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Frenchbuilt

Picked up this one yesterday and it is in pretty good condition.
I cannot figure out the year. The seller bought it new and says 1978 TDF since he still has a catalogue from that year with prices marked down by hand. It could be 1978 but the frame has details that seems older. The cranks are Sugino Mighty which are listed in the '78 catalogue. The rims are Rigida and there is a Maillard 6 speed freewheel. SR seatpost and Italian seat. Also came with old wool cap.

Any idea for the year?

Thanks, Dan

sandranian · Site Admin

Could have been sold in 1978 for sure...but likely is a circa 1976. That is a VERY NICE bicycle, by the way. Top quality frameset....

Check the derailleur cage for the date stamp. Should be just two numbers (i.e. '76'). That might give you some idea as well (not conclusive, but will put you in the ballpark).

Is the 1978 catalogue in English? Do you have that?

Frenchbuilt

The catalogue is in French with some notations by hand for price.

You can have the catalogue if you would like. It has some nice photos of the factory, etc. I will just scan it for myself and you can have the original.

By the way, the Peugeot I am giving to the director of design at Peugeot
(Gilles Vidal) who will put it in his office next to the Last Bike design study they did several months ago.

Dan

sandranian · Site Admin

You are giving the peugeot away...but at least it is "going home", right? Tell a bit more about that story, and how you came to meet that guy.

Regarding the catalogue...is it the same one that I have on the gitaneusa site right now:

http://www.gitaneusa.com/images/catalog/1978_cover.jpg

Frenchbuilt

I worked at PSA for 22 years (head of design Citroen for middle and highline cars) and Gilles Vidal was part of the team for some time and eventually worked his way up to the post of Design Director Peugeot. We still work together on design projects and even though I appreciate Peugeot bike quality etc. I am only interested in Gitanes. Gilles just did the Peugeot "showbike" and he seemed interested in my older "free" bike so I gave it to him.

You are right, this is the catalogue (didn't check well on your site)

Thanks, Dan

greyhundguy

Dan,
It is likely a 1975 TdF. 3 tubes Reynolds. 1974 - 75 water bottle. Front derailleur appears to be a replacement. I'm not sure they were date coding the Simplex Rear Derailleurs in those years. Usually it appears on 1972 and earlier Criteriums. the Other parts match up to the 1975 French catalog.

Jay

sandranian · Site Admin

I am not sure they chromed the stays on the 3-tubes versions....

verktyg

There's an old adage in US medical schools:

"When you hear hoofbeats, think horses not zebras" Wink

Quand vous entendez des battements de sabot, pensez les chevaux de zèbres pas!

Haven't I taught you guys anything! Look at the willow leaf shaped seatstay caps! Evil or Very Mad

This bike has something that I've never seen on any Gitane before, Nervex Dubois short point lugs! Shocked

That feature along with the willow leaf seat stay caps , especially with the 2 dots AND the stamped Gitane logo has to make this a special model frame - like a 1975 or 76 Olympic or Champion Du Monde! Cool

Someone installed a cheap short stack headset like those used on a Gran Sport and put in about 2-3 extra washers to make up the difference in stack height.

They also installed a Shimano front derailleur and an SR seat post plus a Phillipe stem all of which were not used on Gitanes from that era. All of this leads me to question the origin of the Sugino Mighty Competition crankset and everything else including the knock off Campy pedals.

The Normandy Competition and the Mafac late model Competition or early model 2000 brakes would be correct for a Champion Du Monde but it would use a short stack height Stronglight P3 headset not the longer one needed for this frame.

In 1974 the bike boom was over and Gitane went back to Stronglight 93 cranks instead of Sugino Mighty Competitions.

SO... my opinion is that it's a pieced together bike with a 1975 or 76 Olympic frame and good but lower quality components than the bike came with. This could have been a bare frame or one that someone stripped the Campy gruppo off of.

This is a bike worthy of restoration to the original Campy components or at least top quality French components. (or you could enjoy it the way it is)

You need to send it to me so that I can examine it closer (and look for zebras).

House

sandranian · Site Admin

Great post, Chas. It is 5:00am, and my coffee is sitting in front of me. It took me a few moments to get the "House" signoff, as I don't watch that show. But I did get it...eventually!!!

Gtane

Dan,

Very nice bike indeed. It looks great in the photos. Is it a comfortable ride?

Thanks for posting.

Tim

sandranian · Site Admin

I say it is a 1974 Super Olympic. Looks identical to the one in the catalogue.

http://www.gitaneusa.com/images/catalog/1974_pg1.jpg

A Cinelli Unicanitor saddle, campagnolo drillium parts, and some decent cloth bar tape, and it will look just like the one on the cover (the cover one has long-point lugs, but the one featured in the catalogue appears to have short point (if my eyes don't deceive me) and doesn't include the "J A" in the stay leaf either. Cyclomondo on ebay even sells those World Champion stickers, which would add a nice splash of color.

http://www.gitaneusa.com/images/catalog/1974_cover.jpg
http://www.gitaneusa.com/images/catalog/1974_back.jpg

greyhundguy

Stephan,
OR.....it could be a plain old "Olympic" if the Mafac brakes are original. Question

Dan,
What brand are the top tube cable clips? What is the small decal on the seat tube behind the pump handle?

Jay

sandranian · Site Admin

Isn't it more fun to call it "Super Olympic" though? Wink

greyhundguy

It's a darn nice Gitane frame no matter the model name. Maybe a "Super Tour de Francolympic".

Jay

Frenchbuilt

Right now the bike is hidden so that my wife does not get upset with me for having bought another old french bike. It will come out of hiding this weekend and I will check everything out. The Peugeot leaves this weekend
and the "new" Gitane comes in so everything will work out smoothly!

Thanks for help in ID and I will update this weekend. The bike does ride very well . Everything is tight and solid.

Dan