1970 Gitane Tour de France Update
10-13-23, 09:00 PM
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1970 Gitane Tour de France Update
Waiting for a couple more items…🤔
Hi Folks,
The Gitane TDF renovation is in the “Waiting for Bits to arrive” phase. Forum member Bulgie offered me a 22.0 diameter 120mm Atax/Philippe stem, which I’ll pick up after he returns from vacation.
I ordered a complete set of replacement decals from Cyclomondo (thanks, Greg) and they’re en route from Australia.
I wanted to use Yokozuna’s French Ribbed Vintage cable housing but THAT’S out of stock until next January…🤷🏿♂️
My assortment of FD candidates. From left to right Criterium, SJA 102 and SLJA 522(?)
NOT the Delrin & alloy Super LJ the eBay France listing claimed it was. It was the Delrin & steel SX110…🙄
10-13-23, 09:12 PM
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Waiting for a couple more items…🤔
Hi Folks,
The Gitane TDF renovation is in the “Waiting for Bits to arrive” phase. Forum member Bulgie offered me a 22.0 diameter 120mm Atax/Philippe stem, which I’ll pick up after he returns from vacation.
I ordered a complete set of replacement decals from Cyclomondo (thanks, Greg) and they’re en route from Australia.
I wanted to use Yokozuna’s French Ribbed Vintage cable housing but THAT’S out of stock until next January…🤷🏿♂️
My assortment of FD candidates. From left to right Criterium, SJA 102 and SLJA 522(?)
NOT the Delrin & alloy Super LJ the eBay France listing claimed it was. It was the Delrin & steel SX110…🙄
Hi Folks,
The Gitane TDF renovation is in the “Waiting for Bits to arrive” phase. Forum member Bulgie offered me a 22.0 diameter 120mm Atax/Philippe stem, which I’ll pick up after he returns from vacation.
I ordered a complete set of replacement decals from Cyclomondo (thanks, Greg) and they’re en route from Australia.
I wanted to use Yokozuna’s French Ribbed Vintage cable housing but THAT’S out of stock until next January…🤷🏿♂️
My assortment of FD candidates. From left to right Criterium, SJA 102 and SLJA 522(?)
NOT the Delrin & alloy Super LJ the eBay France listing claimed it was. It was the Delrin & steel SX110…🙄
10-13-23, 09:14 PM
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Cyclomondo Decals
Yes, I ordered some of those Simplex decals as well! 👍🏿
10-13-23, 11:03 PM
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Good call on getting the decals from Cyclomondo. Greg is very reliable, and don't be surprised if he throws a little something extra in the envelope - he did when I bought a set of the same decals from him. (They look great, by the way.) They are not hard to apply, but read the directions through carefully - it's easy to do it right, but it also is not hard to screw it up if you aren't careful/
Nice project. Those Gitanes were good "bang for the buck" bikes.
Nice project. Those Gitanes were good "bang for the buck" bikes.
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10-14-23, 07:31 AM
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Does your TdF have the Carre-style willow leaf seat stay caps of the @ 68-70 models or the cut and bent swedged finish that came later?
Here is Carre-style:
Here is Carre-style:
10-14-23, 08:20 AM
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Cyclomondo & Carré
Carré style, “willow leaf” seatstay caps
I have bought decals from Cyclomondo for a number of years, but the Gitane renovation will be my first application of them. Greg Softley is great to buy from.
My TDF has the Carré style, willow leaf seatstay caps.
Jacob_R_59
10-14-23, 11:01 AM
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Those look like the swaged ones to me. Nice project, though. My first TdF, which I bought at age 16, was the same size and the same "criterium violet" color. Don't be too quick to destroy its nice patina with a refininish.
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Last edited by jonwvara; 10-14-23 at 11:07 AM.
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10-14-23, 11:42 AM
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The Simplex decals can also be used to adorn certain more modern derailers that have neutral metallic finishes instead of perhaps dark paint and colored plastic.
After positioning my upgraded 6s Uniglide freewheel to the minimum distance from the dropout that would still clear my cut-down claw-mount hardware, the old Simplex derailer just wouldn't pull outward with quite enough authority (due to it's age/wear, the B-tension being adjusted to clear 28t, but perhaps mostly due to the modern chain's flexibility).
So it was one of the aforementioned decals that allowed my invested axle re-spacing work to get along with a much better, newer derailer (my front mech already having been replaced by a cheap Aisian unit on my cheap Steyr-built Sears 10 Speed).
After positioning my upgraded 6s Uniglide freewheel to the minimum distance from the dropout that would still clear my cut-down claw-mount hardware, the old Simplex derailer just wouldn't pull outward with quite enough authority (due to it's age/wear, the B-tension being adjusted to clear 28t, but perhaps mostly due to the modern chain's flexibility).
So it was one of the aforementioned decals that allowed my invested axle re-spacing work to get along with a much better, newer derailer (my front mech already having been replaced by a cheap Aisian unit on my cheap Steyr-built Sears 10 Speed).
Last edited by dddd; 10-14-23 at 11:45 AM.
10-14-23, 12:53 PM
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I thought this Super Competition was safe to re-use, but it is cracked inside where the clamp hinge places the Delrin body in tension.
1972 PX10
...a surprise inside :-(
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10-14-23, 01:01 PM
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Simplex Delrin
Thank you for your thoughts. I’m finding the Delrin conundrum especially frustrating.
If there’s any upshot for this, I would say that Delrin is getting harder & harder to find.
Not necessarily a bad thing! 🙄🤷🏿♂️
If there’s any upshot for this, I would say that Delrin is getting harder & harder to find.
Not necessarily a bad thing! 🙄🤷🏿♂️
10-14-23, 03:12 PM
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The Delrin plastic usually fails in tension. Over-tightening the mounting clamp places the Criterium FD body in tension and cracks appear at the top.
I thought this Super Competition was safe to re-use, but it is cracked inside where the clamp hinge places the Delrin body in tension.
1972 PX10
...a surprise inside :-(
I thought this Super Competition was safe to re-use, but it is cracked inside where the clamp hinge places the Delrin body in tension.
1972 PX10
...a surprise inside :-(
one word to you…
“plastics” there’s a great future …
Last edited by repechage; 10-14-23 at 03:16 PM.
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10-14-23, 04:54 PM
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yea, those are the post- Carre-style when they simply cut a wedge out of seat stay tube and then bent it over and brazed shut. Not 1970.
10-14-23, 04:55 PM
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Here is close up of Carre-style willow leaf:
Last edited by Markeologist; 10-15-23 at 08:31 AM.
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