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1974 or 1975 Gitane Olympic Hybrids 
PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2010 12:15 am Reply with quote
PJK
Joined: 03 May 2010
Posts: 18
Location: Lyon France
.l


Last edited by PJK on Tue Sep 25, 2012 11:54 pm; edited 2 times in total
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Re: 1974 or 1975 Gitane Olympic Hybrids 
PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2010 2:41 am Reply with quote
greyhundguy
Joined: 09 Apr 2008
Posts: 678
Location: South-Central VIRGINIA
PJK wrote:

You can find this model of Gitane in France on a regular basis. condition and components can come in a broad range. Price range here in France can be from 40 - 150 EUROs.


Patrick,
At these prices will you find me 5-6 of them in 58-60 cm and ship them to USA? Wink

Jay

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PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2010 4:55 am Reply with quote
PJK
Joined: 03 May 2010
Posts: 18
Location: Lyon France
Jay:

Yes, that is possible. But, you are talking about 150-200 EUROs per bike shipped individually. Unless we filled a container with used Gitane's it doesn't make much sense unless the value to you per bike is more than monetary.

Plus, there is an added cost of driving all over France to pick these bikes up which and add another 50-100+ Euros just in gas to the cost per bike. Not to mention time and road tolls.

That is why most collectors I know focus on the 1000 EURO+ bikes which makes is cost-effective to find and ship from anywhere in the world.

Regards,

Patrick
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PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2010 5:13 am Reply with quote
greyhundguy
Joined: 09 Apr 2008
Posts: 678
Location: South-Central VIRGINIA
Patrick,
My reply was meant more as humor and not as serious. But, if you happen to find one of the top end Gitanes down the street from you for 40 Euros, I may well be interested. If things keep going the way they are, the Euro and Dollar might be on parity with each other soon. This would make it even more attractive. Very Happy

Regards,
Jay

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PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2010 5:29 am Reply with quote
scozim
Joined: 26 Sep 2008
Posts: 629
Location: Ellensburg, WA
Fantastic looking bikes, Patrick. I have to say I'm jealous on what can be available to you in France. One of these years I'll make a trip - when the kids are older/gone.

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1984 Gitane Sprint
1984 Gitane Tour de France
mid-1970's Gitane Olympic
Plus many more
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PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2010 8:22 am Reply with quote
PJK
Joined: 03 May 2010
Posts: 18
Location: Lyon France
Jay:

If I see something in the sub 100 EUROs price range, I will alert you. I am scanning all the time. Plus, I will begin going to the Velo Bourses around France during the year where people trade and sell bikes. I am trying to get a list of these events.

Regards,

Patrick
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PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2010 8:42 am Reply with quote
greyhundguy
Joined: 09 Apr 2008
Posts: 678
Location: South-Central VIRGINIA
PJK wrote:
I will begin going to the Velo Bourses around France during the year where people trade and sell bikes.


Patrick,
A classier term. Here we call them Swap Meets, but you likely know that already.

Best regards,
Jay

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1976 TdF and a 1976 Olympic 
PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2010 4:20 pm Reply with quote
verktyg
Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 2814
Location: SF Bay Area
Greetings and thanks for the pictures.

The first bike, the one on the right is most likely a pieced together ~1976 Olympic or Super Olympic (same frame). It could have also been purchased as a bare frame and assemble with various components.

The Olympic and Super Olympic had the same frame and came with Campagnolo components except for Mafac brakes on the Olympic model.

The bike on the left looks like an almost all original 1976 Tour de France. It appears to have Campagnolo pedals instead of Maillard 700 pedals that were original equipment. Also the brake levers that you changed.

Is the frame all Reynolds 531 or "3 Tubes RENFORCES"? Do the tops of the seat stays (haubans) have the same brazed on caps as on the bike on the right?

These 2 pages are from a 1976 Gitane Tour de France review in Bicycling Magazine. The first page lists the components that came on that bike:




The bike in the review has Huret Success derailleurs while you bile has Simplex Criterium derailleurs. The 1975 Gitane flyer lists Simplex Criterium derailleurs so who knows?

That bike also has the same light weight steel "Rubis" seatpost as on your bike and came with an Ideale 2002 saddle.

The determining factor between the top of the line Gitane models and the next lower models is still the headset (jeu de direction)! Mad

The earlier Super Corsa frames and the later Olympic and Super Olympics had longer steering tubes for Campagnolo and similar pro quality headsets.

Tour de France and Champion Du Monde bikes had ~8mm shorter steering tube to fit Stronglight P3 headsets.

Other than that and the dropouts on the foil decal models (Simplex vs. Campy) the frames were pretty much the same.

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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 May 13, 2010 1:44 am Reply with quote
PJK
Joined: 03 May 2010
Posts: 18
Location: Lyon France
Chas:

Thanks for the detailed analysis. You are right about the two frames being from different categories. These are the details I didn't know about before buying these bikes.

I've taken a few more pictures to show the Super Olympic/Olympic Frame details for confirmation. The pedals on both bikes are labeled Iberia. Is this a Campagnolo brand or some other company?

Thanks again! Now I will be selling this Tour de France and keeping the other Super Olympic/Olympic for upgrading with Campagnolo group and other original components. What kind of seatpost was used on the Super Olympic models - Nuovo Record too?

Regards,

Patrick






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PostPosted: Thu May 13, 2010 2:25 am Reply with quote
verktyg
Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 2814
Location: SF Bay Area
PJK wrote:
Chas: Thanks for the detailed analysis. You are right about the two frames being from different categories. These are the details I didn't know about before buying these bikes.

No problem. The 2 bikes will probably ride and handle identically. The TdF is still a classic bike! I have 2 different 1974 TdFs in my collection. Wink

I don't think that there was much connection with Gitane and Jacques Anquetil after the late 1960s. It's highly unlikely that they would have stamped J. A. into the seat stay caps.


PJK wrote:
The pedals on both bikes are labeled Iberia. Is this a Campagnolo brand or some other company?

Iberia pedals were Spanish made Campagnolo copies. They were available in metric threads, that's probably why they were used on your bikes.


PJK wrote:
What kind of seatpost was used on the Super Olympic models - Nuovo Record too?

Gitanes usually came with Campy Nuovo Record components rather than Super Record. Maybe the later Super Olympic bikes had SR components.

Remember, Gitane was a "working class" bike so there weren't many made with bourgeois components! 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: Fri May 14, 2010 12:33 am Reply with quote
PJK
Joined: 03 May 2010
Posts: 18
Location: Lyon France
Chas:

Thanks for the analysis. Yes, it is very hard to find any top end Gitane bikes like a Team Pro here in France from any year. The "working class" just focused on the frame and wheels as they are all very experienced riders.

Regards,

Patrick
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1974 or 1975 Gitane Olympic Hybrids 
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