Pcampeau

A rainy day off from work, I found this Gitane on Marketplace for $100 so I’ll be spending the rest of the day and the next few days cleaning and rehabbing with fresh grease, bearings, tires, cables, a new chain and tape. The seller inherited this from his late brother but he is not a bike person and had no interest in keeping it. He explained to me that he didn’t know anything about bikes but that he’s sure it’s been sitting unused for 20 to 30 years. The bike has surface rust and paint issues but I’m going to get it roadworthy this week so I can ride it a bit and find out if it’s a keeper. I’ll handle the paint and decals later if I like the bike. Despite the rust and grime the bike is in good condition and I do like most of the components.

Here it is as found.



Wheels are the alternate option Campagnolo Tipo high flange instead of Normandy Competition. I like that they’re laced to 700c Weinmann clincher rims instead of tubular. I enjoy riding and repairing tubular tires but still, I’m extremely slow at actually getting around to dealing with them when they puncture. Missing the campagnolo skewer on the rear, I think have one somewhere.

Really dirty but everything seems in order with the front wheel and the rims are straight.

The chrome has some minor rust but it’s not too bad, nothing a little aluminum foil and chrome polish can’t handle. It’s pitting but not flaking.

Very very grimy!



Here is the worst of the rust that I can see but there is more in other places.

I’m not sure what this saddle is but it’s quite dusty. It seems to be built a bit like an Ideale 80 Type Record but I’ve found no markings whatsoever. It’s hard as a rock but I’m hoping it’s salvageable. I’ll try cleaning it and giving it a light proofide treatment.

It’s my understanding that typically the Tour De France came with Simplex dropouts, mine are Campagnolo so I’m not quite sure what to make of that. I guess for now I’ll chalk that up to bike boom parts availability, unless someone knows something else about that?

Front derailleur and shift levers are Campagnolo, rear is Suntour V.

Pcampeau

A couple of pics from the front. Serial number thus far not found.

merziac

Very, very grimy = preserved, think cosmoline, frame saver, etc.

juvela

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happily no damage

this is the first TdF of this era have can recall seeing to come through with Campag ends

the locknuts on the Tipos will give you a specific year




let us know if steerer NERVOR or Reynolds

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Maytag

The saddle might be a Henri Gauthier, I have a similar on my mid 70s Peugeot

bikingshearer 

Nice score. It should clean up nicely.

If and when you decide to get decals. Cylomondo is your source. The appropriate ones are in the Gitane page as part of "Gitane 3." I think they are technically stickers and not decals, but they look right and even this ham-fisted klutz can get them on and looking good. I've ordered from Greg twice (including for a Gitane TdF of similar vintage) and was quite pleased both times. And yes, he is in Australia, but no, it does not take forever to get them. Buy with confidence.

Schreck83 

Nice find and a color you don’t see often. Is that a shim for the seat post?

Pcampeau

Yes it is. To be exact it’s a gigantic 13 1/2” (bottom to seat clamp) steel seat post complete with a shim and fastened with an equally obnoxious 2” bolt. Look at this thing….it’s huge!



I can tell you with a thousand percent certainty that none of this crap pictured below will be going back on. At least it wasn’t stuck, nor was the stem.

Pcampeau

Thanks juvela, I’ll be sure and let you know about the steerer tomorrow when I get to my shop and remove the headset.

juvela

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another item helpful to bracket a specific date for the machine is the chainset

sometime in the later part of 1971 or very early 1972 Ets. Verot-Perrin made an alteration in the design of the arms for the model ninety-three

additional material was added around the pedal hole

we first saw the "Mk.II" or "G2" edition come through in the U.S. on new cycles about mid-year 1972

this image courtesy of VB illustrates the two types

the drive side arm is the Mk.I type and the non-drive side arm is the Mk.II type -




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Pcampeau

The steerer does not indicate Reynolds or NERVOR.

Pcampeau

Well, I’ve spent several hours over a few days trying to clean up this frame. This may be the most difficult frame to clean I’ve ever encountered. The grime was caked on thick and took many hours of scrubbing with dish soap, a toothbrush, and rags. I’ve managed to get it looking presentable but there are still some issues. I’m having trouble removing this red sticker and there is a spot on the down tube where a glue or maybe sap type substance has been stuck for a very long time. It appears as though someone long ago tried removing that substance and pulled some paint away with it as it’s a bit rusty in that exact spot.

I’ll need a bit more heat than a hairdryer kicks out to get this removed.

