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1972 grand sport deluxe 
PostPosted: Tue Oct 16, 2012 4:12 am Reply with quote
peazweag
Joined: 14 Oct 2012
Posts: 13
Location: albany oregon
Found this beauty at a yard sale a couple of weeks ago for a mere $5.00.After bringing it home did the usual tear down & clean added a set of fenders new wheels and tires and my trusty brooks b72 .Now I have a real nice daily rider.




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PostPosted: Tue Oct 16, 2012 7:26 am Reply with quote
sandranian
Site Admin
Joined: 27 Feb 2006
Posts: 2701
Location: Southern California
Great story! Thanks for sharing, and enjoy your 'new' Gitane!

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Stephan Andranian
Costa Mesa, CA
www.gitaneusa.com
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 16, 2012 7:35 am Reply with quote
scozim
Joined: 26 Sep 2008
Posts: 629
Location: Ellensburg, WA
Looks like it cleaned up very nicely. Wish I could find a $5 garage sale Gitane.

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1984 Gitane Sprint
1984 Gitane Tour de France
mid-1970's Gitane Olympic
Plus many more
http://eburgcycling.blogspot.com
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 16, 2012 8:56 am Reply with quote
bdbiker1
Joined: 27 Aug 2012
Posts: 11
Location: Harrisburg, PA
5 bucks for a used bike period, much less a Gitane is a killer deal!!! Congrats!

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BDBiker

1971 Gitane Tour De France
1980 Tricolore
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 16, 2012 11:35 am Reply with quote
NebraskaGuy
Joined: 25 Aug 2012
Posts: 23
Location: Lincoln, NE
There have been a few forum members who have found great deals lately.

I wonder who's next to find gold!

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Russ

Ah! To feel the wind in my hair . . .
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My 1st Gitane 
PostPosted: Tue Oct 16, 2012 9:13 pm Reply with quote
verktyg
Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 2814
Location: SF Bay Area
My first Gitane was an orange 1972 Gran Sport just like yours. Wink

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Chas.
SF Bay Area, CA USA
==============
1984 Criterium
1969 TdF
1971 TdF
1974 TdF
1984 TdF x 2 Bikes
1970 SC
1971 SC
1972 SC
1984 SC
1984 Team Pro
1985 Professional
1990s Team Replica
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 3:34 am Reply with quote
peazweag
Joined: 14 Oct 2012
Posts: 13
Location: albany oregon
Thanks for all the compliments.I sure enjoy riding it,rides straight & true. :DIt has shimano 500 deraillers and shimano unishifters on it,the simplex stuff was beyond repair and I had the shimano stuff in the parts bin and its close to the same era.I will probably put some huret parts on it when I find some.What huret derailleurs should I be looking for that would go with the vintage of this bike. Thanks for all your kind words Gary in OREGON.
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Gran Sport Derailleurs 
PostPosted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 12:42 pm Reply with quote
verktyg
Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 2814
Location: SF Bay Area
Gary,

Gitane used the Gran Sport frames unchanged from the late 60s until at least the mid 70s. In 1974 they switched from the foil decals like on your bike to the green or yellow plastic film style.

The demand for components during the bike boom of the early 70s overwhelmed the French manufacturers.

Many were using machinery that predated WWII. That added to the number of holidays plus the whole country closed down for the entire month of August compounded the problem and opened the doors to the Japanese manufacturers.

We never knew what derailleurs, brakes or hubs were on the Gran Sport bikes until we opened the shipping boxes! Confused


The most common derailleurs used on the Gitane Gran Sports imported into the US were the Simplex Prestige models.

Next were Huret Allvit derailleurs. The French thought highly of the Allvit derailleurs as did Schwinn.



If they were kept well oiled and adjusted plus matched with good quality derailleur cables they shifted almost satisfactorily (this was rarely the case on bikes in the US). Rolling Eyes

By 1973 some Gitane Gran Sports were coming with Suntour derailleurs which worked great! Very Happy


They were equipped with MAFAC Racers, Weinmann or Dia-Compe centerpull brakes. On occasion they came with Weinmann sidepulls plus other less common makes.


Hubs were usually Normandy quick release large flange hubs but sometimes they came with nutted Normandy large flange, Atom nutted small flange or Pelissier quick release or nutted 3 piece hubs or Pelissier nutted 3 piece small flange hubs.

They used wing nuts on the nutted hubs for a while then I guess the US lawyers forced a change to hex nuts.

I'd try to find some period correct Suntour derailleurs because they work well and they're bullet proof!

Clear as mud, eh?

BTW, Gitane used the same frame for quite a few different European models.


Last edited by verktyg on Wed Oct 17, 2012 2:28 pm; edited 1 time in total

_________________
Chas.
SF Bay Area, CA USA
==============
1984 Criterium
1969 TdF
1971 TdF
1974 TdF
1984 TdF x 2 Bikes
1970 SC
1971 SC
1972 SC
1984 SC
1984 Team Pro
1985 Professional
1990s Team Replica
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 2:16 pm Reply with quote
scozim
Joined: 26 Sep 2008
Posts: 629
Location: Ellensburg, WA
peazweag wrote:
Thanks for all the compliments.I sure enjoy riding it,rides straight & true. :DIt has shimano 500 deraillers and shimano unishifters on it,the simplex stuff was beyond repair and I had the shimano stuff in the parts bin and its close to the same era.I will probably put some huret parts on it when I find some.What huret derailleurs should I be looking for that would go with the vintage of this bike. Thanks for all your kind words Gary in OREGON.


Personally I'd go Suntour - but that's just me.

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1984 Gitane Sprint
1984 Gitane Tour de France
mid-1970's Gitane Olympic
Plus many more
http://eburgcycling.blogspot.com
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Thanks for the replies,and heres some more pictures 
PostPosted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 6:36 pm Reply with quote
peazweag
Joined: 14 Oct 2012
Posts: 13
Location: albany oregon
I apperciate all the replies,just put on a ESGE rear rack & kick stand.As far as the derailleurs go I think I'm just going to stick with the shimano 500s they are about the right era and they work great. Gary


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PostPosted: Thu Oct 18, 2012 5:56 am Reply with quote
bdbiker1
Joined: 27 Aug 2012
Posts: 11
Location: Harrisburg, PA
I love the fenders!

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BDBiker

1971 Gitane Tour De France
1980 Tricolore
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1972 grand sport deluxe 
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