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"Honeycomb" dropouts used on a range of models? 
PostPosted: Sun Mar 05, 2006 11:45 am Reply with quote
cmcloud
Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 2
Location: sacramento
Hello,

Thanks for taking the time to look at this. First off this is my first posting on a forum of any kind so I may be missing some major points on proper use, etiquette, etc.
Now the question, I picked up two Gitane road bikes last week. One is an older Professional Tour De France that is a bit rough but with lots of cool parts! The other is,,,, I don't know? The second bike is deffinatly a lower model but is in great condition.
Here are some of the details.

Honeycomb dropouts
Mafac Racer Brakes
Sugino Maxy cotterless cranks
Sugino BB
Pivo stem
Chrome Fork crown
great metallic green paint
cheap stickers
evil looking Simplex derailurs
no wheelset
and no model name at all

I have searched the internet a bit but have come up with conflicting information. In the Models section on the home page there is a frame set
in the Tour De France section, I assume this was a mistake. It also looks a lot like the Inter-club in one of the catalogs. On mine there are no decals specifying what the tubing is,,,, but there is one on Ebay with the same dropouts sporting a Reynolds decal on the top tube.
Does anyone know if Gitane used These Dropouts on a range of frames?
Are they all Reynolds, (wishful thinking) and if not would you know what kind of steel is used for the others? Im rebuilding one or both of these in a local bike mechanic class so any info would be appreciated.

Thanks for your time
All the best
Chris
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 05, 2006 11:38 pm Reply with quote
sandranian
Site Admin
Joined: 27 Feb 2006
Posts: 2701
Location: Southern California
I am getting used to this forum stuff as well...so I guess we will both learn the dos and dont's as we go along.

Regarding the "spiderweb" dropouts, it is my understanding that these were used on several different models, including what was badged as an "Interclub" and also some which were badged as "Tour de France". It is my best guess that the dropouts were made by Huret, but I could be wrong, and it seems that after lengthy discussions on the classic rendezvous list, Huret was the consensus....

Regarding the tubing, the French catalogue from 1978 on this website has Gitane bikes using these dropouts made with Reynolds tubing, but only the three main tubes (which was a common cost cutting deal in the 70's). The Reynolds sticker would actually say "Reynolds 531, 3 tubes". See page 7 of the 1978 catalogue for what I am talking about.

As far as I know, some bikes labeled as "Interclub" were sold with those dropouts as well, but I am unsure of that, as I have never seen a picture of one. Anyhow, hope that begins to answer the question....and welcome to the group. Hope you will be a regular contributor!

Stephan Andranian
Costa Mesa, CA
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 8:45 am Reply with quote
cmcloud
Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 2
Location: sacramento
Thanks Stephan!

The help is much appreciated! The Brakeset, BB, crank and paint are all clean enough that Im going to go ahead and fix it up as a town bike.

Chris
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New Information: This just in! 
PostPosted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 12:26 pm Reply with quote
sandranian
Site Admin
Joined: 27 Feb 2006
Posts: 2701
Location: Southern California
OK...so here it is in black and white, literally....

I just now received a 1974 French Gitane catalogue, which features a number of bicycles which use the Huret "Spiderweb" dropouts. Here is the scoop:

(1) The cover features an absolutely AWESOME Gitane "Super Olympic", or in the USA, a Super Corsa: All campy nuovo record, but drilled! It features the Huret dropouts, and is all 531.

(2) The same frame as the Super Olympic described above is available as the "Olympic": Same as above except with Mafac Competition brakes. Same dropouts, I presume.

(3) The same frame as the Super Olympic above, except with Stronglight stuff is the "Champion du Monde".

(4) "Tour de France" Model: 3 Tubes Reynolds 531, uses the Huret dropouts.

(5) "Tour de L'Avenir": No name tubing ("AV Chromee a I'italienne"), uses the Huret Dropouts.

(6) There are other models using the Huret dropouts. Pretty much the only ones that don't are the ones which require a derailleur hanger, or the track models.

The only unknown is the "Interclub", which is also included, but the black and white picture obscures the rear dropout, so (once again), I have yet to see an Interclub which uses those dropouts, but don't doubt that they exist!

By the way, pictures of this latest catalogue, plus some others which are coming my way, should be posted soon on the www.gitaneusa.com catalogue page....

Stephan Andranian
Costa Mesa, CA
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 3:12 am Reply with quote
verktyg
Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 2814
Location: SF Bay Area
We sold Gitane bikes at our shop up through the mid 1970s. Mel Pinto Imports in Virginia was the importer/distributor for Gitane bikes in the early '70s. Sometime around 1974 Gitane Pacific out of Hawthorn, CA became the Gitane distributor for our region.

The Gitane decals/transfers where one way to differentiate between old and new stock. The pre 1974 Gitanes came with decals/transfers on thin plastic foil in a number of different styles and graphics. These were used by Gitane from the late 1960s through 1973.

The decals in the mid 1970s used a new logo that had green or yellow lettering on clear plastic film. Here’s what they looked like:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/decals.html

Note: the blue decal at the bottom of the web page is one of the older foil styles from the early '70s that was used on less expensive Gitanes. The higher end models had a lot of shinny silver foil decals.

Gitane bikes became hard to get after the US bike boom of 1972-1974. Because of an unfavorable exchange rate, the lower end French built Gitanes where too expensive for the US market and Gitane introduced some very poor quality bikes that were made in Taiwan as replacements.

We received a few new style French made Interclub and Tour de France bikes. Both models had the honeycomb Huret rear dropouts. They never sold well because of the mixed bag of components and features verses what was being offered by competitive brands which were starting to come equipped with Japanese components.

The older bike boom Gitane Grand Sport bikes were made with "light weight" carbon steel tubing that was about 1.5mm thick. Bikes made of this tubing with steel rims weighed about 28 Lbs.

Interclub models from that period used lighter tubing and weighed about 24 Lbs. with sewups. Some Interclubs where built with straight gauge Durifort tubing and were even lighter. The Interclub bikes used frame geometry that was designed for casual racing. I had at least one Interclub that I got as a bare frame and built up as an around town bike.

The new model Interclub bikes that I saw used pretty heavy tubing and weighed about 26 Lbs. with light weight alloy clincher rims. The new style Tour de France bikes had the 3 main tubes made from Reynolds 531. I don't remember whether it was double butted or not.

Both models came with varying components that differed from the catalog specs.

I recently saw one of each of these models at a local frame builder's. Someone brought them in to see what it would cost to have them restored.

Sticker shock got to the owner and he decided to turn them into beater bikes.

Hope this info helps.

Chas. Verktyg
Oakland, CA
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welcome Chas 
PostPosted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 1:11 pm Reply with quote
Paul Wiseman
Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 584
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Hi Chas and welcome

Haven't had time to read all the detail in your posts yet, but it's great to have another person on board with such knowledge to share. I'm sure everyone is thinking up a dozen obscure questions for you.

Cheers,
Wisey

_________________
Wisey
Brisbane, Australia
1974 Paris - Nice
1985 Defi
1985 Victoire
1985 Victoire (yes, another one!)
1985 Professionnel
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 8:45 pm Reply with quote
verktyg
Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 2814
Location: SF Bay Area
No problem. My first modern 10 speed was a 1973 Gitane Grand Sport. That resulted in me getting into the bike business. My knowledge of Gitanes only covers from the early to mid 1970s.

Chas.
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"Honeycomb" dropouts used on a range of models? 
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