The paint is kind of fragile, I think I’ll leave this glue spot alone for a bit until I decide if the bike is a keeper.

In addition to cleaning, I’ve managed to service the bottom bracket and headset and both are moving smoothly.

a real highlight is the condition of the chrome, the fork ends, crown, and stays all shined up beautifully!




Anyone know what this decal says? Not sure if it’s original to the bike or not.


I’ve also got the front wheel finished, it’s looking great and running smoothly. The locknuts have date codes of 71 and 72. I haven’t begun the rear wheel yet but the locknuts are non-Campagnolo replacements, so no date codes. The more I research the C&V archives the more convinced I am that it’s likely a 1972 model.

After servicing the hub, I could’ve spent more time polishing this but it’s quite a difference from where I began.



These are the clincher tires I’ll be using. I run Vittoria Corsa tubulars on a another set of wheels and they are my favorites. If riding these doesn’t convince me that I like the bike then nothing will.

Hopefully I can finish the other wheel today and start putting the parts back on.

juvela

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thank you for the update.

wonderful work there - you've got her coming along most nicely!

one product you could try for the hardened adhesive is called GooGone


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non-fixie 

It is original, and it says "émail luxe polymer".

Pogliaghi

Starting to look really nice. The lug work on that frame is very clean and well done.

verktyg 

Pcampeau Congratulations on your find... $100 Bucks! That's GRAND THEFT BIKE!

Per Mssr. juvela It is indeed a 1972 model TdF. Looks like a 64cm frame measured Center to Top. All original except for the derailleurs and shift levers, clincher rims, seatpost and Ideale 39 or similar ass hatchet saddle. Bike takes a 26.4mm seatpost.

The Suntour V rear derailleur was the standard upgrade on those bikes.... $6.00 retail! The PO splurged on the Campy FD and levers. Only problem is that the Suntour V RDs were limited to a 24T FW sprocket.

Carefully inspect the PIVO stem for any signs of cracking around the tops of the expander slots.



Use a small round file, Dremel tool or small drill bit to round out the top of the slot or slots to reduce the chances of a crack forming.



Clean out the inside of the steerer and hone or sand it smooth. When reinstalling, grease the inside of the steerer and the stem quill. The stem (and seatpost) should be inserted a minimum of 75mm - 80mm (3").

Don't go anywhere while I call the police! $100 Bucks indeed!!!

verktyg

verktyg 

Hmmm, never heard about that difference... Thanks, I'll have to check my tranche Stronglight 93 cranks...

verktyg

Pcampeau

Ah, I see it now. Thanks

Pcampeau

Thanks Verktyg! I did inspect the stem as I’ve seen many posts of yours regarding this and it isn’t cracked, but I will follow your instructions and drill a small relief hole.

KenNC

Looking great, I am eager to see it re-assembled and hear the results of your first ride!

Kabuki12

Nice find! That seat post reminds me of the one that came with a Stella that was gifted to me. Mine wasn’t shimmed but was very long and chrome plated steel like that. Your bike is looking nice , looking forward to seeing it all together and cleaned up.

Slowride79

Very nice bike! Easy with the heat! Heat is a tried and true method of removing paint. As well as what Juvela mentioned (goof off which I have no experience with myself on bikes) , lighter fluid can be used to free up the sticker and remove residue.

I think the handlebars are sagging? Does anyone else see this ? Levers do not appear vertical and bars appear to slope as you look on either side of stem. If this is the case , I personally would replace the bars and potentially the stem as well as it would indicate a lot of stress over the life of that bike in those areas. I leave to the experts to make determination.

Pcampeau

Yes, I inspected the bars yesterday and I’m quite suspicious that they may be sagging. As I looked through old TDF threads on Bike Forums I didn’t see any other examples of handlebars that look shaped like mine. I’ll be using something else.

juvela

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wrt stem & bar stock -

if you wish to stay French and period correct suggest you look into Philippe

their products were more rigid than the AVA and PIVO materials at this time

it is quite common to see French alloy bars from this era "drooping" and exhibiting "swimmers' shoulders"

a symptom which always give me concern; failures in this area are not trivial

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jonwvara 

That is a nice bike! As others have said, I would replace the bars and stem. The Campagnolo dropouts are a stroke of luck, since now you're not limited to Simplex derailleurs. Given that the chrome cleaned up so nicely, I would not consider redoing the paint--an old bike deserves to carry some patina.