Vintage Gitane
12-14-18, 06:40 PM
#1
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Vintage Gitane
This is the best pic i have of a bike i will be acquiring. Any advice is welcome. I know french stuff is different.
12-14-18, 07:25 PM
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I picked this one up a while ago.
I intended to restore it, but it is another one of those projects that didn't have enough motivation to finish. I couldn't motivate my stokers
I have heard the bikes are a little flexy to ride, but haven't gotten that far myself.
Are those headlights on your bike? They look pretty WILD!!! Perhaps you could clean them up and convert to LED & Dynamo hub.
I presume you have a drum brake on the rear. 12mm axle? Not the easiest to find parts for, although if you need help, let me know.
12-14-18, 07:39 PM
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That will be a fun bike to restore. Differences?
Is that a cottered or cotterless crank? If a French cotterless crank, the puller will be different (and TA is different from Stronglight).
The BB is different but that won't really matter since you are likely to simply want to overhaul it.
The freewheel might be different and that is a pain.
The pedals might also be french threaded but the crank arms can be tapped out to English.
And the stem is 22.0, handlebar is 25.0. You can replace it with a standard stem. The origin 8 stems are cheap and sometimes drop right in. If not, you're talking about taking .2 mm off which is no big deal.
Here is my thread on why French bikes are special,
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...h-bikes-3.html
That looks like a classy tandem; enjoy it. I'd keep it as is and ride the heck out of it.
Is that a cottered or cotterless crank? If a French cotterless crank, the puller will be different (and TA is different from Stronglight).
The BB is different but that won't really matter since you are likely to simply want to overhaul it.
The freewheel might be different and that is a pain.
The pedals might also be french threaded but the crank arms can be tapped out to English.
And the stem is 22.0, handlebar is 25.0. You can replace it with a standard stem. The origin 8 stems are cheap and sometimes drop right in. If not, you're talking about taking .2 mm off which is no big deal.
Here is my thread on why French bikes are special,
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...h-bikes-3.html
That looks like a classy tandem; enjoy it. I'd keep it as is and ride the heck out of it.
12-14-18, 08:40 PM
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Cottered cranks, and 27 inch wheels. Rear drum in addition to canti brakes i think. Wont know all the details till i see it in person.
12-14-18, 08:45 PM
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A cotter press sure would make your life easier but there are work arounds. That's a neat bike.
12-14-18, 10:33 PM
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12-15-18, 06:50 AM
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Totally cool bike to tool around town nice with; sort of like a '72 Fuji Finest, 
12-15-18, 08:51 AM
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I have a ‘71 Gitane Tandem that I am slowly restoring, although not with any regard to originality. When I bought it, it came as a frame and pieces, such as Stronglight cranks. Like yours, it has a drum brake but instead of cantilevers it has the usual Mafac Racers.
I had it powder coated in an appropriate early-70s color. I have put more parts on it since then but have not completed it. I need to get some bolts for the bottom bracket clamp; the old ones are shot.
I had it powder coated in an appropriate early-70s color. I have put more parts on it since then but have not completed it. I need to get some bolts for the bottom bracket clamp; the old ones are shot.
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12-15-18, 10:47 AM
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I wondered how it would fit on my bike rack. Thanks for showing me!
12-17-18, 02:05 PM
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Must see the before and after pix of the Gitane.
Here are mine: a $20 CAN (about $15 US) find on the local Buy and Sell a few years ago for a three wheeled "tandem" bike...
The guy who made the alterations into a 3-wheeler did not hurt the frame !
The Benotto tandem as it was advertised... The handlebar quill and seat posts only needed penetrating oil to get them to move freely.
This is what it looks like now.
12-17-18, 03:36 PM
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If you're new to tandeming, it's more about the riding than the bike. There is a lot to learn. The first thing is to remember: always do whatever your stoker needs to feel safe and comfortable. The second thing is to work out a protocols, first for starting out. The other things to work out are short calls such as "shift up, shift down, brake, slow, bump, stopping, car back, signal left."
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Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
12-17-18, 09:30 PM
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If you're new to tandeming, it's more about the riding than the bike. There is a lot to learn. The first thing is to remember: always do whatever your stoker needs to feel safe and comfortable. The second thing is to work out a protocols, first for starting out. The other things to work out are short calls such as "shift up, shift down, brake, slow, bump, stopping, car back, signal left."
