I got this nice looking Gitane today, but there are no ID stickers anywhere. The only decal is above the downtube shifters, and it says "GITANE CHROMOLY"...there's not even anything on the headtube. The serial number on the BB shell is E146827, and under that, partially covered by the snap-on cable guide, is an "01". Below that, partially under the back end of the cable guide, is "UA625". The dropouts are forged, and the chainstay bridge looks pretty fancy, sorta like a bent paperclip(see pics).

I'm finding it very strange that there are no typical decals, plus the paint is in really great shape. My instincts said repaint, but I don't think that this is true. The "Gitane Chromoly" decal is in perfect condition, so I'm pretty sure that it wasn't removed with other decals and then reapplied after a repaint...plus, if it was in fact repainted, why would someone just reapply only the tubing sticker, and in the wrong place? The bike was delivered to my house, and my wife was the only one here. She asked the lady if it was repainted, and she said that it was the original paint, but my wife said it didn't sound as if the lady who dropped it off was the only owner. I also don't know if the chrome fork is original, but I'll take it off tomorrow and see if there are any identifiers stamped on the steerer.

Here are all of it's parts:


Wheels: 700c Mavic rims ("Module E"?) with Maillard hubs and QR skewers.
Crankset: Solida
Shifters: Huret
FD: Huret
RD:Huret "Sachs"
Brakes: Weinmann 500 sidepulls w/ Weinmann levers
Pedals: Maillard
Stem/Bars: Unlabeled

and here are the obligatory pics:
...the bicycle is much more purple in real life, by the way.

Geeze, all I ever find are Gran Sports... Nice bike.

That would be a 1986 Gitane Victoire. I know, because I have the exact same bike. Someone took the decals off obviously, but it's definately the Victoire due to the black plastic seat post, the huret components, and the color. Not to mention the yellow tape and the housing. The fork is original as well.

Got mine for $40, and it makes a great little commuter bike.

Enjoy:

https://gitaneusa.com/images/catalog/1985_pg3.jpg

86-85 victoire, gitane has a history of making and having bad decals the front fork stripe is the tell tale sign

consult www.gitaneusa.com for more details

edit: lofter's quicker than I am

Nice, thanks for the link to the catalog. Now I want my yellow saddle back Well, it wouldn't be mine, the bike is way to small....any thoughts on the value of this thing?

I'd ebay it. Some trendy fella will pay more than it's worth to make it into a fixed gear, simply because it has horizontal dropouts and it's French. Probably around $100 tops.

black plastic seatpost?! First I ever saw of the French fascination with Delrin making its way to THAT part of the bike. Do they break, or hold up OK? I'm guessing it's an idea that never caught on for a good reason, but at least they wouldn't rust or corrode. (now that I think of it, the modern CF seatpost isn't all THAT far removed, but still...remember Simplex Prestige)

I'm pretty sure I could get twice that on CL here...

Actually... mine did break!