My New (vintage) Gitane Track Bike
12-14-04, 06:38 AM
#1
quien es mas macho?
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I got this one on eBay a few weeks back. New Suntour Superbe Pro pista cranks, nitto B123 handlebar and stem. Original Normandy single side fixed track hubs with tubular rims. I dig the little stars on the axle nuts and the stripey bar end plugs. Currently set up with 52X16 gearing x 170mm cranks. Oddly the axles from my newer track wheelsets are a hair too big for the dropouts (track style) on this bike...more oddball French standards? Oh, and what I presume to be the original saddle has a Bernard Hinault signature (printed) on it....did he ride track events?
12-14-04, 07:35 AM
#3
Tiocfáidh ár Lá
That is one damn nice bike my friend good job. Is that a campy front hub or Supurb?
12-14-04, 08:04 AM
#4
quien es mas macho?
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I don't mind you asking:
My winning bid was $376.25...which jumped to about $450 after the usual **** on shipping charges (although the bike was beautifully packed). I paid about $170 for the new crank at BikeWorks and I already had the Nitto bar. Oh, and about $25 for a new Izumi (gold!) chain...I know, I know, but the gold color matched the lug outlining (which is kind of hard to see).
On the picture of the seat lugs you can see a little sticker that says "hand made", and there is evidence of it with some slightly rough filing on the lugs...which looks imperfect but is kind of cool.
I know it is really bad form to go on so enthusiastically about one's own bike...I just can't help it, sorry.
My winning bid was $376.25...which jumped to about $450 after the usual **** on shipping charges (although the bike was beautifully packed). I paid about $170 for the new crank at BikeWorks and I already had the Nitto bar. Oh, and about $25 for a new Izumi (gold!) chain...I know, I know, but the gold color matched the lug outlining (which is kind of hard to see).
On the picture of the seat lugs you can see a little sticker that says "hand made", and there is evidence of it with some slightly rough filing on the lugs...which looks imperfect but is kind of cool.
I know it is really bad form to go on so enthusiastically about one's own bike...I just can't help it, sorry.
12-14-04, 08:08 AM
#5
quien es mas macho?
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The hubs are Normandy and I suspect original to the bike (based on some cryptic markings on the tubes I am guessing it was built in 1971 - Normandy supplied hubs to almost all French bike imports of that era). But they are definitely cut to look like Campy hubs of the same era. They seem to have held up well so I am riding them.
12-14-04, 08:24 AM
#6
無くなった
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Originally Posted by BlindRobert
I know it is really bad form to go on so enthusiastically about one's own bike...I just can't help it, sorry.
12-14-04, 08:29 AM
#7
Retrogrouch in Training
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That's real slick. If I had that bike, I'd be proud of the crude finishing on some of the lugs, it shows the mark of the craftsman.
12-14-04, 08:58 AM
#8
heliocentrist
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yeah that is beautiful, blind one. you totally copped. i think i remember that auction, i was drooling but not really in any position to bid. just curious, what was up with the original cranks? not knocking the superbe pros, i have a pair on my track bike and am completely happy with them.
12-14-04, 09:22 AM
#9
quien es mas macho?
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Regarding the cranks:
One of the things not made clear on the auction, and not discovered by me until the bike arrived was that the supplied cranks were for a road bike, and not original to this bike. The chainline was off by about 3-4mm (chainwheel outboard of the cog). Once I switched to a pista crank it was right on, but still a little noisy. I read some older posts here about how a machine-cut cog will often run quieter than a stamped cog. The original cog was definitely stamped, I switched it for a new EAI cog and now I only hear a pleasant purr from my rear wheel.
One of the things not made clear on the auction, and not discovered by me until the bike arrived was that the supplied cranks were for a road bike, and not original to this bike. The chainline was off by about 3-4mm (chainwheel outboard of the cog). Once I switched to a pista crank it was right on, but still a little noisy. I read some older posts here about how a machine-cut cog will often run quieter than a stamped cog. The original cog was definitely stamped, I switched it for a new EAI cog and now I only hear a pleasant purr from my rear wheel.
12-14-04, 09:27 AM
#10
Total Hack
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That is nice! Sure it cost you a little money, but you're only at about what a new (lower end) track bike would cost and you've got one that's probably better quality and certainly has much more character. Congrats!
12-14-04, 09:51 AM
#12
Philly bike nerd
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oh man, I saw that bike on Ebay and I showed it to my girlfriend because I built up the same one for her. Her bike is a Gitane Road bike, so it doesnt have track ends on it, but its such a nice frame. I did a whole Red White and Green Theme on her bike, since its a singlespeed I used white cables for the brakes, and I used the Colnago 3 Colored tape that goes from Red to White to Green.... it looked nice on that frame. Have fun with it!
