1983ish Gitane Sprint. Was in awful condition when I rescued it from some recyclers. Repainted it and designed the somewhat funky decals online since I couldn't find replacements. Polished most of the components. It's a good little beater...

I've got an '84 Sprint - one of my favorite bikes. Nice job with yours.

+1

Here is my early 70's TdF.

Not quite done yet, but I think it cleaned up really really well from how it originally looked.



The front derailleur is broken along with the missing front shift lever, but hopefully I can find a suitable replacement without dropping too much money.

Want a Simplex Prestige FD from a '73 TdF?

Looking good!

Looks awesome!! I would just take off one ring and make it a 6 speed.

when i swapped from the stock 27" wheels to the 700's, i moved it to a six speed rear hub, so thats what its at now.

I got my handle bar tape on there now and a few other little clean up items.

I'm kinda on the fence with what direction I want to go with it. Its too nice to turn into a ratty beater, but not beat up enough to warrant a new paint job and more detailed restoration.

It came with 27" wheels? Strange. Those Stronglight cranks deserve a derailleur. I'll get it along soon...

That TdF would have originally had 700C tubulars. The fork is too short for 27's. The original FD would have had a chrome clamp and a silver plug instead of red. Otherwise it's the same as the common Prestige. It has a name, but it escapes me. It's misidentified as a Prestige on Velobase last time I looked.

Be sure to get those brake cables behind the bars.

Criterium?

Or was that name only used for the RD

Verktyg would know. He posted a picture of one in this thread:

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...e-unknown.html

Mine broke, so I replaced the plastic part with one from a NOS Prestige. It will eventually break, too.

From what i understand ( correct me if i'm wrong ) the US import version came with 27" wheels, while everywhere else got them with 700 tubulars.

And yeah i goofed when i did the cables, I'm getting some new cable sets with white housing to go with how it was originally. I have some leather bar tape, and would like to put some gum wall tires and a old school saddle on it to give it that classic bike look. What would be the ideal period correct tire size for these? I currently have a 28m on there, but didn't know if i should go smaller or not.

I'm looking into having the frame powder coated, there is a local powder coating shop and the owner happens to be a cyclist, so he has a great price on sandblasting and PC, but it would definitely not be a smart economic move.

I really need to break the whole thing down and spend a bit more time cleaning it up, but that may have to hold off till early next year as I still have decent riding weather till mid/late december ( texas weather ftw )

Yes. The set was referred to as Criterium. Not much difference from the Prestige but as GB says, chromed clamp, etc., on the front. Rear derailleur cage was more beefy, not stamped and the Criterium rear had chromed metal side plates that the Prestige did not.

On the wheel size issue, Grand Bois is correct, Jixr. The bike came originally with 700c sew ups, even in the U.S.
At least, every one I saw did, including my friend's bike which he bought new in 1971. The rims are listed as Mavic Monthlery in the English version of the catalog for the U.S. market, and tires as Dunlop tubulars.
The fork was designed for 700c wheels and there was not enough room for 27 inch wheels. Or just barely.

But some customers very well could have asked for 27 inch clinchers instead of tubulars. In which case the shop could have altered the fork crown, or just squeezed them in there and used very low profile tires, I suppose.

By the way, I love that color. Called "Match Blue" in my circa '72 catalog. Nice bike.

2nd by the way…what parts are missing on your shift levers? Just the lever itself? I may have one, though I can't remember right now if it is a right or a left. But I only have the lever. Not the other parts, wing nut, etc.

yeah, i guess someone must have replaced the original wheels with the 27's down the line. the 27's seemed to fit fine, I pulled them off right when i picked the bike up so i don't know how well it rode like that.

And yes, just the lever, I have all the bolts and hardware for the lever, just no lever. I grabbed a few levers from the co-op parts bin, but I guess they were all index levers and I need one with the stop on it.

the blue is pretty faded, but on the bottom there is still some non faded paint, and its a pretty deep and sparkly blue, must have looked really pretty on the show room floor.

I tried 27X1 1/4 on mine. The tire rubbed under the fork crown and the front MAFAC Competition was way too long. It's identical to yours, same color, same size. Mine is small for me. It looks like yours is, too.

Check and see if anyone may have altered the underside of the fork crown to acommodate the larger diameter wheels. It did happen back then. Someone did that to the one I own, unfortunately. I had to clean up some poorly done file marks where the bonehead tried to make 27 inch wheels fit. And they did. Still do. But it pissed me off. Luckily, I paid very little for the bike.

Not sure what you mean by "stop" on the lever, but it's been ages since I actually looked at one. I think I have a right side lever, if you're interested, but let me look.

On the faded paint, try a little polishing compound or similar on a spot under the down tube or somewhere. You might be able to bring the sparkle back to that paint. Just be careful around the decal/stickers.

Jixr. we are talking about the stock Simplex band mount shift levers with the black plastic covered chromed lever, aren't we?
Just want to make sure before I spend a lot of time digging.

Edit: that didn't require too much digging. Yes, It just so happens, I have one. Used but in nice shape.
Just a few light dings in the black plastic covering. Chrome is real nice.

Send me a PM with your name and address and I'll send it along if you want it. Again though, I'd make sure you have all of the myriad little washers and whatnot that go on either side of the lever. Those may be very difficult to find if not. Compare against your left side assembly.
But if so, and you want it, just lemme know.

here is my front fork with the 27" tires clearance is fine, it the fork has a little notch but its really well done, not sure if its factory or not.

To save postage for [MENTION=29368]rootboy[/MENTION], I just happen to have a set of shift levers off of my TdF that need a home too. Complete except for one cracked plastic wingnut. They would make nice packing around the FD.

...that photo I posted on the previous page of the white TdF I had powdercoated is with 27" wheels, an unmodified fork (as original) and 27 x 1" Pasela tires (the fattest ones I could fit in there and still not have some minor interference.)

Well, I'll be darned. I guess there's exceptions to every rule. Looks like you can even see the end of your wooden plug there, 3alarmer.


Turned out my spare lever was the wrong one for Jixr.

First Gitane I have come across, did not realize the Gransport was made in the 1980s but matches build as listed in 1984 catalog. Not what collectors look for but in good shape for age, somebody did butcher the drops. You can click the image to see more pictures.

Updated it a littel bit, fixed the brake cables, bar tape and a craigslist find saddle, pretty much just waiting on the front derailleur and i'll be good to go!
Though I do need to replace the pedals or get some straps, I slip off these things all the time.