Greetings!

I just picked up this Gitane that I believe is a Tour de France but there’s not much of the stickers left. Missing its original wheels. The serial number stamped on the rear dropout is 339052. It appears to have mostly Campagnolo parts (rear derailleur, shifters, headset, chainrings). Campagnolo is also stamped on the front and rear dropouts. I haven’t seen any before that had the racks or the braze on for the light.

Hoping someone can clarify the year and model (1970?) so I can decide what I’ll do with it.

Thanks!

1971 Gran Tourisme, looks like.

Very, very, very nice touring Gitane.
531, Camapg triple crank, geny, lights, racks, mudguards, clips& straps, pump, the full kit.
The rear mech is utter rubbish, get a VGT.

339052 would be 3rd day of the 39th week in 1970, frame #52.
The brakes look like MAFAC Competition, rather than Racer. It's great that you have all of the touring bits - fenders, racks, etc. Get a set of wheels and a new saddle and you'll have a rare French tourer. Definitely replace the rear derailleur.

Look at the 1971 catalog here:
https://labibleduvelocataloguesgitane.blogspot.com/

Thanks! What’s a VGT? I’m still getting up to speed on vintage bikes.

What? That Brooks saddle is finally broken in 😜

Any suggestions for rear derailleurs? Is the Gran Turismo no good?

Suntour Derailleur. May not work with that hanger.

As folks have alluded to, not a TdF with the braze on for front rack. Remnant fork decal looks to be akin to that found on a Super Corsa which was top tier as opposed to TdF (pic of my SC below). Post 1971 build with the swagged and flattened seat stay finish. Looks to be a nice bike, have fun with it.

The best derailleurs of that era were all made by Suntour. The VGT Luxe was the choice for touring bikes because they could handle a wide gear range.

The comment from curbtender refers to the uncertainty about the bike's drive side dropout. At the time, Simplex, Huret, and Campagnolo all made different dropouts that were largely if not totally incompatible with each other. Over time the Campy version became the single standard. Because your bike has a Campy derailleur it probably has the Campy dropout, which will work with any Japanese derailleur such as the Suntour.

Looking at the closeup of the derailleur it looks like a Simplex hanger, but that may be an adapter between the hanger and the derailleur. Those adapters are gold so if that's what it is don't lose it.

The OP stated the dropouts are Campagnolo, so all is good. +1 on the SunTour recommendation. The VGT Luxe is a good choice.

The Gran Tourismo is heavy and shifts poorly. BTW, it will fit on a Simplex dropout hanger without modification as the upper pivot bolt is smaller than usual (but it’s not what you want).

I tried a Gran Turismo derailleur once out of curiosity. I thought, how bad could it be? It was mind boggling. Not only did it shift unreliably, it also spontaneously shifted without my input, and it wasn't caused by frame flex. Truly the worst derailleur I've ever used, and I've used a few.

Really nice bike. Definitely follow Schreck83's advice. (Hi Dan!)

If you go with a wider range freewheel, the Cyclone GT is excellent as well.

Yes, but shouldn't you be able to see the stop on the bottom of the hanger from the angle of that photo? It looks smooth and round to me.

Looks like a simplex to me as well in which case a shimano crane long cage would be a good choice; alternatively, the OP could mod the drop out.

If this IS a Simplex DO the OP can take it to a GOOD mechanic with experience who can mod the hanger with the ISO tap and file a stop OR
find one with a bit more skills who can braze in this little gem:


the Gear fixing plate 80/1 from catalog 17a

But have to find that part or cannibalize another DO (wouldn't have to be Campy)

this is exactly what Ed Litton did for my circa '70 TdF which some klutz had attempted to tap the hanger with no clue and bodgered it!

EDIT forgot to mention that the OP's does NOT appear to have the rear brake arch which would be expected on a TdF of this apparent era, so perhaps it is either a Super Corsa (on which Campy DOs were "stock") or it's some non-USA spec model in which case maybe a Gran Tourisme but I am not familiar with that one!
Certain clue is what size wheels fit the frame as-is: 700C or 27"?
Here's the specs page for '71 and note how the claimed weights vary over these 3 models!

Not if it's at the 7:00 position. Usually there is a raised ring around the hanger on a Simplex DO. I don't see that here.

Also, the OP's dropouts have adjuster screws. Look like Campy to me. Specs for the Gran Tourisme list Campagnolo ends.

Both the front and rear dropouts are stamped Campagnolo. Everything I’ve found online so far points me to a Gran Tourisme.

I have bikes with both 27” and 700c wheels so when I get an opportunity I’ll try both. Sounds like it came with 27s. I’ll hit the local co-ops this weekend and see what I can find.

SunTour VGT derailleur, common on bikes of that era:


Or, consider the aluminum version, the VGT-Luxe:

They are both very capable, abundant, and affordable.

The Gran Turismo has a reputation as the worst derailleur Campagnolo ever put on the market. It has impressive chain wrap capacity but the shifting performance was well below that of any other derailleur on the market. Try it, anyway. You may find it tolerable, and there's something to be said about retaining original equipment.

SunTour mounting bolts are M10 x 1; Campagnolo dropout hanger threads are 10mm x 26tpi, close enough to be a "class B fit." I anticiate no issues.

The only good thing about the Gran Tourismo derailleur is that it will fit a Simplex, Huret or Campagnolo dropout right out of the box.

Fits the rubbish bin as well, with the box.

See this link to learn about the VGT. It mentions the Shimano Titlist derailleur. It's heavy but a damned good unit, too, but it didn't get as much love as the SunTour derailleurs.

Your pic (and link) is a V-T Luxe, not V-GT. Good mech, but less chain wrap. You don't see many of those.

I put a Suntour V (short cage) on my Super Course in about '73, and it sure was better than the Huret I took off. Only later did I find out the V was the best racing mech in the world. I hadn't ever tried a Campy before getting the V, so I thought I was getting second best, based on the price difference. Maybe a Campy was more durable, as in still able to shift after a crash, but if so that difference was not large. They can both wear out from just miles, and maybe the Campy was a little better there, but the Suntour gives more miles per dollar fer sure.

Titlist (sounds like a bird-watcher's aid) is functionally equivalent to a Crane (which also appears on bird-watcher's lists), just steel cage plates which doesn't hurt it in any way other than weight..
Same deal with V-GT versus V-GT Luxe, just a little steel vs alu, and a noticeable price difference.

Yup, I mistook the VT for the VGT. The VT sits in a useless niche being able to wrap more teeth than a racing derailleur but not as many as a touring derailleur.

grrg I think you'll enjoy browsing the disraeli gears site. The pictures and history are interesting, and the text is humorous.

Thanks - one more rabbit hole to go down 😜

So after a few hours of cleaning and replacing cables, I’m ready to swap out the derailleur. It looks like I can just remove the bracket (with 4532 stamped on it) and mount it? I noticed that the existing Campy one has a spring and the VGT doesn’t appear to. Is it missing something?

Also found a set of old Rigida wheels so eventually I’ll be able to actually ride it…