Not my bike. I facilitated a "pic assist" for new member Alepy

Sorry for any confusion.

just before shakedown trundle around the neighbourhood

It's a 69 Gran Sport I rebuild last year into a SS countryside day rambler. The build thread is here: 1969 Gitane Gran Sport Resto - mod rebuild

Cheers mate!

That’s how I had arranged my cables originally, however with the stem at approximately the same height. I had later on decided to re-arrange the rear brake cable to its current position as I found the steering characteristics were — even though only minutely — better. But maybe that might just be down to sheer faith

Luckily no nuke — at least it’s not shimmering green in the night

All of these bikes are beautiful. I just picked up a 1975 Gitane road bike today, and can't wait to start restoring it! There is a great deal of inspiration on this page.

Just can’t take a photo without shadows!

Modified the RD with a longer cage to handle the triple chainring up front.

Went from a double to a triple to climb those CA Eroica hills.

Finally finished this Super Corsa in mid-March only to have the Eroica event cancelled! Great project for the last winter and fall and rides/climbs well. First time that I’ve had bar end shifters on any bike which took a little getting used to. There is something about these old Gitanes that sticks to you and won’t let go!

. Not your Typical 1972 Gitane tdf. A few modifications to the frame.

Ask and you shall receive....



Here's my 56cm 1984 Gitane Team Pro with Columbus SL tubing. I had a 58cm 1985-86 Gitane Professionnel frame that I swapped for this one several years back. The Team Pro frame is in almost new condition.

I used Stronglight 105 cranks instead of the 144BCD 107 Spidel ones that came on the Team Pros so that I could run a 37T small chainring.





I've only ridden it a few times since I built it up.

I ride my 1984 Gitane Super Corsa much more often. It's tied with my 1988 Peugeot Biarritz as my Goldilocks all time favorite riding and handling bikes.



I also have a 1984 Tour de France like Chombi's (his is prettier). The frame geometry on all 3 of these Gitanes is the same. The Super Corsa and TdF are made of Super Vitus 983, only the colors are different - blue vs red. They're both smoother riding than the Team Pro Columbus SL frame - slightly lighter too.



verktyg

Finally picked up a Gitane Tour de France. Got a super crusty example from flipper Mark in Milwaukee yesterday. Price was right, so I figured I'd finally get to see what the fuss was about. Pumped up the tires and took it out for a quick 15 miler last night. It needs a little work, but the ride feel is there. It's super comfortable, but will really get up and go when nudged. Got a a bunch of mixed components that seem to work all right together and the Ideale saddle is a nice surprise. I'm happy.

Pretty sure this is an early 70's Grand Tourisme. Has the fork braze on for the generator, all the spec'd Campy parts, including the NR triple, hubs, set post, headset, and shifters. Picked it up a few weeks ago and have replaced the bars, put on an Ideal 90, learned about non-hooked rims (thanks to the advice I received on BF). Once I clean in up some more I'll post before and after.

I just realized I hadn't contributed to this thread! Here is Maitres Jacques, my c.1971 TdF. I bought it in 2013 for $50 as a frameset with a Stronglight BB and most of a P-3 headset with a Zeus locknut, rescuing it from a basement in the PNW where it had been hanging for a decade or more. Removing the tattered decals did not go as well as I had hoped, and in the end I wound up using a LOT of Testor's model paint to touch it up. I wound up with a mottled wabi-sabi look that goes well with the very tired chrome - and it has grown on me. I actually kinda LIKE this look. Anyway, I acquired this frame with the full intention of building it up as a beater fixed-gear I could take on family vacations at the beach and just knock around on. It shows its wear and its age - but this has become the bike that gets the bulk of my mileage, and has stayed there for several years now. There is just something about how it feels on the road, some combination of metric gauge 531 in a 60 cm with Gitane's geometry, some something that transforms what could be considered a Frankenbike into an exceptionally smooth yet nimble and responsive bike.

Stronglight 93 crankset w/45T ring, Phil BB with French rings, Kogswell sealed fixed/fixed hubs on MA-3 rims, MKS Sylvan Track pedals, Christophe clips, ALE straps, Nitto Tech Deluxe stem & mod. 185 bars, SR Laprade seat post, c. 2000 B17, Simplex top tube clamps, Weinmann Carrera side pulls, Dia Compe aero levers with electrical tape hood repair - and a ton of attitude.

They may have been produced at a shockingly fast rate with sometimes spotty brazing, but they still knew what they were doing and definitely hit the sweet spot with these TdFs. I couldn’t agree more with your assessment. I have a 60cm as well.

There seems to be a surge in large-sized frames recently. Interesting...

David “I’m going to ride my TdF today” in MT

I'd posted this earlier this summer, but figured why not here also.

My son and I built this '84 Gitane TDF up for him during the last 3 weeks. We bought the frame from forum member ChromeMoly in December. The frame included the cranks/BB, seat/post and headset. Built up using Suntour 6 speed indexed shifting, Tektro brakes and levers (new), CInelli bars and stem, and a set of my wheels (Campy NR / Mavic MA 40). KMC x8.99 chain, Suntour Winner freewheel (Sunrace 6 speed will be going on it). Still need to tape the bars (red Cinelli cork).








Pars is online now Report Post

Nice find but... The stem is DANGEROUSLY TOO HIGH!

