I recently picked up a Gitane bicycle on FreeCycle. It has Cycles Gitane on the downtube, and Sprint- made in france on the top tube. Simplex ( Bernard Hinault ) components. 788 Vitus Tubing. Is this a decent bike to try to restore, or should it be used a a good commuter. It is in very good condition, a few scratches and the decals or a little edged. Would anyone know if this is of any value. I will take pictures of the bike tonight and put them on the forum if anyone would like.

[QUOTE=Elad63]I recently picked up a Gitane bicycle on FreeCycle. It has Cycles Gitane on the downtube, and Sprint- made in france on the top tube. Simplex ( Bernard Hinault ) components. 788 Vitus Tubing. Is this a decent bike to try to restore, or should it be used a a good commuter. It is in very good condition, a few scratches and the decals or a little edged. Would anyone know if this is of any value. I will take pictures of the bike tonight and put them on the forum if anyone would like.[/QUOTE

]Here's a link to Gitane USA Home Page; check out the 1983 catalogue to see if that looks like it (it's also in catalogues from other years).

From what I understand, it would be a decent bike for either restoration or use as a commuter. However, I've been told that there is virtually no room for fenders, so its use as a commuter would be somewhat limited.