Sedgemop 

Continuing to make room for home renovations, so I'm parting with one I thought was permanent. Was almost done building it up for winter service, but here it is for sale. It's a 1972 Gitane Tour de France. Includes 24.5" Reynolds 531 frame, Mafac Racer brakes, Pivo stem and bars, SR crank and Huret cable guides. Frame measures 24.5" center to center seat tube and 22.5" top tube.

$150 plus actual shipping via Bikeflights, or Shipbikes.
SOLD.

Lots of good and bad here.

The good:
Frame is straight and has no dents or dings..
Mafac brakes have new pads and cables and work as well as these things ever work. Still some remnants of the original brake hoods too.
New chain with quick link, and new shifter cables and housing.
Newish bar tape.
Bottom bracket was serviced recently.
Pivo stem is free of cracks. Ridden the bike for a couple years with no problem. I'll inspect the stem for cracks again before shipping.
Chrome is in good shape throughout, with no signs of flaking that I can see.
It's a great riding bike that can be left as is for everyday use, or can be restored. I really enjoyed riding it.

The bad:
The paint is obviously in bad shape. Scratches and flaking all around, and big sections of paint loss on the fork. Paint is mostly gone from fork.
Decals are in poor shape. 531 logo is just a shadow and TdF decal is mostly gone. Other foil decals show heavy wear.
Pivo stem needs monitoring for cracks.

Sedgemop 

Sedgemop 

Please let me know if you'd like to see more photos.

mountaindave 

I can’t look… must resist… must maintain D-1 status… too many projects…

Sedgemop 

The enablers say, "Do it!.".

Sedgemop 

By request, here are some dropout photos.

mountaindave 

Interesting rear dropout. I’ve not seen a TdF of this vintage without a hanger. Not that it didn’t happen, the French were known to kick out whatever they had on hand when supplies ran out during the bike boom. It wasn’t drewed off, was it?The rest of the bike looks like it fits 1972 fairly well.

Sedgemop 

No evidence of dropout being drewed that I can see.

Sedgemop 

My understanding, and I think I read it here in a thread, is that some boom era TdF's did have dropouts with no hanger.

cudak888 

It definitely looks like a stamped-and-milled Simplex dropout that never had an integrated hanger from factory.

By comparison, here's an integrated hanger Simplex dropout on my own TdF. It is clearly a completely different, forged design.



The OP's hangerless frameset makes for a great IGH build candidate!

-Kurt

mountaindave 

No accusation intended, my apologies if it came across that way. You are correct. All things were possible when they were cranking them out at breakneck speed.

mountaindave 

You shut your mouth stop your typing!

cudak888 

Time to give the Super Course conversions some competition. 😈

-Kurt

Slowride79

Nice frame set! If I’m not mistaken, according to @juvela in a past mercier post, thr rear drop outs are not stamped but forged. See simplex catalog ref 881

trouble adding catalog pic so linking some verktyg wisdom

https:/www.flickr.com/photos/28267220@N05/6795498318

I believe the handlebars are sagging ; notice how levers are not parallel. Would like experts to weigh in. If so would not recommend handlebars for anything but display.

Sedgemop 

No worries, man. No offense taken. Not too serious about all this. It's just talking about bikes, after all.

mountaindave 

My handlebars on my TdF of the same vintage look the same. Like the hangerless dropout, looks original.

mountaindave 

I wonder if @SirMike 1983; still has those SA hubs for sale…

Sedgemop 

Pending sale on the Gitane.

Flying G

What derailleur are you using with your Gitane TDF? I'm rebuilding a TDF with the same rear dropout. Thx!

cudak888 

Selling the frameset so not using anything with it, but it came with a damaged Simplex Composit on it. I'd always recommend a Simplex LJ or Super LJ (SLJ) variant if the budget accommodates, or at least the more budget-minded SX-series RD on it.

Would recommend looking through the RD's on Velobase for some of the models that fit the Simplex-specific hanger (the ones with a bolt from the left side): https://velobase.com/ListComponents....c-5455bed87cd7

-Kurt

Flying G

I agree that the LJ or Super LJ rds are pretty nice but don't they all require a tab on the dropout?

cudak888 

Campagnolo and Huret have tabs on the dropout (clocked differently per brand). Simplex has the tabs on the derailer.

-Kurt

Flying G

Perfect - thanks!

Sedgemop 

Gitane is sold. Thanks everybody.