Hi guys, new to the forum but cycling enthusiast of many years. From time to time I'll peruse the classifieds to see what interesting things I can find. So long story, this gentleman out in the hills up in Calabasas, CA had this Gitane listen, I snatched it up right away for 100 bucks, not knowing much of anything.

Story goes (from the lovely gent) that he picked it up in Saint Louis brand new in either70 or 71, because he was some sort of promoter there and he said something to the tune of this wasn't the regular one but the race bike..( I was too busy looking at his 1973 porsche 911 in the garage . He and his wife moved to California and to this house back in 85 and since then he just hung up the bike on its rack and there it sat for the next 40 years.

I don't know much about it and I haven't even washed it because, to be honest, the layer of time accumulated just sorta looked cool. Let me know what you guys think, and If you guys have suggestions as to who could work on let's say servicing and tunning her up. I intend to ride her from time to time. He gave me this rack and was adamant that this is the proper way to store her. Pardon the picture storm incoming....

That is a real find. That's a Gitane Tour de France. That was a high end bike back in the day.

Welcome aboard Albert!
I’m hardly an expert but I’ll do until the real ones arrive! Congratulations on a very welll preserved 72-73 Gitane Tour de France. It was second in the line up here in the US. Some things that are not stock: 1) GB stem ; must be sanded down to fit as head tube (as all tubes) is metric; original Pivo, 2) Suntour front derailleur (original simplex prestige unreinforced Delrin material model that shifter fine but would crack under tension ), 3) hubs look like Normandy Sport . The Sugino Mighty crankset is original ; during bike boom there were shortages and they could not get enough Stronglight 93s. It should clean up well!

What are the telltale differences between 71 and 72-73 without looking at the dropout numbers? I have some 71s and they look pretty similar (except for the component changes you noted).

Say, did Prugnat make a shorter version of their headtube lugs?
Also, possibly the owner swapped the crankset and front derailleur.
Still, excellent acquisition. That will eventually turn into a nice vintage ride. Congrats.

Might want to redact that dude's social security number.

The specs and advert/catalog text mentions "Prugnat" lugs but this example clearly has Bocama (BCM) short point lugs with the reinforcing rings and they even have "BCM" stamped on the front in case you doubt.
It is mos def a TdF so clean it up and enjoy!

lol!!! Now that's funny! That serial number looks totally rudimentary, like a bronze age man did it. Look at that grip tape! I like that the bike is as the ol' man put it away... As if she was waiting, ready...for that ride that never came. I was about to wash, but I had to step back and appreciate time.

the Sugino Mighty Compe crankset is original to the build and suggests 1972-1973 when a shortage of French components forced Gitane to source foreign-manufacture parts

Richard Hallett - World Champion Cycles in Albuquerque, a French bicycle dealer and historian - opined that gold painted Gitanes of this era = the scarcest color

Check the Normandy hub body stamping near the "Normandy" legend and you may find a date code - please share your findings with the list

Welcome, Albertc80 ! Nice find!

Have a look here: Gitane serial numbers, to learn more about the build date of your bike.

OP, thanks for posting all of the photos. That is a great example of the flamboyant yellow, which isn't listed in the catalog and looks fantastic in the sun. 23 1/2" frame size perhaps? I suspect those hubs are original since the rims appear to be tubular; no one would replace the original tubular wheels with another set having a lower quality hub. These usually/often came with Campagnolo Nuovo Tipo high flange hubs in the later years, along with the Sugino crankset. That's the original saddle, too, but it isn't very comfortable.

You can check the serial number but I'd say it's a 1972 frame.

The GitaneUSA site has a thread about dating the Tour de France, but you'll have to access it through the wayback machine (internet archive). Here is a post by verktyg that mentions a few of those threads: Gitane TdF

Things that changed over time (old to new) include long point to short point lugs, capped to swaged seat stay tops, brazed rear brake cable hanger to binder bolt-mounted MAFAC hanger, Stronglight 93 to Sugino Mighty Competition chainset.

Here are the links to the archived version of the GitaneUSA.com site. Unfortunately the photos are not there.
TdF features
gitaneusa.com :: View topic - How to identify my bike - read first

TdF or Super Corsa?
gitaneusa.com :: View topic - Gitane TdF or Super Corsa?

There should be a date code on the rear derailleur cage. If it hasn’t been replaced, it should get you close to the year of manufacture.

If you look at the cage that sandwiches the jockey wheels on the rear derailleur, there should be a date code.
on my Mercier it was stamped 2 71 (Feb 1971), which would be correct as the bike was purchased in July/August of 1971.

The fish mouth stay ends at your dropouts are nicely executed.

Excellent info linked by schreck83 to Gitaneusa where I see Chas posted a chronological list of characteristics / observations .

