vintagerando

HI. Looking for some recommendations on handlebar wrap. I am using the tan Cane Creek replacement hoods. (One is pictured here). Gold handbar tape? There is a shiny gold wrap I've seen on Ebay that might work. This Gitane is blue-ish green; mid 1975s. Please make a recommendation. thanks.

MZilliox

Brown with brown saddle or for color, yellow or white for me. You used to see some blueish gitane bicycles w yellow tape back in the day.

juvela

you are on the right track with that silver-grey cable casing.

gold hb wrap will overpower the frame colour. should you wish to go with a colour in that direction a soft yellow, not too saturated, would be better.

white or even grey hb wrap would be more tasteful.

if you will be using toeclips you will want to coordinate strap hue as well.

those arrestors are a bit like fitting equipment from the starship enterprise to a tin lizzy. just mho.

Bikedued

Yellow or Navy blue. cloth though.,,,,BD


Take your pick, hehe....

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KZYvlnBvLN...watch_2014.png

vintagerando

what is an arrestor?

Bikedued

Brakes.,,,,BD

vintagerando

Still don't know what juvela is saying.

orcas island 

I owned a similar TDF in that same color and I thought that it looked good with white bar wrap. I agree with an earlier assessment that a subdued yellow would also look good. Those are nice bikes...

juvela

bright trim colours will just emphasize the so-so finish condition. resulting machine would look like exactly what it is: a well experienced velo that has been recently reworked with some fresh bits.

more muted hues will fit together far better.

jcoll003

Yellow on yellow, white on white, or brown on brown. I know the tape may be the wrong era for your frame, but this bike looks cool - would look better with a yellow saddle too, imo.

verktyg 

The first generation DuraAce brake levers that were about the same as Weinmann levers. Cane Creek took over Dia-Compe or something like that. Cane Creek Dia-Compe and Weinmann hoods fit the DuraAce levers.

Your bike is a late 1972 or early 1973 model Tour de France. They came with white cloth bar tape and cable housing.

Here's my mostly original 1971 TdF with thick factory installed bar tape,



Three Gitanes, 1974, 1984 and early 1990's.



verktyg

Chas.

sced

Pretty bike that'll look good no matter what you do. I kinda like the look of the two blues you already have. Anything else might look less artsy.

daf1009

Agree with the majority here...white or yellow...and...of course, it needs to be Newbaum's cloth with twining to finish!

jellyfishhh

I use gold tape in my gitane. This one is not the best tape for a bike that's been used often. Maibe the one you saw on ebay is softer.
View image: P1050572 kopi

rootboy 

I'll differ. I think black tape would look good with that color frame, which was called Match Blue, if I remember correctly.
White would look best I think but gets dirty quickly.

Grand Bois

You are not alone. Those look to me like brakes that date back to 1973. I had the same brakes on my TdF for a while, until I decided to keep it all French.

Be sure to put the brake cables behind the bars.

I don't think that the blue looks good.

lotek 

I'd go with either Navy Blue or Yellow as suggested.
Verktyg - the stem on thsi Gitane, Pivo?
I'd suggest check for cracks in the stem.

Marty

gaucho777 

Another vote for white cloth tape. Sure it may get dirty. Just put fresh tape on before each race.

non-fixie 

White cotton, wrapped in Anquetil style, with MAFAC brakes and levers. Slightly dirty looks best. Great bike, BTW.

uncle uncle

I would go blood red, matching the red in the Gitane logo. Use cotton wrap if you can put aside comfort for vanities sake; if you're actually going to ride the bike, then consider other materials that might supply a greater level of comfort. Blood red leather would be KA too. Paint the panto features in the stem blood red too, to give it some addition pizzazz and anchor. Off white cables, if you can find them, otherwise straight up white and let Father Time do his thing to blend them both (tape and cable housings) to a level appropriate to the age of the bike. With this, you have a red/white/blue Gitane, the same colors as the flag of it's homeland, but slightly faded, which basically states that you "always had it right". Vive la France and their bicycles!

Velocivixen

Neubaum's or other good cloth a must. With tan hoods black or charcoal grey.

verktyg 

Our fashion consultant has spoken...

Listen to women... They know what's cool looking!

verktyg

Chas.

Velocivixen

@verktyg - I'm sure it would look good a lot of ways. I just thought of tan hoods that would look good to contrast with something neutral & dark that won't be too "matchy-matchy". Unless you get colors perfectly matched, trying to match just looks too forced. I like the suggestion of the red to match the outline of the letters, however, for me the red cloth with tan hoods would bring the aesthetic visual focus to the bars & not the bike. Hard to say for sure though.

verktyg 

rootboy,

The 1970-1973 US Gitane catalog calls the color Match Blue.



During the foil decal ear from 1968 to 1973, almost all of the "blue" candy apple or flamboyant colored bikes that came into the US were sort of a dark turquoise blue like the OP's bike.



Gitane also used a darker blue color that was called "racing blue" or French Blue???



They used this color form many years on the European models and also the US bikes starting in 1974.




Because these "candy apple" colors were dyed clear lacquer applied over a white, silver or gold base coat they varied depending on the paint layer thickness. The bike boom colors were also prone to fading.



I used mid 80's Gitane racing colors on my blue bikes from that era but I think more subdued colors would go better the OP's bike.



But... fashion is such a personal thing so who am I to say?

verktyg

Chas.

verktyg 

Yes, it's a Pivo stem. This one looks like a good casting. Check out this link:

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...l#post18038464

Making the simple modification to the top of the expander split will help to reduce the possibility of the stem breaking off at the bottom. Also stems need to be inserted at least 75mm to 80mm (~3") into the steerer!

Millions of cast aluminum stems like these were produced between the 1940's and early 1970's. Most have worked without any problems... They're OK for casual use on smooth roads with lighter riders. For more demanding riding, I'd recommend a forged aluminum stem with modern alloy bars.

verktyg

Chas.