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My lovely find 
PostPosted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 7:05 am Reply with quote
MiloFrance
Joined: 18 Aug 2014
Posts: 12
Location: France
So I found this on the interweb, and bought it. I was the second enquiry but the first guy didn't turn up. All the lugs, cable guides, chrome etc don't match anything I've yet found on the web, but very happy with it.

https://plus.google.com/photos/110750286229279612895/albums/6048959875674563201?authkey=CNLq3Mu5_oa9dw



I was about to go for a ride on Sunday when the tyre wall blew, but the 100m I did do felt lovely! New tyres and tubes on the way...[/img]

_________________
Brompton
Edge Mango (Custom SS welded by Carl Strong in Montana)
1998 Colnago Titanio with ll the original chorus gruppo
Not a Gitane but Pretty frame with wrong decals
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 1:34 pm Reply with quote
vonfilm
Joined: 15 Jan 2014
Posts: 13
Location: Austin, Texas
Very nice.
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Nice Find 
PostPosted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 2:14 pm Reply with quote
verktyg
Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 2814
Location: SF Bay Area
Miles,

It certainly is a nice find, but...

Breaker of hearts, bearer of bad news: It's not a Gitane frame.

Two reasons:

1. I've never seen a Gitane with Nervex DuBois lugs. Peugeot oi, Gitane non.





Gitane used Bocama or Prunat lugs.










2. Gitane didn't use fluted seat stay caps like on your frame.








I don't know what make the frame is but the Reynolds 531SL forks could be from a top end Gitane or Peugeot from the late 1970s or early 1980s.

Whoever repainted it used some replacement 1984 Gitane decals from Cyclomondo in Australia.

Ride it and have fun... Don't worry about the heritage, Just call it a 30+ year old royal "batard". Wink

_________________
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 Aug 20, 2014 1:19 pm Reply with quote
MiloFrance
Joined: 18 Aug 2014
Posts: 12
Location: France
Well that explains a lot! I was starting to get suspicious not being able to find a match in either US or EU catalogues. I'd love to know what it is, but with only a frame number its not likely. The weight is good, so I'm still hopeful its a 531 frame and the respray decals are genuine. The fork spacing is 90mm I found yesterday afternoon, so the plot thickens. Is there a 'batard Français' section in the forum? Rolling Eyes

_________________
Brompton
Edge Mango (Custom SS welded by Carl Strong in Montana)
1998 Colnago Titanio with ll the original chorus gruppo
Not a Gitane but Pretty frame with wrong decals
View user's profile Send private message
 
PostPosted: Wed Aug 20, 2014 5:20 pm Reply with quote
verktyg
Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 2814
Location: SF Bay Area
MiloFrance wrote:
... I'd love to know what it is, but with only a frame number its not likely. The weight is good, so I'm still hopeful its a 531 frame and the respray decals are genuine. The fork spacing is 90mm I found yesterday afternoon, so the plot thickens. Is there a 'batard Français' section in the forum?


She is more of a bâtarde Français'... Wink

Judging by the quality of the frame work it's made out of premium quality alloy steel tubing like Reynolds 531, Columbus or Super Vitus.

The Reynolds 531 Extra Légère decal (531SL en anglais) on the fourche looks original so that would date it to somewhere between 1975 and 1982.

Le cadre was probably also made of Reynolds 531SL (531 Extra Légère) tubing so it should be a rally nice riding bike.

Reynolds 531SL tubing was about 200g to 400g lighter than the 531 tubing used on most production bikes.

90mm front hub spacing was used on some time trail bikes during the early 1980s. Those hubs are real batards - 90mm hubs were only made for a few years.

I want to say that the frame is a high end Peugeot - it screams Peugeot except for the fluted seat stay caps (chapeau du hauban???).

It's most likely a custom built frame made by a constructeur or else a private label frame made for a small bike shop.

One dark night it was left in a basket at the doorway of an orphelinat (orphanage). Crying or Very sad

_________________
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 Aug 20, 2014 11:57 pm Reply with quote
MiloFrance
Joined: 18 Aug 2014
Posts: 12
Location: France
Would it be beyond the bounds of possibility that the 8123003 serial number, if it is a small builder could be 1981, week 23, 3rd frame built?
I think it might be a forlorn hope to find out, but I'll keep looking... Wink

_________________
Brompton
Edge Mango (Custom SS welded by Carl Strong in Montana)
1998 Colnago Titanio with ll the original chorus gruppo
Not a Gitane but Pretty frame with wrong decals
View user's profile Send private message
My lovely find 
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