Those PIVO cast aluminum stems were notorious for developing cracks at the bottom of quill where the expander split or splits end. Many of those stems were very poor quality castings that should have been thrown back into the melting pot but instead found their way onto bikes during the early part of the bike boom 1970-1973.



This is what happens. The bottom of the stem breaks off and the rider is left holding the unattached bars!



I suggest that you pull the bars and stem out and carefully inspect the bottom of the quill for cracks. Next, drill, grind or file a radius at the top of the expander slot or slots to help prevent stress risers from creating cracks. Also when you overhaul the headset check the treads on the steerer for cracks too.



Clean out the steerer and hone the inside or use some sandpaper on a stick to smooth things out. When reassembling, use a glop of grease on the inside of the steerer and the bottom of the stem to prevent electrolytic corrosion.

If you replace the bars and stem, look at Nitto parts.

Their stems are marked 22.2mm diameter but most measure 22.1mm. French steerers are spec'd at 22.0mm but many if not most are 22mm+. Also the original PIVO bars should be replaced. They're 25.0mm diameter and prone to sagging which can result in catastrophic failure. Nitto bars and stems are available in 25.4mm and 26mm diameters.



verktyg

Nice frame. In my post #284 above I discussed my 1984 Super Corsa and my 1984 TdF. Both used the same Super Vitus 983 frames.

I had two of the TdFs. Sold one to a local BF member earlier this year... He's a happy camper!

Question/comment: Does your son need the seat that high? If so, you should get a longer seatpost. Stems and seatposts should be inserted ~75mm-80mm (3"). They also need to be greased during assembly so they don't get stuck from electrolytic corrosion.

Enjoy,

verktyg

verktyg; Is this the same failure point as for the notorious AVA "death" stem?

Thanks, Verktyg. I had just picked up the bike when I took the photos. Was already aware of the Pivo issues. Since the photo, I've inspected the stem and reinserted it at a lower height. All is well. Will probably change it out a little later, anyway. Thanks again for the info.

H Chas,
Actually, he needs it a bit higher. The seatpost is at or just below its min insertion point now. Both the stem and seatpost are greased as well. I'm looking for a 26.4mm 250mm or longer post now for him, but he seems to be comfortable on it as it is. He really likes the bike!

Picked up this (most likely) '69 Sport tandem from street trash with bent fork and a front wheel donut, owner must have backed into it with the car. While I loved it for first sight "comrade wifey" looked at me with the "touch it and you are dead" look. So I just sent pictures to some friends how insane it is what people throw away here.

One begged to pick it for him, so did, I told him that I only get it to rolling condition because of c.w. so he can roll it to the LBS and the rest is up to him it has to go from my basement. Sourced a 26" fork with wheel (yeah not 650b but those do not lie around on the street in masses) so he took it. Oddly enough his wife was super excited to have such a beauty. But almost a year later he told me that if I want I can have it back as he has no time and mood to run after and pay for all the weirdo French parts so it might eventually get back to the street for the scavengers or the city trash company or hopefully for someone more enthusiastic person than him.

The pin which would hold the Allvit RD in place is in past tense pkus a proper tandem fork would be needed. Anyway its okay, at least i think its nice.

To me Gitane's flamboyant turquoise is one of the most beautiful bike colors... but yeah its irrepairable in such cases like this.

I have a nearly identical white tandem. My CW is very hesitant to ride it as well - it’s hard to stop with both cantilevers on one lever and the drum brake on the other. I stupidly had the rear wheel rebuilt with a steel rim. At least now I have the ability to rebuild it myself with alloy.

Sorry for the late response...

The stem pictured above looks like the AVA stems that Peugeot used on PX-10 bikes from the mid 60's until about 1973. They were better quality than the standard AVA stems used on lower cost models.

Those were the stems pictured in Sheldon Brown's (RIP) vilification of AVA stems that gave them the name "Death Stems".

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/velos.html (scroll down to stems)


From the 1940's through the mid 1970's millions of cast aluminum stems were produced world wide using "sand cast", "lost wax" or "investment cast" technology.

In almost 50 years I don't recall seeing a cracked or broken AVA stem. Not to say it didn't happen... The cast stems made in France by PIVO during the bike boom in the early 70's were the REAL death stems. See my link below...

In the 1970's stems started being made using "pressure cast" or "injection molding" technology. The process reduced voids and gas bubbles in the castings which along with low strength alloys were problem with the old cast stems. BTW, the Japanese euphemistically refer to this as MELT FORGED! Total marketing BS!!!!

Even the best cast stems are not equal to high quality forged stems like those made by Cinelli, 3TTT and Nitto.

I posted this message back in 2018. Scroll down to stems:

PX10 find!

Here's another good discussion from 2012 on AVA stems (ava-death-stem-fact-fiction):

AVA "death stem" fact or fiction

BF member [MENTION=40306]cudak888[/MENTION] website goes into a lot of additional details:

The Headbadge: Death Stems Demystified: AVA and ATAX

In summation, if you have one of the bike boom era cast stems, pull it out and inspect it regularly for cracks forming at the top of the expander splits. Radius the top or tops of the splits to reduce the chance of cracks forming from stress risers.



Limit use to casual rides like C&V get togethers. Don't trust them for hard climbs honking out of the saddle or fast descents.


verktyg

Thanks Verktyg
We are fortunate to have your wealth of knowledge here!

Thanks Sierra

Lutefisk and aquvit!

UFF DA!

verktyg