Jacob_R_59 

Chai is an interesting guy. Haven't seen him much these last few years. I did see him at the bike swap but by the time I was finished a transaction he had disappeared. I don't think he's a forum member.

Good choice having Charles do that for you, he is pretty much the only person I would used for work beyond my knowledge or tooling.

I know Chai from work; we both work(ed) for King County here in Washington State. The day I met him he was snagging a 2 bolt Campagnolo Record seatpost from one of the used parts bins @ the now closed Fremont location of Recycled Cycles. He’s knowledgeable and a great guy.

Jacob_R_59 

I’ve been a Co-op member @ Wright Brothers for a number of years. Charles Hadron is a great resource and I have learned a lot from him.

Jacob_R_59

unworthy1

I had a "bike boom" TdF (maybe a '71, it had the "willow leaf" stay caps plus Simplex DOs with hanger and "thumb", the 1752-1753 pair). Great ride but this poor frame had a long history of being passed among a bunch of us kids who knew each other from high school, and were not very kind to it. Along that way somebody forced a Campy NR RD into the unthreaded Simplex hole and it stayed in place (sort of) but the hole was too bunged up to tap properly.
So when this bike became mine I eventually took it to Ed Litton for a repaint and he had the Campy repair part (replacement hanger plus enough extra metal for attaching) so he BRAZED it onto the prepared Simplex DO (did not TiG weld it) and that worked like a champ, new paint hid the repair seam, too.
Even with the Campy/Simplex hybrid DO I eventually fitted a Sun Tour cyclone RD...wish I kept that bike but needed rent money one day more than the TdF.
YMMV

Sidebar: wonder why some diehard fanatic hasn't started 3-D printing plastic replacements for all the Delrin Simplex parts? No money in it I'm sure but nuttier enterprises are undertaken every week! Could use something (perhaps) with potentially longer lifespan than Delrin, like ABS (maybe)

bulgie 

Minor correction, Wright Brothers owner is Charles Hadrann. Hadrons are what they collide at the LHC.
I agree he's a good guy to know.
I proudly display my Wright Brothers embroidered patch with the slogan "Eat Shift and Die" on my toolbox.

Mark B

Jacob_R_59 

Hadrann, NOT Hadron. Got it. Now, to change my iPhone address book…🙄

Jacob_R_59 

Believe or not, I’d like to start with the red plastic Criterium rear derailleur pivot spring covers.

But talk about a TINY market!

😱🤣😂😅

Jacob_R_59

Jacob_R_59 

Hi Folks, a bit more progress to report.

Nelson Miller’s superb Gitane TDF restoration with Cycle-Art paint. A spectacular bike in every sense of the word.

I don’t know if Classic Rendezvous member and respected NW collector Nelson Miller is a Forum member, but he set the bar pretty high on restorations with his Gitane TDF with Cycle-Art repaint. Nelson if you read this, I hope you don’t mind my posting a picture of your fantastic Gitane TDF. I wish I’d bought when you were selling it!

With a 60cm top tube, why is my Gitane’s stem so short?


Notably his restoration has all metal Super LJ derailleurs (driveline rear dropout without hanger😱), Campagnolo hubs and 3ttt stem. Nelson also omitted any foil stickers and the decals are buried under several layers of clear.

This Gitane differs markedly from the catalog specs and in all cases these differences are improvements.

Here are some of the upgrades my TDF will incorporate:

1) 3ttt 120mm stem, just like Nelson’s (eBay).
2) 42cm Phillippe Franco Italia handlebars (eBay)
3) Idéale 90 saddle with Idéale micro-adjust clamp with alloy post (eBay).
4) Simplex Criterium FD (eBay).
5) Simplex LJ 1000 Delrin/Steel RD. My searches on eBay UK and France have so far failed to locate an all metal LJ or Super LJ RD with a hanger. Incroyable! 🤬
5) Rear triangle spread from 120 to 126mm, to accomodate my rebuilt tubular wheels.
6) Fork steerer tube reamed out to 22.2 to take my 3ttt stem.

Thanks for reading and all of the support, guidance & encouragement!

Jacob_R_59

Mr. 66

I have a good metal rear derailleur, but someone pointed out that my rear derailleur is cracked.

I do have an unbroken front derailleur if you have that need,

I probably have another plastic rear with hanger but that is a deeper dive in the the rusting mass. I have another spare metal rear but that one has lost some of the spring action, that may or may not be serviceable.

oneclick 

Sand the stem; it may not even need much.

bulgie 

Or get a 3ttt stem in 22.0 mm. They did make them; somewhat rare now though. I have one, but it's too short for you.
Or Cinelli. I have a true (not sanded down) 22.0 Cinelli 1A, 12 cm, that I'd sell for $95. Old logo, almost new, a "take-off" (one small insertion mark, but never ridden).
The "Peugeot" (decaled as Atax, but it looks like Phillippe to me) in the pic is also for sale, $75, New never mounted, 12 cm. The Peugeot stickers can come off so as not to offend your Gitane.
Sorry about the high prices but they're my size and I like having them, not eager to sell. I notice the two French 1A stems currently on ebay are asking over $160, and they're too short for you.
EDIT: a better ebay search turns up 5 of them, ranging from $100 to almost $300.



The two Phillippe stems in the pic are too old for your bike, both being from the'50s. Or maybe the steel one is even older, but they did still make steel ones in the '50s I think.

Mark B

Jacob_R_59 

Thank you for the kind offer of the 120mm stems. Let me think about it.

The 120mm 22.2 3ttt I have is somewhat misshaped around it’s shaft. I should measure it with calipers as it might already have been sanded down.

I’m out running errands and I’ll measure the shaft diameter when I get home.

Thanks, Folks-as always!

Jacob_R_59

Mr. 66

I found two of the fronts, and detail shots of the better



I may have a cleaner clamp in the bucket, I'll have to look later for that. I'll load pictures of the rear hopefully today.