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Gitane tdf? 
PostPosted: Tue Feb 02, 2016 8:21 pm Reply with quote
ricka56
Joined: 28 Jan 2016
Posts: 2
Location: Pennsylvania
I got this frame a bit ago and I am confused on what it is. The sticker is implying it is super corsa along with the drops being campagnolo. The headset is stronglight P3 implying from what I have read on this site that it is a tdf. The top of the steer tube has machining marks to show it has been cut down at some point in time. The stickers look original to me and the paint and workmanship on the frame is really pretty good. I have an interclub and a tdf to compare this with and this is definitely a nicer built bike. Any input would be appreciated as to what model this is.














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1972-73 Super Corsa 
PostPosted: Wed Feb 03, 2016 1:26 pm Reply with quote
verktyg
Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 2814
Location: SF Bay Area
Welcome to the Forum.

The bike is a most likely a 1972 or 73 Super Corsa.

Why? Because of the Campagnolo dropouts, cranks and derailleurs and the Super Corsa sticker and fork decal.

There are several possible explanations for the Stronglight P3 headset:

1. It was built at the peak of the US Bike Boom and Campy components were hard to get, especially in French threads (headsets and BB cups). So Gitane cut 8mm off the top of the steerer and used a Stronglight headset instead.

2. Large size frames like yours (64cm or 25 1/2") were slow sellers. Someone, maybe Mel Pinto the US importer or a bike shop needed a French threaded Campagnolo headset and pulled it off the bike. When they had a chance to sell it, they didn't have a French campy headset so they substituted the Stronglight.

3. During those years there were a lot of problems with the lower cups and crown races on Campy headsets indenting because those parts were made too soft. A bike shop may have replaced a damaged Campy headset with an easier to get Stronglight.

The Super Corsa labeled model was only made for the US market. In the rest of the world it was called the Olympic (MAFAC brakes) or Super Olympic (Campy brakes).

There may have been a problem with the US Olympic Committee about using the model name "Olympic" so the model was changed to Super Corsa.

The US Olympic Committee was very fussy about using the word Olympic on any sports related products back then and I think that they required the purchase of a license to use that word.


Mel Pinto (MPI) stopped importing Gitanes in 1973. The bikes he imported had Mylar foil decals. The 1974 models were imported by Gitane Pacific and had plastic film stickers with yellow or green graphics.

The smallest (50cm) and largest (62cm and 64cm) bikes were slow sellers. In 1975 MPI still had some left over Tour de France and Super Corsa bikes in those sizes. I think that we bough one from him in 1976.


The Stronglight P3 headset was far less prone to indenting than Campy NR headsets. I'd repack it with heavy grease and replace the caged bearings with loose balls. Get some Grade 25 Chrome Steel balls on eBay, they're cheap.


If the MAFAC stradle cable are missing you may have a hard time finding replacements. Several peopel have been making them - check out eBay.


You can get replacement decal sets from Greg Softly - cyclomondo on eBay or at cyclomondo.com

Bike looks to be in great condition... Enjoy it!

_________________
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 Feb 03, 2016 4:40 pm Reply with quote
ricka56
Joined: 28 Jan 2016
Posts: 2
Location: Pennsylvania
Thank you for the info and help. I'm looking forward to finishing it and riding it. I have an interclub about the same year that I got new around 1972 and last year I completely overhauled it. The paint and decals are original and in great shape, and I have upgraded everything else to better components. I know it is a lower end model but I love riding it and I have great memories on it. I also picked up a tdf that is completely original and just needs a good cleaning. Love the old French bikes.
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Interclub vs. TdF and SC 
PostPosted: Mon Feb 08, 2016 6:06 am Reply with quote
verktyg
Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 2814
Location: SF Bay Area
Interclub frames were made with various types of tubing. Some from the bike boom era had the same standard carbon steel frames used on the entry level Grand Sport model bikes but with a racing style fork.

Others were made of some kind of lighter gage tubes while a few had Durifort tubing. In 1975-76 a few even had frames made with Reynolds 531 3 main tubes.

1977 and later Interclubs were advertized as having all Durifort frames.

Interclubs have cable clamps rather than brazed on cable stops.

One way of telling the tubing quality is the seatpost diameter. The ones made of standard carbon steel used 25.8mm seatposts; Durifort was 26.2mm and Reynolds 26.4mm.

In large size frames, the thicker walled standard carbon steel tubes don't effect the ride quality as much as they do on a smaller sized frame like a 50cm or 54cm.

The all Reynolds 531 frames bikes like the pre-1974 TdFs and the 1968-1973 Super Corsas will have a smoother ride no mater the frame size.

_________________
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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Gitane tdf? 
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