XxHaimBondxX

Not sure what this bike is, seller said it's 30 years old, but I'm thinking 40.

Bianchigirll 

Yeah I’m thinking 50 for a ‘70s bike boom machine. I think the Mafac brakes might be the best part.

Hey what do you know, apparently Sir Sheldon and I agree. You have to scroll down quite a ways but Gina’s shows up a French low end boom brand.
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/velos.html

Follis Decent brand, especially known for tandems.
Flandria Actually Belgian, not French. Most Flandrias seen in the U.S. were low-end bike-boom clunkers, some of them made in Portugal.
Ginay Low end bike-boom line. Jeunet sound-alike
Ginet Low end bike-boom line. Jeunet sound-alike
Gitane Major brand. Jacques Anquetil and Greg Lemond used to race on Gitanes.
Gnôme Rhône Primarily an aircraft engine maker, which also built bicycles in the '50's. I had one when I lived in France. It had aluminum main tubes held into steel lugs by rivets.
René Herse The pinnacle of French cycling, specializing in top-of-the-line custom and semi-custom touring bikes; extremely valuable.
The image above is a Daniel Rebour illustration of a René Herse "Camping" model. The brand has been revived by a bicycle maker in Boulder, Colorado, USA.

wrk101

Yes, close to 50 years old. Sellers rarely/never get age right. They don't get size right either.

ramzilla

That bike looks pretty dangerous with it's crappy old chrome steel wheels, cotterless crank and, death stem. But, I love the ornamental lugs on the steel frame. I would pass if it's not at least 126mm spacing in order to fit new wheels. With new wheels, tires, upright stem & handlebar that would be a nice ride. Maybe worth about $40.

Trakhak

Front brake is not centered. That is usually done to accommodate a bent rim or a bent fork. However, there's a chance that they're both fine; the front quick-release skewer looks as if it was tightened like a wing nut without using the cam mechanism, so it's at least possible that whoever removed and reinstalled the wheel didn't notice that they hadn't inserted the wheel all the way into both dropouts, leaving the wheel skewed to one side.

In any event, even if it's basically mechanically sound (and it would take someone with decent knowledge of what might be wrong with a bike of that vintage to make that judgement), I'd move on and look for something better than a bottom-of-the-line 50-year-old bike that needs new tires, new brake pads, maybe new cables and housings, etc.

XxHaimBondxX

I'm trying to get the bike for free for a winter project, it's already down to $15. Lady said she'll wait another week to decide whether to get rid of it. Just not sure how far I should go with restoring it. Hopefully tires are in decent shape.

3alarmer 

.
...that might actually be a decent leather saddle, but if you're doing it as a project to ride, it will be a lot more fun to ride it with new rims and tires. Alloy rim and tire technology have progressed a long way since that bike was new.

branko_76 

yup, at least 40 years old.

That would make a nice winter project. Try to put zero money in it if you can, just use as many of the original parts as possible. Simply dismantle the entire bike down to the ball bearings, clean everything, re-grease and put it back together.

Have fun

zukahn1

Well cleaned up the nicer parts brakes, pedals, French headset and leather seat are worth $100 and the paint looks to be in good shape for age. So I would say it's worth the effort as a project or parts bike if you can get it cheap or free.

DMC707 

Sigh. waiting around to see if you can get a $15 bike for free
This is how the better half lives -- or -- its not how much you make but how much you save !





Just give the lady a small victory by giving her $25 for it

blacknbluebikes 

Lunch around here is $15.

bikemike73 

Yes...just give the Lady 15.00 - 20.00

The leather saddle is worth that and probably more.

It's not going to "break the bank."

It is fun and exciting to get a bike for FREE, and the " New Englander " in me always wants to get the lowest price possible while being respectful.

Just go get it and enjoy your " new" bike project

XxHaimBondxX

"Freeloader" in me is a powerful force. Our market doesn't appreciate finest automobiles or bicycles for that matter. I see bikes of this vintage in excellent shape sell for $45-50 and sit around for months. Since the bike flippers that bought my bikes in the past don't want it, I think I still have a chance.

seypat

Forest Gump's favorite brand of bike.

SurferRosa

"I've never been more thankful than these two letters, I and N."

- Young American boy riding a Ginay.

XxHaimBondxX

Well I made lady an offer but she had someone else already on the way tonight so it's gone. On the plus side, I sold two of my other free bikes. Onto the next hunt.