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Holger

After putting all the parts together , i took a first ride on that old Gitane today, i`ve bought in spring.
And it was better than expected, the brakes aren`t that bad,
and with 47x21 you can still climb some hills.
Only the bar is far to slim (38cm) but thats period i think its quite
original and compared to my 80`s TeamPro really retro and
really heavy metal, so i`ve much more respect for the riders in that old days.
(i thought that Venus from Milo is the right decoration for a Gitane)
Holger

greyhundguy

Holger,
You have done a BEAUTIFUL job with this Bike. Glad to see you kept so many of the Original components. The before (from my memory) to after is stunning.
Congratulations!!!
Happy Holidays,
Jay

Holger

Thank you! But the Bike was far more better than the first look.
All the rust came off very easily, only the front derailleur was too bad (rust) and i replaced it.

Was a good time working on that bike, kind of a `ugly (and cheap)duckling move to a swan` thing.

vanhelmont

You guys in Europe have access to some great bikes, and you have done a great job on it. The red tape looks good, but green would have made it a perfect Christmas bike. The Ideale saddle looks like new. I wonder what a Japanese collector would bid for it on Ebay?

Dave

sandranian · Site Admin

That just could be the bike of the year. Absolutely stunning. I like the fact that you are riding it...as evidenced by the mud!

Thank you so much for sharing this with all of us.

Gtane

Holger,

What a super looking bike. You've done a magnificent job.

There's a lot to be said for the elegance of a steel bike, they just look the part.

You've taken some very nice shots. It's quite clear that there is a parallel between photography and cycling. Many cyclists are excellent photographers as photographers are cyclists.

Thank you for the post.

Tim

Holger

Thank you all for your kindness, i dont know if its the bike of the year,
as i see plenty of them in the forum but gitaneusa.com is definitely the Site of the year!Without it maybe i`ll never came to Cycles Gitane. Found so much information and learned a lot.
(that Hinault contact is a Hammer!)
Here in Germany only few people are looking after them, most search
for Italian Brands like Colnago.

That reminds me of having a puncture with my TeamPro and i was
standing alone in the forest without a spare tire or a pump (silly, i know)
then there came two bikers on modern machines and i asked them for a pump, as i hoped i had only a loose valve, as i put air into the damaged wheel they start looking on the bike and said:
"thats an rather old bike! Gitane? Allways thought they make cigarettes!"
I ride all the bikes i`ve got doesn`t matter how old they are, and because
of the fact that i haven`t got a modern one i am used to these old
shifters and stuff.
So thats all, once again, best wishes to everyone!
Holger

P.S. Stephan, have you ever thought about a gitaneusa.com wool jersey?
that would be a fine wardrobe.

cooltech

Really nice bike. Tks. for posting. Always good to see hard work pay off.
cooltech Cool