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Missing Link TT Bike??? 
PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2006 5:29 am Reply with quote
sandranian
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Joined: 27 Feb 2006
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Location: Southern California
I have never seen this before: Could this be a "missing link" Gitane Time Trial bike? Who knows...wierd how these mystery bikes keep popping up.

http://cgi.ebay.fr/contre-la-montre-sur-route-Gitane-epoque-L-Fignon_W0QQitemZ4624769559QQcategoryZ16943QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The guy won't post the bike, so you'll have to go to France to pick it up. Also, the seller has no feedback, which immediately raises red flags....


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Stephan Andranian
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Missing Link? Or another Bigfoot tale? 
PostPosted: Sat Mar 25, 2006 1:49 am Reply with quote
Paul Wiseman
Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 584
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Confused It looks swish enough, and I can understand why Stephan would fall in love all over again...... But I see a few issues straight off. The ???stronglight??? cranks, maybe modolo brakes? simplex? huret? derailleur. All are maybe's for a Gitane, but not this vintage. The TT bike set up with 700c front wheel looks early to mid 80's, but the paint is late 80's. Late 80's TT bike usually used 26" front wheel. Although this is not law. To be a missing link, this would need to predate the blue/yellow TT bike with wing handle bar, but the paint job is all wrong. The handle bar looks like 90's ITM. My guess: Some loony Gitane lover had their existing TT (maybe old Gitane) bike painted to reflect the Systeme U team bike. Outside chance? A TT specialist on System U, who didn't like the 'stock' TT bike, had their favourite bike painted team colours. Anyone know how tall Tierry Marie is? Even so, where is the C Record groupset. And Sys U used Time pedals.......

Left wondering..........
Paul Wiseman
Australia
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Nasty imposters??? 
PostPosted: Sat Mar 25, 2006 1:54 am Reply with quote
Paul Wiseman
Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 584
Location: Brisbane, Australia
But what a great idea! Maybe I'll paint my 'SorenSon' TT bike blue, rustle up some yellow bar tape and a yellow saddle, apply some reprinted decals, and "bob's your uncle" (or was that laurent?) a super dooper Gitane TT bike! Laughing

Paul
Aust.
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 25, 2006 5:26 am Reply with quote
lofter
Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 1162
looks like aero tubing on the seat tube and down tube . throw in the funny top tube . usually the funny bikes had 650 front wheels. when was the last year for the delta bikes 87?fignon used raliegh's in 89 on super u. looks like bout a 88 . the aero tubing is the give away. in 89 super u didnt use the delta wing bars.need to see the bb to get a really good ideal.....don
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 12:05 am Reply with quote
nicolas
Joined: 13 Mar 2006
Posts: 543
Location: Paris, France
This might not be a professionnal bike. I think systeme U/Gitane sponsored a "junior" team for amateurs. I can't recall which city was involved but it could explain this...custom.

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PostPosted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 5:24 am Reply with quote
sandranian
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Location: Southern California
I tend to think that Nicolas is right about this bike.

I don't think this is a fake, but rather just another type of TT bike. Although it would be easy to make a "fake" Gitane (as the company readily sent out stickers if you requested them), the person would be unlikely to (1) get a Reynolds 531 sticker to match and (2) make a fake Gitane, seeing as they aren't widely valued as collectables. Another consideration as to making a fake bike is that the French really weren't into that sort of thing, if the condition of most Gitanes is an indication.

Perhaps my original post of "missing link" was a bit misleading and inaccurate. I do believe this is a real Gitane manufactured bike. There is no reason to think otherwise. Just because we haven't seen it before doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I think that the fact that we see random Gitanes every once in a while is what makes this brand so intriguing: You never know what you are going to find.

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TT Bike 
PostPosted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 1:56 am Reply with quote
Paul Wiseman
Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 584
Location: Brisbane, Australia
OK, just call me cynical.... I'm pretty sure I've got a copy of "Winning" magazine with Fignon in 88 GP des Nations on the good ol' faithful delta. From memory, CM won that edition on the same bike. I'll look into that. Not that I wish to disagree with our wonderful webmaster, but..... Is it likely that Gitane would have been doing one off's like this in 87/88? I thought they were into the mass production way of doing things by then. (please read as serious question - I'm not trying to take the mickey) The other thing I find odd is the curved top tube. Really unlike all other Gitane styling that I've ever seen. Much more like Pinarello or Colnago of that era. Of course, Stephan is quite correct in pointing out that just because we haven't seen one doesn't mean it's not the real deal. It certainly looks the part. (But would look better in blue) Love to know........

Wisey
Bris, Aust.

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 5:54 am Reply with quote
sandranian
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I don't think this is a "one off", but may have simply been another design. And speaking of one-offs, what about the bike which was built for fignon to challenge the hour record? You can see a picture of it in the catalogue section of the website, under 1988 French....

Then, regarding the curved top tube, there are models from the early 1990's that use curved top tubes:


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old topic - new pic 
PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 2:17 am Reply with quote
Paul Wiseman
Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 584
Location: Brisbane, Australia
I found this while floating around a fixie gallery...



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Wisey
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1985 Victoire
1985 Victoire (yes, another one!)
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 8:20 am Reply with quote
lofter
Joined: 05 Mar 2006
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man wisey , did u dig up a old thread on this one. that fixie looks like my tt bike Smile
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old thread 
PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 1:11 pm Reply with quote
Paul Wiseman
Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 584
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Yeah, I remembered the thread from ages ago. The description said 80's - 90's. Vitus tubing. How many TT bikes you got man?

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Wisey
Brisbane, Australia
1974 Paris - Nice
1985 Defi
1985 Victoire
1985 Victoire (yes, another one!)
1985 Professionnel
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 1:15 pm Reply with quote
lofter
Joined: 05 Mar 2006
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lol just two unless i can get ahold of a road delta Wink
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 1:54 pm Reply with quote
sandranian
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Location: Southern California
...and there will be a mighty bidding war for the road delta, won't there!

[sinister laugh]

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bidding war 
PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 2:04 pm Reply with quote
Paul Wiseman
Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 584
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Only if it's a 59cm Delta. Otherwise it's up to you and lofter. The down side to this is that there seems to be so few around, that the likelyhood of an "available" Delta being an ex-team bike is pretty high. Given that little twist in the tale, I'd back Brett Horton to win any bidding war - even if you do sell the house... Good luck ya'all.

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Wisey
Brisbane, Australia
1974 Paris - Nice
1985 Defi
1985 Victoire
1985 Victoire (yes, another one!)
1985 Professionnel
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 2:08 pm Reply with quote
sandranian
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Location: Southern California
Brett, Schmett. I would take him... Laughing

Regarding the Delta, check out this article, which I will use on the website when reformed...but here is a sneak peak for you two. This comes to me via a guy on the Classic Rendezvous email ring, who likes Gitanes, and he has made a whole bunch of other stuff available for our use as well. But this has to be the coolest item. The date of the article is July of 1980.





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Missing Link TT Bike??? 
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