - $100 - Compton, CA

Looks like an old Gitane ?

Based on the additional pix (offerup ad) it also has a Stronglight HS so even more looking like a FR frame...but I don't see any certain looked again and now I DO see some resemblance to any a "typical US-spec Gitane"...
except fully chrome-plated?

Nope, I haven't seen a TdF with that!

And you guys sure have sharper monitors (and eyesight) than me: I missed the rear brake cable "hoop" completely!

I think it’s a Gitane Tour d France, it’s the seatstay cap detail that’s my indicator. The seatstay cablestop is like a ‘72.

This picture showing the headset helps confirm it’s probably French.

I agree those rear dropouts look like french / simplex and those bulbous seatstay caps only appear on handful of few bikes, I think gitane and maybe also bottecchia but since it's french I don't think it's a bottecchia. The front fork is not very high-end since it's a stamped & welded fork crown - not investment case, and not a nervex fork crown.

This CL-Portland ad shows a similar bike, claimed to be a Gitane. I cannot confirm tho.

Agree with others on the ‘70’s Gitane TdF. Stronglight P3 headset, seat stay attachment, and that Mafac style rear brake strap (not sure what it’s called) above the brake bridge and Campagnolo tipo hubs are all details found on that model.

Except this one in PDX has Campy 1010A DOs plus no signs of a rear brake cable "hoop" on the seatstays for CP calipers, so this must be a Super Corsa (if in fact a Gitane). One step above the TdF and since it has the "willow leaf" stay caps it's probably early 1970s although with Gitane the "rules" are frequently bent! Also note it has Nervex Pro headlugs which IIRC was not unheard of for a Gitane of this era but not an everyday option, maybe that and the chrome finish was a "special order"

and it has a slightly damaged serial number, can anybody nail the year built based on this?

At the risk of being an annoying know-it-all, those are 1010 dropouts. 1010A is the same thing but forged without fender eyelets i.e. the eyelets aren't removed after. A 1010 where the builder or previous owner sawed off the eyelets could be hard to tell apart from a 1010A, unless the original forging marks are still visible where the eyelets would be on a 1010. They're hard to fake...


Still in know-it-all mode: that's a Nervex Professional crown. Wagner is forged and not hollow, with smaller outside dimensions. They look nice, more svelte and with sharper edges than a Nervex. Nervex is made of sheetmetal wrapped around and welded, which results in rounded edges for the most part. Very hollow and thus fairly lightweight, and stiff/strong from its larger outside dimension. Crowns made of sheetmetal are often poor quality but the Nervex Pro is great.. A bit crude as delivered, needs work to make it look nice, but very structurally efficient and easy to braze. I'm a fan.



The flashlight in the upper right is illuminating the interior to show how hollow they are.
This is the one with curlicues in the shoreline of the blade sockets, but they also made it with the simple swoop shape as seen in OP's fork.

Glad to get the ^straight dope^ from an expert!
I was under the influence of stepped on dope in thinking the 1010A was simply the older longer style as distinct from the "shorty" 1010B, now I will know better (as long as my memory lasts!), and
KIDS:
"Stay in school and don't do rugs!"

I’ve got a chrome Orero with very similar lugs. And it came with a similar headset.
What’s that you ask? Argentina built by a guy who divided his time between NJ and Argentina.
Smontanaro did a write up on him here
https://www.smontanaro.net/CR/2009/08/0688
My search engine tells me that a road Orero sold on FB marketplace but I can’t get to the listing as FB has deemed me unworthy of their services. Might be worth a look.