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For sale 1971 Tour de France 
PostPosted: Wed Sep 17, 2014 4:48 pm Reply with quote
jp
Joined: 17 Sep 2014
Posts: 6
Location: Raleigh NC
Hi, I'm new here, but I've enjoyed the info and knowledge here for some time.
I have a 1971 Tour de France for sale - it has never been ridden!
I bought it from a LBS storage sale. Apparently it is all original.
I serviced all moving parts with new grease, put (still unglued) new tubulars on it, and some new cables and housing. Cleaned it up some and that's it. It has a few easily addressable issues, such as, wheels need truing, tires need gluing, etc. I saved the old cracked, yellowed housing and the dry-rotted tires to include with the bike if you want them. Size is 60cm. Price is $800
Please PM me for email info, more pics, etc.
Thanks for your interest!







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I've consulted my sources and I'm pretty sure your derailleur does not exist
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1971 TdF 
PostPosted: Wed Sep 17, 2014 7:41 pm Reply with quote
verktyg
Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 2814
Location: SF Bay Area
You stole my bike! Shocked Twisted Evil




My 57cm 1971 TdF had a few miles on it when I got it in 2009.

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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
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 18, 2014 5:40 am Reply with quote
ottobottecchia
Joined: 17 Sep 2014
Posts: 3
OMG. that is the same bike. Now your in trouble. You'd better do the right thing and give it back. I'm in shock. Police. Thief. Thief.

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LOVE TWO WHEELS ON STEEL
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 18, 2014 7:47 am Reply with quote
jp
Joined: 17 Sep 2014
Posts: 6
Location: Raleigh NC
Well you-all are on to me...I took verktyg's bike, and replaced it with an exact replica...then I changed the size slightly to hide my crime!

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Orange Gitane 
PostPosted: Fri Sep 19, 2014 12:42 am Reply with quote
verktyg
Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 2814
Location: SF Bay Area
My first Gitane was an orange 60cm 1972 Gran Sport Deluxe.

I walked into the biggest bike shop in town. They had at least 100 bikes on display. I looked over and said "I want that one"!

I really got into cycling back then.

At the end of 1973 the shop where I bought my Gran Sport had a closeout sale. They had a Campy equipped 1971 Gitane Super Corsa that had been hanging on the wall for over 2 years.

I got it for $150! Wink

It had a 60cm frame too. Soon I realized that I need a smaller frame. I found a brand new 57cm Gitane Super Corsa and traded frames plus $100.

I was hoping to find an orange frame. The new frame was gold which was OK too.

In 1975, I had a custom built frame made for me and sold off the gold Super Corsa frame... KICK, KICK, KICK! Confused Crying or Very sad

Over the years I lost track of Gitanes... and road bike in general.

Skip ahead to 2006. I found a 1984 Gitane Super Corsa frame on eBay. I bought it cheap for a wet weather beater bike. I liked it so much that I upgraded the components and it became my main rider.



After cleanup:






The old lust for an orange early 70s Super Corsa never went away. I started looking again.

A few orange SCs came up but they were always to big for me. Finally I came across a 57cm all original 1791 Tour de France in 2009 so I grabbed it.

eBay picture:



After cleanup:




_________________
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
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 20, 2014 5:41 am Reply with quote
jp
Joined: 17 Sep 2014
Posts: 6
Location: Raleigh NC
Well I guess I'm going to list this bike on craigslist. I thought maybe someone here would grab it but I guess not.

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PostPosted: Sat Sep 20, 2014 8:26 am Reply with quote
Frenchbuilt
Joined: 18 Apr 2007
Posts: 443
Its maybe because most on the forum have tons of bikes and well worth it but $$
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 20, 2014 3:27 pm Reply with quote
jp
Joined: 17 Sep 2014
Posts: 6
Location: Raleigh NC
Well I wasn't sure how to price an unridden tour de france - not exactly something you can research "completed listings" on ebay!

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I've consulted my sources and I'm pretty sure your derailleur does not exist
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Several issues about selling your bike 
PostPosted: Sat Sep 20, 2014 4:24 pm Reply with quote
verktyg
Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 2814
Location: SF Bay Area
eBay can be pretty complicated for a first time seller and their fees are steep. You'll get a lot of bottom feeders, flippers and people who'd want to part it out or turn it into a fixie! Evil or Very Mad

CL - CraigsList is easier but then you may have to deal with a lot of inexperienced buyers....

