Dang that's my Moby Dick Grail Bike.......... Can i hate you now??....

^Gorgeous Team Pro! Nicely maintained, too. @7-11_TI_Raleigh, Have you had it long or is this a newer acquisition? Those are some iconic US, British, a French 80s bikes.

Here's my purple Interclub. My traditional first ride of the season is to the Ravinia train depot.

Trying to post pics from my phone. No luck.

I have some classic pro bikes.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/48629743@N07/

aw man, i should pay attn to bikeforums more often . would have loved the blue one.

Will be running cables and housings shortly to get this back on the road. Too small for me unfortunately.

Boom, flat bar revitalization!
The frame is a bit too small and I had some parts laying around so I decided to make it workable as an errand bike. This'll let me get a good feel for it before deciding how much refurb to give or if its worth keeping. I think its pretty cool though.

Hi,
i was searching for some information on my bike and was hoping that someone here could give me some help.
I had been intending on selling it, but seeing some of the gorgeous bikes in this thread has got me thinking a paint job may be a better way of getting a bike i love. (i really dislike the bright red its currently painted)

trying to determine the exact model of bike and if it is a gitane or just painted and given the stickers.
On the base of the bike it has modelle vitus depose.
Rims: Mavic
Hubs: Maillard
Brakes: Dia-compe
Bars: Cinelli
Crankset: Campagnolo
Derailer: suntour seven.

any information would be greatly appreciated and is this a bike i should hold on to, i had it on ebay for two hundred dollars and not sure if that is accurate pricing

I've been remiss:
500A Midget Racer ( now on second kid)



450A Midget racer( now on third kid)





550A Midget Racer (makes a decent kids cyclocross bike!)

My c.1984 Gitane Champion (bottom of the lineup). [IMG][/IMG]

Could be some special model made for the OZ market but I've never seen one with that paint job. Looks like a repaint. Those decals were used during late 1983 through 1984. Greg Softly who runs cyclomondo makes them and sells on eBay or direct at cyclomondo.net direct.

CYCLOMONDO - Gitane Decals

It looks like someone kludged the bike together with a bunch of different components. The frame is a lower mid range model from the early 1980s.

Hope that helps.

BTW, I picked up a 1974 Gitane Tour de France frame from someone in Brissy. It was odd because the threads are British instead of French metric....

Before - as purchased from OZ



After - all French



verktyg

Chas.

That's about the best looking 84 Team Pro I've seen. Looks all original.

I put mine together with some different components. I used Stronglight 105 cranks so I could run a 38T chainring.



verktyg

Chas.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/417208...posted-public/

Just finished building it I'll take it for a ride when the rain stops and get some better pictures

Looks like a 1987 Team Pro that's had some braze-ons added and repainted with the lighter color blue used on the 1983-84 Team Pro bikes.

verktyg

Chas.

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8828/...ece57b2aa7.jpg

I'm not exactly sure on the year of the frame but I'd guess at early 90's. Check out the link to the build pics on flickr. Thanks

https://www.flickr.com/photos/417208...84160/sizes/n/

Posted the details for this in the frankenbike thread:
You guys can play what are the wrong bits, or easier what's original.
Rides fabulously, had to post it here.

Looks like the result of a marriage between a Gitane and a Carlton. Nice! I like that crank set, with all those BCDs.

High praise, thanks.

Well, this is not really a 'show off' but its the only Gitane I have. This f/f is a 1975 Gypsy Sport I, literally, saved from the dump. Climbed into the steel scrap dumpster at the township transfer station to retrieve it. Plan A was just to have a frame that I could practice painting and lug lining on. Then with that done, as I looked at more I finally decided to build a frankenbike. Its all quite liberating and creative: what to do with it, where are the parts coming from, what mods to do etc. BTW: the f/f is only 8.5 lbs. Not that much more than many pretty decent frames. As this build will have so many alloy parts it could be a pretty fun ride. So far:

I'm stripping the frame paint. Let the flames begin but I really had no interest in the Revell like 'decals' on this bike. They were like the cheap stickers that the big box stores put on their BSO and kids toys and red wagons. I do like the fully chromed forks and I like the pencil seat stays. The lug work is not great but OK and I'll do some lining that Gitane never did. The purple paint that was on it seemed soft so just sanding and overspray would not work. AND I've never stripped a frame so it's a learning experience.

I've bent the rear stays open (excuse me - "cold set") to 130 to fit the Sunshine hub and Shimano HG 6 spd FW. I did string the frame to ensure the alignment was OK. Got alloy, QR wheels and I'll redish the rear if needed. Yup, I checked the chain line to ensure clearance between the chain on that 14t cog and the DS seat stay.

Its French so I'm reusing the BB cups but have faced the DS shell down 2mm so the cups will fit a JIS Sugino spindle as well as have threads left for the NDS lock nut. Filing off those 2mm also improved the chain line for the Super Maxy crankset.

I've sanded down the alloy stem to fit the 22mm steerer. I've procured a Suntour DT shift lever assembly in lieu of the stock plastic Simplex stem shifters (bartered un-needed parts for the shifters). I'm still on the fence about the RD: basic low end Shimano RD or the stock long cage Simplex Prestige - the better one vs the plastic ladden one. It may depend on how much wrap I need for the 42-28 combo. Both have claw mounts so either will do. Time for that during the build phase.

This bike will have parts from, probably, a dozen different bikes. That's kinda fun - abandon all care about proper, stock, etc. This ones for fun. Even the paint will be a lark and I'll create some graphics with fictitious names etc. I'm work on ideas about contrast paint on the HT and elsewhere. Lug lining color and accent point elsewhere. A blank canvas.

Oh, got SR Randoneer bars for it. I've wanted to try Randoneer bars. Anyway its a work in progress and I'm learning alot by doing many things I've only read about.

Enjoy the build, [MENTION=360474]Prowler[/MENTION]. Looking forward to the result!

I snagged this off of Craigslist a few months ago.



I probably need it like a hole in the head... but I think I have an idea where it can be put to use. I probably will leave it fairly original (as found).

Now, to tackle those dreaded 11mm axles.

It is an odd brake system. I think it is supposed to have a special double brake cable, but for now it has two cables jammed into the brake lever.

I haven't decided if those bars will stay, or it will get its drop bars back.

Wow. That bike has been seriously altered. What a strange handlebar setup for the captain... Looking forward to the final build. I needed mine like a hole in the head too... but it didn't stop me!