gitaneusa.com :: View topic - Paris

Murray30

Hi

Just found this site and hope you can help me identify my 1978 Gitane bicycle. My parents bought it for new from a cycle shop in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and to the best of my memory it was called the "Paris Brest" model, although I have not benn able to locate any other reference to this model.

I still have this bike and am looking to restore it. I had the frame repainted in the original "safety yellow" colour, although they painted over the chrome "socks" at the bottom of the forks and at the end of the stays.

I will post some photos soon

Regards

Wayne

Paul Wiseman

Hi Wayne

You still in Bris-Vegas?

Murray30

Hi Paul

No, moved on to the cold / dry Canberra.

Being a resident of Queensland you don't perchance remember the Lifecycle shop at the Albion 5 ways? I believe that is where the bicycle I am refering to was purchased. I have contacted former staff, but unfortunately they could not shed any light upon the Gitane models of the late 70's.

Regards

Wayne

vanhelmont

Hi Wayne,

There is a 1978 catalog on this site,
http://www.gitaneusa.com/catalogues01.asp
It has several Paris-something models, but if it has a Paris-Brest I missed it. You might be able to identify your model by comparing components with the catalog.

Dave

Paul Wiseman

Hi Wayne

I don't think your bike came from the Albion 5 ways, mate. Unless it was bought from the kitchen manufacturer, auto-mechanic, McDonalds, or found lying in the mud of Breakfast Creek! Lifecycle is actually on the Normanby 5 ways Wink

. But your knowledge of said 5 ways confirms your heritage as a Brissy boy........... even if you are a traitorous defector Laughing

!!

I know some of the boys who worked for Blair at Lifecycle in the 80's. I'll ask around, but my guess is that they won't remember much either. Like the USA, we had a bit of a french bike boom here in the 70s and 80s. I still remember Tom Wallace Cycles having a big stock of P.....ts, and Gitanes. (musn't say the "P" word around here)

What are you thinking in terms of restoration? I have a gitane of that era as well. As best as I can tell it's a 76 Paris-Nice. It's hard to tell in those old catalogues, but try looking at the small details like the shape of the drop outs, the type of cable guides etc.

Can't wait to see the pics.

Cheers,
Paul

Murray30

Hi Paul

I was never a Briso Laughing

I was originally from Mololoolaba on the Sunshine Coast, but my parents made the trip to the big smoke to secure me a Gitane bicycle!

I am sorry, but you may have to wait a while for the photos as I have to find the cabling to connect my camera to the PC

My Gitane has as originally bought, Mavic wheels, Sugino cranks, Simplex rear Derailier, and Mafac "Race" centre pull brakes. The most interesting or unusual components are the chain rings which look to have holes machined out (for weught reduction?) and a very small front pannier rack that was too small to hang any panniers off of, but from which the front light (unfortunately long gone) was mounted.

For those with an interest in such things, the only numbers I can find stamped into the frame are on the bottom bracket and are 1 457 8 269 - as the hopefully sone to arrive photo's will attest thay are not in a straight line, although there are seperate clusters of numbers.

Regards

Wayne

Murray30

Hi

Here is the promised photo - will post closeups as I come to terms with size issues relating to photo uploads.

Regards

Wayne

citternmaker

Wow, that is really cool, with the front rack eyelets and a generator tab on the seatstay.... Is the front mini-rack original?

Murray30

Hi

Other than the paint job the bike is original, although missing the original mudgards, touring leavers for the brakes, light on the front mini-rack and the pump.

I have attached a close-up of the Simplex rear derailleur

Regards

Wayne

Paul Wiseman

Hi Wayne

Having looked over the catalogues page again, I reckon that your frame is a 74 or 75. The frames look pretty damn close. Some of the specs are different, but (a) that is not unusual for gitane, and (b) it seems to fit with all the other 70s gitanes that I have seen here in Oz. They all seem to have Sugino cranks. So it is quite possible that the bikes were assembled here with slightly different specs to both Europe and the USA.

Do you remember what the original decals looked like? If they were silver foil, then it is definitely pre 74. If they were the classic lower case font, yellow on white or green on white, then it will be 74 - 77.

For those following this thread, when Wayne said he was from the Sunshine Coast, he was referring to one of the beautiful places in the world. It is still relatively unspoiled by the tourism trade. (Imagine California in the 1950s and you'll have some idea. Still a great place to holiday, surf and ride. Oh, did I mention that it's only a one hour drive from my place? Laughing

Murray30

Hi Paul

To the best of my knowledge / memory the decals were all in lower case - definately not silver foil.
The bike was bought for me by my parents as a present for successfully completing my undergraduate studies in 1977, so I suppose it could easily be a 1976 model, given there wouldn't have been that high a turnover of Gitanes in Brisbane at the time.
In trying to establish contact with some of the staff that worked in Lifecycle at the time, I spoke to a Howard ? who remembered that they sold Gitane bicycles and that was about it.

I have posted another photo of the bottom of the bottom bracket (to show the numbers stamped into the metal), on the serial number forum on this site.

The quest continues - thank you for your interest & I hope to start working on the restoration soon.

Regards

Wayne

verktyg

Wayne,

The bike you have is similar to the Hosteller model sold in the States up until about 1974.

http://www.gitaneusa.com/images/catalog/1970_pg3.jpg

Gitane serial numbers were created by a random number generator!

There is no rhyme or reason to the numbers that we here in the Forum have been able to determine.

Good luck in your quest.

Chas.

greyhundguy

Wayne,
It appears that the front rack is a TA Porte-Sac with bracket for mounting a light. It may be marked on top of the front cross bar "TA Made in France". Great for a Lunchbox but not Panniers.

Jay