Bike Forum has a for sale section http://www.bikeforums.net/sale/ plus a C & V -Classic and Vintage Forum. You need to join to participate.

The Classic Rendezvous Google Site requires joining and you can list the bike once.

http://groups.google.com/group/classic-rendezvous-lightweight-vintage-bicycles/topics?hl=en

A Great Vintage is a website setup by a fellow classic bike collector to get around the hassles of eBay and CL:

http://www.agreatvintage.com/


The US model Gitane Tour de France bikes like yours were imported by Mel Pinto Imports between 1969 and 1973. There were probably far fewer than 10,000 of these bike sold during those years.

Many still exist while their lesser brethren became Toyotas, Hyundais or Kias many incarnations ago.

A lot of bikes like these were vanity or impulse buys, ridden a few times then condemned to the basement or garage for the next 30+ years.

The most popular sizes of bikes during the 1970s were 55cm to 58cm measured center to top. They were followed by 59cm-60cm frames and 53cm-54cm.

So, your 60cm size bike isn't the most popular but still highly in demand,

The next issue are the sewup wheels. Most Americans have an abject fear of technology... Rolling Eyes Anything more complex than a big wheel is beyond their comprehension! Confused




You have a great bike and the price is about right for one in that condition.

It's probably going to take some time to sell.

Good luck

_________________
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
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 20, 2014 4:33 pm Reply with quote
jp
Joined: 17 Sep 2014
Posts: 6
Location: Raleigh NC
Thanks! It seems it needs to go to the "right" owner.
I've even considered loaning it to a local coffee shop or pub for display purposes.

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Gitane Pacific 
PostPosted: Sun Sep 21, 2014 10:41 am Reply with quote
Frenchbuilt
Joined: 18 Apr 2007
Posts: 443
Hi Chas,

How did Gitane Pacific in Hawthorne, CA. fit into the picture. I have a number of brochures/flyers fromm them.

By the way, coming to CA first weeks in oct. need anything?

Dan
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Re: Gitane Pacific 
PostPosted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 4:08 pm Reply with quote
verktyg
Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 2814
Location: SF Bay Area
Frenchbuilt wrote:
Hi Chas,

How did Gitane Pacific in Hawthorne, CA. fit into the picture. I have a number of brochures/flyers from them.

Dan

The pedigree and history of Gitane Pacific was always cloudy and a matter of speculation (Batard?) Wink

My guess (based on personal experience with them) was that Gitane Pacific was set up around 1973 by several people in Southern California who wanted to cash in and make a fast buck on the US Bike Boom of the early 70s.

By 1974, Mel Pinto was out of the picture and Gitane Pacific became the primary Gitane importer for the US.

They didn't have a clue! They introduced a bunch of low end Asian made bikes just as the Boom was ending and the demand for those kinds of bikes was evaporating! Rolling Eyes

Here's an example: the Taiwan made Gypsy Sport.



We brought one of these sleek beauties in to check it out! For starters, the 54cm bike weighed over 42 Lbs. which was 2 Lbs. more than the heaviest Schwinn tank!

The garish orange paint had a heavy layer of clear coat which gave the whole bike "the wet look"!

We used it for several years as a demo to let customers compare an Amtrac with a nice riding 24 Lb. to 28 Lb. entry level bike.


The US bike market had changed in the mid 70s. Many US bike buyers were a lot more savvy than folks in the early 70s. There was a lot more demand for mid range bikes than the "10 Speed Racing Bike" clunkers that were all the fad 2-4 years earlier.


Gitane Pacific didn't offer the variety of models of French made Gitanes that Mel Pinto did.

They had the low end Gitane Gypsy with no chrome on the frame, Simplex Prestige derailleurs, all steel components and nutted hubs.

http://www.gitaneusa.com/images/catalog/1975_pg1.jpg
http://www.gitaneusa.com/images/catalog/1975_pg2.jpg

The next model up was the Gran Sport De Luxe with 1/2 chrome plated forks, Suntour derailleurs and quick release hubs. The rest of the components were steel.

http://www.gitaneusa.com/images/catalog/1975_pg7.jpg
http://www.gitaneusa.com/images/catalog/1975_pg8.jpg

1976 Gran Sport Luxe (notice the name change)



Then there was the 1976 Gitane 600 which was a Gran Sport Luxe with 1st generation Shimano 600 derailleurs and Shimano Tourney cast alloy cotterless cranks plus alloy rims. They had 14-34T Shimano "Touring" freewheels. These were 2-4 Lbs. lighter than the Gran Sport Luxe mode.



