non-fixie 

Update on the Mercier from post # 1433. New grease, bar tape, cables, housing, saddle and tires. Minus two protection disks. Total weight loss, even with the Brooks, is a surprising 650 grams.
Now at 12.20 kgs.

papik

My last purchase...this 1978 MOTOBECANE T10 , an entry level "randonneur" 14;8 kgs !!!

non-fixie 

Very nice! I've been looking for one of those black and red Motos, but I haven't seen a single one in this country yet. As if they've never been imported.

papik

I was looking for one black and red since ...two years ! The paradoxe is that they are very few in France , most of them was exported to the States ...

auchencrow

(fify ).
Great looking bike non-fixie!

verktyg 

Thanks A-Crow...

"A gaggle is a term of venery for a flock of geese that is not in flight; in flight, the group can be called a skein. In terms of geese, a gaggle is equal to at least five geese."



After 8 years I still haven't figured out how to post large size pictures yet - DOH!

Click on any of the pictures and they become sort of a slide show that you can click on Next or Previous.

In 2006 I started riding again after about 6 years away from cycling. I had 4 bikes - 2 French and 2 bikes that I built for myself in 1992.

I started looking for 2 or 3 bikes that were on my "bucket list"... An orange late 70s Colnago Super, an orange 1974-76 Motobecane Team Champion and an orange and blue Mercian Vincitore (also a red or blue Lejeune, a black and red Motobecane Grand Record and a few others).

While looking for my holy grails, I kept coming across great deals (and some not so great deals) on interesting bikes.

After I got over 20 bikes, my ridding buddy started saying that it was a sickness (but he wanted the keys to my house in case something happened to me).

A few years back, my 401k and savings accounts were paying less than 1%. At that point I started acquiring bikes instead. When the time comes to divest, if I only break even, at least I've had the pleasure of working on and riding these bikes.

Think of them as my museum that I can share with others who appreciate fine French iron...

verktyg

Chas.

Shp4man

Papik, if you think 32 pounds is too heavy,you can send the bike to me! Is that a kickstand on there?

non-fixie 

Thanks, Auchen! But as this is a seventies' model, it still uses French sizes, so no libs and ozzes, I'm afraid.

papik

In reality, the frame is not so heavy , it is built with excelents and light 2040 tubes , but all the other parts (chainset, mudguars, handlebar...etc are made with heavy stainless steel ...excepted the alloy kickstand ...so, riding is very comfortable but I prefer my Pug 7000 competition to climb the Mt Ventoux !

papik

Pretty and rare colour

CV-6 

The second incarnation of my Bernard Carré with mostly French components. Better pics later.

Tevano cranks
Mavic SSC derailleurs
Simplex Retrofriction shifters
Spidel calipers with Mavic levers
Atax stem, Nitto bar
Pelissier 2000 hubs laced to Mavic GP4 rims


Carre 082114 003 by CV6Enterprises, on Flickr

Carre 082114 005 by CV6Enterprises, on Flickr

Carre 082114 006 by CV6Enterprises, on Flickr

repechage

That Red Bertin looks interesting. Way back in the 70's the shop to which I worked for ordered a special run of C-37 frame sets, They were given the name C-37 Artisan. Light tubing, cast crown and bottom bracket, maybe lugs too. Geometry was different than anything from them at the time, but reasonably close visually to this bike. No chrome, a candy orange /red paint. Handsome, but not on target to bikes they were to compete against like the Masi Gran Criterium. Only about 20-25 were made, they all sold eventually. I hope to find one show up someday in my size, only about 3-4 chances total. They were almost the last Bertins that came in, the market locally was moving on away from what Bertin was offering.

big chainring 

Just fixed up this Gitane Interclub. Flamboyant Purple! Fabulous french fit Frenchie, with a floy, floy.

Chombi

Fantastic "Tout French" Build!!
I totally relate with this bike!
I wish one day to still find a French bike like this one to build up that is not the usual French brands we always see in the forums....

non-fixie 

Very pretty!

auchencrow

+1 Awesome!

big chainring 

Thanks for the compliments guys. Strange thing is I cant get the bike to photograph its true color. Always looks blue. Its very purple in the "flesh". This photo almost captures the color. The near chainstay has the flambo purple look, almost. I actually bought the bike just because of the color. Gitane really had the flamboyant color technique down, in the '70's.

rootboy 

Pretty bike, Big Ring. You're not alone in trying to capture what color these are. Looks different in different lights, from different angles and even different parts of the frame.

big chainring 

^^^Nice!

Ok, time to get my butt off the couch and ride. Heating up outside. Terrible humidity in Chicago the last week.

Grand Bois

There is a discussion of Gitane colors here:

gitaneusa.com :: View topic - Gitane Color Question

Didn't that bike used to have upside down moustache bars?

papik

Yesterday, my 1978 GITANE TDF on the Mt Ventoux ...

non-fixie 

^great picture, [MENTION=332787]papik[/MENTION] !

papik

Sorry, it is not a 1978 model, but a 1977 ...the tiredness...

other pict during the climb, it was a hard affair !

ColnagoC40

Vitus 992, still love riding and racing it.

papik

Thanks non-fixie !
On the "Chalet Reynard" we have (I was with my elder son) meet a man who was coming from...Amsterdam...with is bicycle via the Massif central and the Alpes...!
He was climbing the Ventoux with is bicycle and a trailer !