gitaneusa.com Forum Index » Vintage Gitane » c. 1974 Gitane Champion du Monde    View previous topic :: View next topic  c. 1974 Gitane Champion du Monde   Posted: Tue May 08, 2012 2:12 pm auchencrow Joined: 09 Oct 2011 Posts: 53 Location: Detroit I recently completed this build and though I have previously posted the pics in another bicycle forum, I thought I'd post them here also for all you Gitane lovers who haunt this hallowed ground. Through my off-line exchanges with Chas, it was determined that it is a circa '74 Champion du Monde - not commonly seen in the US. I purchased it as a frameset at a garage sale price, and built it up mostly from parts I had in my stash. Some are not correct such as the Universal brakes, Svelto DR, Mavic clinchers and Brooks Pro, but I think they're "close enough" to be in the CdM spirit. The bike also has the once reviled Huret honeycomb dropouts but a few decades later they seem to garner mostly positive reactions. Ride-wise, it lives up to expectations as a nimble and responsive mount. I find too that it's an especially good climber for me. As-found: Complete: Last edited by auchencrow on Tue May 08, 2012 2:20 pm; edited 1 time in total _________________ Auchen   Posted: Tue May 08, 2012 2:20 pm trois tubes Joined: 16 Apr 2010 Posts: 136 You've done a fantastic job!!! Kudos too you! ...and thanks for sharing!   Posted: Tue May 08, 2012 3:08 pm auchencrow Joined: 09 Oct 2011 Posts: 53 Location: Detroit trois tubes wrote: You've done a fantastic job!!! Kudos too you! ...and thanks for sharing! Thank you trois tubes! It was a labor of love, I assure you. ...I only wish I could find more Gitane projects around here at ridiculously low proces! _________________ Auchen Sehr gut !!!   Posted: Tue May 08, 2012 4:26 pm smilingroadrunner Joined: 10 Aug 2007 Posts: 278 Location: Salina, Ks. Auchen, Nice work there buddy. Your time and talent have created a great looking machine. Did this frameset come with the Campy headset??? I Like Steel !!!! _______________ C.A. Salina, KS Re: Sehr gut !!!   Posted: Tue May 08, 2012 5:16 pm auchencrow Joined: 09 Oct 2011 Posts: 53 Location: Detroit smilingroadrunner wrote: Auchen, Nice work there buddy. Your time and talent have created a great looking machine. Did this frameset come with the Campy headset??? I Like Steel !!!! _______________ C.A. Salina, KS Thanks smilingroadrunner! Yes, it came with the Campy headset. (It has the longer steerer tube to go with it.) _________________ Auchen   Posted: Tue May 08, 2012 5:28 pm Wisey Joined: 19 May 2009 Posts: 631 Location: Brisbane, Australia Four speed freewheel and all! Beautiful. Lovely colour too. I hate to say it but I'm getting a little with all the blue around here. Great work. Let's hope you find another bargain for us to drool over. _________________ Kind Regards, Wisey Delta Dreamin'   Posted: Tue May 08, 2012 6:18 pm auchencrow Joined: 09 Oct 2011 Posts: 53 Location: Detroit Wisey wrote: Four speed freewheel and all! Beautiful. Lovely colour too. I hate to say it but I'm getting a little with all the blue around here. Great work. Let's hope you find another bargain for us to drool over. Thanks a lot Wisey! Actually that small FW cog is hiding behind the loop of derailleur cable housing, so it's actually a 5-spd FW. The color is unusual - It's like a deep burgundy - very rich looking in person. (I fell in love with the color immediately.) - AND thanks for the well wishes - but I'm afraid Gitanes are as scarce as hen's teeth around here. _________________ Auchen Great Job   Posted: Tue May 08, 2012 9:51 pm verktyg Joined: 14 Jan 2007 Posts: 2814 Location: SF Bay Area Great job! _________________ Chas. SF Bay Area, CA USA ============== 1984 Criterium 1969 TdF 1971 TdF 1974 TdF 1984 TdF x 2 Bikes 1970 SC 1971 SC 1972 SC 1984 SC 1984 Team Pro 1985 Professional 1990s Team Replica Re: Great Job   Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 5:11 pm auchencrow Joined: 09 Oct 2011 Posts: 53 Location: Detroit verktyg wrote: Great job! THANK YOU Chas! - I very much appreciate the praise from you, and the guidance you gave me. You d' man, when it comes to Gitanes. _________________ Auchen   Posted: Fri May 11, 2012 6:49 am Gypsy Joined: 07 Aug 2011 Posts: 26 Location: Minnesota Sweet. I too live in an area where quality bikes are virtually non-existent. I see the Huret Svelto rear derailleur but did it come with Suntour front and rear derailleurs per the first/before picture? Great job on saving the old girl from fixie-land (and I ride a fixie)! PS- I bought the fixie new so no real, older bikes were destroyed!!! _________________ Ken Redwood Falls, MN 1972 Gitane TdF 1972 Peugeot PX-10 Grand Bois lugs 1970 Peugeot PX-10 Nervex fancy lugs and a bunch of other bikes that are sweet, but not FRENCH   Posted: Fri May 11, 2012 6:55 pm auchencrow Joined: 09 Oct 2011 Posts: 53 Location: Detroit Gypsy wrote: Sweet. I too live in an area where quality bikes are virtually non-existent. I see the Huret Svelto rear derailleur but did it come with Suntour front and rear derailleurs per the first/before picture? Great job on saving the old girl from fixie-land (and I ride a fixie)! PS- I bought the fixie new so no real, older bikes were destroyed!!! Thanks Gypsy - That's quite a compliment! - And you have a sharp eye. Indeed it came with some Suntour DRs which I subsequently used to upgrade a flipper, and the Universal calipers that came with it are now doing duty on my 75 Motobecane Le Champion. I found that I liked the Universal calipers so much that I bought another pair for this build, even though the originals would have been Mafac (-or Campy, if the bike was originally spec'd as an Olympic. We'll never know). Of course, neither the Universal brakes nor the Suntour DRs were original to the Gitane - they were just parts the PO installed after stripping the bike of the original components. I chose the Svelto largely on the basis of aesthetics: The Honeycomb DO will accept either a New Record derailleur, or Huret Challenger/Duopar/ Success - but the Svelto was the right choice for me, even though the shifting is not all that great compared to the others. _________________ Auchen   Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 1:52 pm Cary1 Joined: 16 Jun 2011 Posts: 29 Location: Milwaukee Nice job. If it was me, I would get rid of the Universal brakes, and replace with anything else....Otherwise..sweet ride! c. 1974 Gitane Champion du Monde     gitaneusa.com Forum Index » Vintage Gitane You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum All times are GMT - 8 Hours   Page 1 of 1   All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First  Select a forum Gitane USA----------------Vintage GitaneGitane RacingModern GitanePro Racing - Classics/Giro/Tour....Owner Gallery   Powered by phpBB © 2001-2004 phpBB Group Designed for Trushkin.net | Themes Database.