Chombi

Most likely a re-paint as most 80's Gitane Pros I have seen through the years were done in blue with chorme on the rear triangle and IIRC, the fork, like Lemond's and Hinault's bikes were when they were with Gitane/Renault in the 80's
If the paint does prove to be non-original, you might want to seriously consider repainting it back to what it was to give it back it's proper Gitane "identity". It's a specila enough bike to invest that effort into it.

Chombi

EhGiOeS

I think the paint is original just my opinion. It mush have been a brilliant scarlet with white primer. According to the Gitane USA web site they only used the C Record group on the 87 model. Ther's a serial no. on the bottom bracket and under it what looks like a build date 12 87. Ed

auchencrow

'74 Champion du Monde

that_guy_zach

Would my Royal Asport fit in here if I got pics?

non-fixie 

Diffusion de Grand Luxe:



Racing Team (if that's what it's called):

auchencrow

Zack -- If it was built in the 70's, then from what I could gather on Gitane USA, your Royal Asport was indeed built by Gitane, so YES, it would be very good to post it here.

rootboy 

rootboy 

auchencrow

I need a purple one too!

Chrome Molly

84 TDF, bought as partially stripped frame. Got a deal on it as the owner was told by a LBS that the headset was wallowing because the cups could be removed by hand. I told the owner that I thought that was bunk given it's a plastic headset cup, but he had already bought a new bike (go figure). Shimergo'd it and it's now about my fastest vintage steed (she's an angry French Tomato on the climbs).

EhGiOeS

This looks like a good deal for someone. Ed 251067939687 Item

dddd

Wow is all I can say.

This is my first read of this thread, and I now have a much greater respect for this brand!!!!!!!
I've gotta say, you all have such fantasitic, stunning Gitanes, and I liked 'em all.

I have a couple of TDF's in the works, but for now will post my road-ready, 1972, 54cm TDF which I ride anyway (and ride hard, gotta keep those carbon-riders honest!), even if it is quite a small size for me.

I had to replace the Mity crankset and bb, and used Lyotard pedals in place of the very wide originals.
10-speed gearing is now 52-40t with 14-26t in back.
I re-balanced the derailer spring tensions, added longer BF stem and SR post with a B-17 saddle, 25mm Vittorias, new hoods, tape and E2 front rim, HG chain, Huret adjustable pulleys, and generally tweaked and re-tweaked everything for serious performance under pressure. I imported the REG bottle cage from Cypress via Ebay.
The turkey levers somewhat belie the effort and give it more of a "sleeper" status, which by now may have worn a bit thin among the locals.

auchencrow

dddd - Your "Green Hornet" just added to the WOW factor of this thread. That's really cool - right down to the green treads (and I don't usually like colored tires).
The turkey wings only add to the wolf-in-sheep's-clothing mystique, and it kind'a reminds me of a guy I knew who drove a very plain-Jane looking 60's Dodge pick-up that could do wheel stands and blow the doors off a rocket ship!

- And while I am on that tack, another Gitane foible that I've come to admire (in a perverse sort of way) is their roughly finished lug work, which rivals those Monday-morning hang-over aberrations we have seen from Nottingham during the early 70's - even on many of Gitane's high-end bikes! (My European market Champion du Monde is a good case in point.)

Gitanes are reputed to have an exceptional ride, and I have no reason to doubt that, based on your post and my own personal experience: Very effective power transfer to the rear wheel, and very responsive handling too. -No wonder you chose it as your C&V weapon of choice to go toe-to-toe, clip-to-clip with those crazy crabon guys. (I bet they've had to eat some humble pie - especially after draining their bank accounts at the LBS!).

dddd

Thanks, Auchen. This thread is a solid showing from the world of Gitane owners, and still going.

My TDF weighs in about a pound heavier than I expected, so maybe the solid handling could be attributed to some thicker frame tubing.
And I agree the tubing/lug joinery looks solid and industrial.
We have 20% inclines along some of our rides here, so a beefy frame that won't have the shifter wanting to slip might actually give the rider a faster trip up those crazy-steep back roads. The other riders do take note of there being only five cogs out back, and the women seem to really like the green.
Your Champion Du Monde looks just like a TDF, but is the first one (CDM) I've seen.
I wonder when the last TDF was built?

BluePx10

Don't recall seeing any Interclubs in this thread. This one rides beautifully with only the slightest lack of resilience compared to a metric 531 frame. It comes within two and a half pounds of some high-end bikes of the same era. Don't know if it uses the same geometry as a TdF or SC but the bottom bracket is higher than all of my other French bikes.

auchencrow

dddd - According to the notes at Gitane USA, the TdF name had a long life: It lasted as an upper-range Gitane through the late 1980's. The later versions were built first from Vitus tubing, and then from aluminum. These late aluminum models were actually re-badged Vitus's.

auchencrow

Nice example BluePX10. The colors really remind me of Carlton's team colors though! Not that that's a bad thing!

lofter

rumored to be the 84 bronze medal bike from the la olympics in the 1000m tt pursuit, awaiting conformation email. its been stashed away since the 80's.

lofter

just bought this today, now i have to get it home

non-fixie 

Get yourself a couple of friends like this one, and it should be a piece of cake:

delcrossv

Little sis's 500a "Midget racer"- now has new Hutchison tires. Just picked up a green 550A (22") Midget racer for the "big" sis- tires on order. I'll post both when they're both done:

Grand Bois

It's been a long time since you posted pictures from your collection.

lofter

Yes it has, I used to like to post and brag, but I've someway some how just don't like to do that anymore. Maybe age, maybe just becoming more modest, I don't know. I've really bought alot of bikes, er......should I say framesthis year. Most come from Europe, its where there( the good ones) are at. Believe it or not the delta wing was only70 miles from my house.I thought it would definately come from euro on that bike. To me its the step below the holy grail, the road delta. A 2nd grail so to say. I tried in 07 to buy it,then again in 08,then out of tthe blue a email from the ownerwanting to sell.I wanted a triple for awhile, the price I bought it for was about the same I've seen in France,but good luck finding reasonable shipping from there. I found a four wheel surrey like gitane, (in the states) almost had it bought but the guy backed out cause his kids didn't want it gone. It is a grandpa gave it to them thing. Just like the delta I bought.I told him I respect that and backed off. Just keep the email to check back at a later date. People change their mind later on sometimes.

lofter

still looking for a quad seater, and the tandem sidecar I've seen before.

Grand Bois

It's not bragging, it's sharing.