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Here are some note I saved on Gitane TDF from foil era; I know also from Chas but not sure where originally posted.

“Summation the posts in the link:

List of original components on 1969- early 74 Gitane Foil Decal Tour de France US model 585 bikes:

Stronglight 93 cranks 52/42T - Sugino Mighty Competition Cranks 52/42T on some 1973-74 bikes

Lyotard 460d alloy pedals

Stronglight P3 Headset

Simplex Criterium dérailleurs with chrome plated or polished aluminum down tube shift levers

Mafac Dural Forge, Racer or Competition brakes

Pivo alloy bar and stem - Pivo stem with recessed Allen head expander bolt on some 1973-74 stems

Chrome plated straight steel seatpost

Freccia D'Oro plastic saddle (meaning Golden Arrow)

Normandy high flange Luxe Competition QR hubs - Campagnolo Nuovo Tipo high flange QR hubs after 1971

36H tubular rims - usually Mavic brand - quality level varied.

Cheap sewup tires with tube of Tubasti rim cement or Jantex rim tape

14-24 or 14-26 Atom or Normandy 5 speed freewheel

Toeclips and toe straps usually Cristophe S. M or L appropriate to frame size and white toes traps

down tubes mounted pump on some bikes - quality varied


Frames:

Reynolds 531 tubing with the 3 main tubes butted (head tubes and steerers where cheap non Reynolds material)

Prugnat Type S long point lugs - Bocama Professional medium point lugs after 1972

Nervex Professional fork crowns - Nervex DuBois fork crowns after 1972 with occasional flat top Wagner crowns before 1972

Simplex dropouts in at least 4 variations including 1 style without a derailleur hanger - rarely Campagnolo 1010 dropouts

1/2 chrome plated rear stays, fork blades and fork crown - rare European versions with no chrome or only the forks chromed

Willow leaf shaped brazed on seat stay caps - swagged seat stay tops after 1971

Bridge for brake cable stop brazed on near top of seat stays - before 1972


During this era Gitane measured frame sizes from the center of the bottom bracket to the top of the seat tube which was approximately where the seat tube and top tube intersected.

TdFs were available in the following frame sizes C to T:

50cm, 54cm, 57cm, 60cm, 62cm and 64cm nominal

This worked out to approximately 19 1/2", 21 1/2", 22 1/2", 23 1/2", 24 1/2" & 25 1/2" (very nominal)

There were occasional odd ball size frames, for example I have an early 1974 Foil Decals bike with about a 61cm frame - 24"!


Gitane adopted the classic Mylar Foil Decals about 1968. According to this 1968 price list from Mel Pinto Imports, the US Gitane importer/distributor in those days, Foil Decal TdFs may not have been available in the US until February, 1969.


A few early Foil Decal TdFs had Mylar silver foil inlays in the head tube area behind the Gitane head tube badge decal.

Note, only the 3 main tubes were butted Reynolds 531 tubing on the European models TdFs. The forks and stays were less expensive tubing. Only the forks were chrome plated on those bikes. The rear triangle was painted. They came Simplex dropouts with Simplex Criterium derailleurs or Huret Alvit or Svelto derailleurs with Huret dropouts.


The above items are guesstimates based on my experiences and research. Catalog specifications were subject to change on a whim or due to availability and shortage issues during the US Bike Boom era.”

Super neat bike!

Note that the Suntour Spirt (yes, that's how they're stamped,) front derailleur works "backwards" to durned near every other front derailleur ever made. The spring pulls the derailleur outward, so the front shift lever moves the same way as the rear one. T'were it mine, I'd swap the Simplex rear for a long-cage 70's Suntour, but that's because the idea of a plastic derailleur offends my sense of the Rightness of the Universe. Well, that and they shift so much better... the Simplex shifts like a spork.

--Shannon

I think the ID number on the dropout probably indicates the 15th week of 1972, per Hummer's Gitane serial number thread.

I agree with getting rid of the plastic derailleur if you plan to clean it up and ride the bike, but be aware Simplex hangers are not the same as standard hangers from the later 1970s and 80s, so a conversion is not necessarily simple.

I also converted one of these to a single speed recently by redishing the rear wheel and moving the big chain ring to the inside of the crank (heresy!).

Or if you plan to just hang it up somewhere and admire its agedness, be sure to give it a good shake first so bits of gunk don't fall off and land in your soup.

Spent part of the day cleaning. Washed, gentle cutting compound, polish, and finally wax. Here are some results, paint is pretty darn incredible...

Wow. Maybe I shouldn't just convert all those TdF's to single speeds.

Gorgeous! Those are great bikes...

A little tech note- that derailleur hanger is threaded for a French bolt.