The top catalog offering was the upgraded Interclub model with cast aluminum Stronglight TS cranks, a lighter weight steel frame (maybe Durifort tubing) with Huret honeycomb rear dropouts, Huret Challenger derailleurs (which work very well), 27" alloy rims with Michelin Elan tires and a leather or suede covered plastic saddle.

The Interclub was Gitane's entry level racing model designed to compete against Peugeot's PA-10 (not PX-10) plus several Motobecane and Raleigh models.




Gitane Pacific sent out a flyer on the "dumbed down" 1974-1975 Tour de France. They came with a mix of different French derailleurs (Simplex Criterium or 3 different Huret models), Stronglight 93 or Sugino Mighty Compe cranks as well as 27" alloy rims and Michelin Elan tires.

They were the same bike that Gitane offered in the European market. Only the 3 main tubes were Reynolds 531 tubing.


During 1974 and 1975, we brought in a number of Gitane models including one of the Gitane Gypsy Sport discussed above and several of the Japanese made bikes.

Cosmetics on the 1974 and later Gitanes was far better than the old foil decal bikes: better paint plus the new plastic Gitane decals were more robust that the old MylarŪ foil decals.

Problem was, they were priced WAY over the prevailing market. You could get far more bang from the buck from equivalent Peugeot, Motobecane and Raleigh bikes plus the Japanese brands were stating to come on strong!

For example, the Interclub was selling for close to $400 while similar models from other makes were in the $250-$300 range. We ended up selling most of those Gitanes at or below our cost!

BTW, the Japanese made "Gitanes" rode like clunkers because at the time they were made to the specs of the US importers, most of whom didn't have a clue! Rolling Eyes


Rumor had it that Gitane Pacific was bringing in bare painted Gitane frames from France, installing the decals and assembling them in Southern California.

The rumor also was that Gitane had a "piece of the Gitane Pacific action" or at least was supporting them.

Gitane Pacific went "belly up" probably around the end of 1976 and the name changed to Gitane Corporation in 1977.

Apparently in 1978 Gitane decided to cut it's losses in the US and began clearing out all of their inventory including parts and accessories. See Fire Sale flyer below:



12% wasn't much of an incentive for bike shops to buy entry level or mid range parts and components! Rolling Eyes

We bought the last of the Gitane bare painted frames, all 33 of them for about $25 apiece. This gives some credence to the rumors about Gitanes being assembled in SoCal.

They arrived unboxed, lying on the floor of a freight truck. They also sent us a lifetime supply of the matching decals plus touch-up paint. A number of them were misaligned that probably why they were never assembled.

Since we were importing French stuff at the time, we went over all of the frames, checked out the alignment and assembled them for a total cost of under $75.00 including labor. We sold them for ~$150 which was a good deal especially since they were properly assembled at our shop.

We started importing Andre Bertin bikes from France in 1975 to fill our need for European made entry level to mid range bikes.

BTW, there were a few of the top end Gitane Super Olympic, Olympic and Champion Du Monde bikes that somehow ended up in the US.

Gitane Pacific offered a 99/24 Year Warranty:



Maybe that was their undoing? Or was it the "elephant bells", "stacky" platform shoes or maybe the "mullet" hair cut??? Rolling Eyes Shocked Wink Laughing

Elephant Bells! (extremely wide bell bottom pants)



Stackies!



Glam rock.. YUCK!


Hope that muddies the water a little more! Laughing Laughing Laughing

_________________
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
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 24, 2014 10:48 am Reply with quote
DP
Joined: 26 Mar 2008
Posts: 28
Location: Montagna lunga Colorado USA
Hi John, Dale Phelps from CR, I sent you an e-mail via CR/google, hope to hear back from you!

Best regards,

dp
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 1:27 pm Reply with quote
jp
Joined: 17 Sep 2014
Posts: 6
Location: Raleigh NC
Bike is sold! Thanks!

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I've consulted my sources and I'm pretty sure your derailleur does not exist
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 05, 2014 5:01 am Reply with quote
sandranian
Site Admin
Joined: 27 Feb 2006
Posts: 2701
Location: Southern California
Bikes for giants. Wink

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Costa Mesa, CA
www.gitaneusa.com
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For sale 1971 Tour de France 
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