An older Gitane Hosteller is the newest bike to crowd my back porch…I’ve google-ed it in excess and found precious little info beyond the description: intro touring bike from the 70’s. Usually this means that its not exceptional, but I kinda like it… a lot. I guess I’m trying to decide what to do with this bike and decided to ask you all - an experienced and creative bunch-what you would do, or not do.

Anyways, you’ll have to forgive me for the lack of organization as I recount features here- I’m sure there is an appropriate order for listing parts/features (top to bottom, front to back, large to small, significant-contribution-to-value to insignificant-contribution-to-value) but I’m a novice so I’ll rattle them off in no deliberate order.

F/R Mafac cantilever brakes (okay, I think these are cool, so I deliberately put them first)
52 cm frame (another cool feature, its my size)
Mafac brake levers
27” wheels (Normandy hubs/Rigida steel rims)
regina freewheel
unknown drop bars
F/R simplex QR skewers with black covers
Pivo stem
huret stem shifters
shimano RD (replacement?)
suntour FD (replacement?)
fenders with faded and hardly-there accent paint down the middle
front rack with light mount
cottered cranks
generator with a french name
The once metallic red paint is a faded orange/rust color, but the decals are brilliant. Oddly, the placement and nature of the decals indicating the model makes them seem more like after thoughts.

The frame also has every braze-on imaginable (to me)
Fenders
Pump pegs
Cantilever bosses
Specific mounts on the fork for the front rack
Generator mount
Guides for the lighting wires along the underside of the down tube

Since the bike fits and I like French bikes, it’s a keeper and most likely a money pit. So, what kind of money pit? Build it up as the original intro tourer that it was? Re-purpose as a porteur with a more robust front rack? Repaint it a muted seascape blue (you know the color that makes the chrome pop), build it up as a classic french tourer and pretend it’s the Herse or Singer I’ll never have? Any suggestions/ideas are welcome.
Cheers

Check out GitaneUSA's catalogues for more info and dating your bike. Foil decals = pre '74

Thanks for the lead! The decals on this bike are more consistent with what I see in the 1970 catalog. A 1971 or 1972 catalog would be interesting to see since there are small differences between my bike and the Hosteller described in the catalog. In fact, I think there is a very small "72" imprinted in the metal on the back of the head tube. Would that mean anything?

Thanks again

That's the head tube angle 72 degrees. Touring geometry, the racers would have 73 to 74.

Ahhh...

I've seen a few "Hosteller" brand bikes over the years; made in France. In fact I worked on a nice one this past summer. I've not seen a Gitane Hosteller.

I love Gitanes. They are frustrating, though, for the usual French threading reasons and because Gitane would outfit them with whatever parts were available that day. I sold and repaired them in the LBS back iin '74, it seemed no two came out of the box exactly the same.