joshdavis

Set 1

joshdavis

Set 2

joshdavis

Set 3

mastershake916

Put some north-road bars on that mixte.

East Hill

I think your 'Niitaka' is meant to be a knock-off copy of Nishiki, right down to closely copying the headbadge. The Niitaka has lower end components, but should be a solid rider. It looks as if the rims are alloy?

mastershake916's got some good advice. Either rotate the handlebars to be proper drops, or replace them.

East Hill

Sluggo

Are you asking if these are anything special? If so, the answer is no, they are the least-expensive bikes you could have found in a bike shop in the early 80s. Both are made in Japan or Taiwan, which means the Gitane has English threads, so parts will be a little easier to find than if it were a "real" French bike. Neither appear to have seen much use, so a few (dozen) dollars invested in tires (if cracked), brake shoes (probably hardened with age) and fresh bearing grease (likely oxidized) will result in serviceable bikes.

joshdavis

My parents found these and just wondered what they might be. I have no clue. What would the age of these things be?

Sluggo

I would be willing to bet that the rims are steel on both. And they are almost certainly 27" rather than 700c.

joshdavis

yeah they have to be. these things are HEAVY

East Hill

Upon closer examinatiion of the photos, I would say you are correct. The Spirt came out in 1966, so certainly not earlier than that. I have a World Sport ladies bike which utilised both the Honor and Spirt, and it's a 1980 model. My guess for the Niitaka would be early 1970s...but I could be wrong .

East Hill

Sluggo

I used to work in a shop that sold those Gitanes. I would guess that the Niitaka was purchased at very near the same time. I would estimate 1980 for both bikes, no earlier than 1979, no later than 1982.

T-Mar

The Niitaka appears to be your typcal, early 1970s, entry level bicycle from Japan. The headbadge certainly does resemble Nishiki, but the overall graphics remind me of Raleigh. What is the serial number?

The Gitane is a late 1970s, entry level model.

Rabid Koala

It looks like a knockoff of a Raleigh Grand Prix (or early Centurion LeMans) with Nishiki decals.

Noah Scape

Nice DUI commuter bars!

joshdavis

I saw those and was like...uh....wtf..

DiabloScott

For every "uncle Bob's Olmo" that shows up in here, there are a hundred of these junkers.

I blame those TV shows like "Antique Roadshow". Anybody ever seen a bike on there? I wonder if they'd know a Colnago from a Magna.