gitaneusa.com :: View topic - 83 Gitane Sprint

urbanseeds

83 Gitane Sprint on FGG to view for those who like fixed gears. The guy did a good job making an 83 look 73 to me.

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2007/nov/1/ZackStewart.htm

zackcyclesgitane

Hey, that's my bike! I am hopelessly obsessed with it. I always want something to work on on it, but there's not much left to do. I took off the "decals" on the fork, top tube, and seat tube to make it look a little cleaner. I could never remove the "Cycles Gitane" on the downtube though. I walk around all day mouthing the phrase "Cycles Gitane". One day it may drive me insane.
I am thinking about grinding off the leftover braze-ons, but it sort of feels like grinding off it's road-race heritage. Anyone have advice? Is grinding mutilation?

sandranian · Site Admin

Zack...First, I will chide you breifly and in good nature for removing decals. Shame on you! Most here strive to be purists with regards to Gitane bicycles, specially one in such fine condition like yours.

That being said...and all handwringing aside...I am just happy that you are enjoying your Gitane and it isn't relegated to a dump somewhere! Besides, it does look great, the way it has been rebuilt by you. And obviously you appreciate Gitane bicycles.

Personally, I feel grinding and hacking is "mutilation". Before you go grinding anything off of it, consider that you may find a true track frame at some point, and may want to (some years in the future) build this into a geared bicycle, at which time you may regret grinding stuff off. On the other hand...maybe you won't, and it is your bike...so while I personally would recommend that you didn't, if it floats your boat, then go for it.

My two cents.

Paul Wiseman

Even if you grind them off, it will leave a mess that needs to be painted. Then your decals are history.

I have used a set of Campagnolo gear cable bosses (for ergo shifters). The polished ones look best. Just unscrew the adjuster barrel all the way ou and then mount them on the wrong side. ie left on the right, and right on the left, so that the smallest cable hole is now facing upward. Just looks a bit neater. It will still be obvious that you are using a roadie as a fixie, but instead of raw fittings, you have a neat cap.

urbanseeds

Zack,

These guys around here are Gitane Purist!

It's your bike, do what ever you want with it!

That being said, LISTEN to these guys. Don't grind anything off and don't remove the decals. If you remove your decals your bike will look like every other bike on FGG...do you really want that? Those Gitane stickers make your fixie unique. Search the FGG gallery and tell me how many Gitanes you find in the gallery. There are probably only a couple.

here's my Gitane Fixie
http://urbanseedsaz.blogspot.com/2007/11/gitane-gypsy-fixie.html

zackcyclesgitane

Well thanks for the advice, everyone. And, Urbanseeds, your bike is absolutely beautiful. I have always wondered if twisted spokes sqeak though?
The bike is staying as is, at least until I get a TDF so that I know I will have a geared Gitane option. I don't think I could get into a real track bike for the road. Race geometry is as harsh a ride as I could want.

Oh, and to veer off topic, in the FGG post I mention that I flipped the bearing retainers around on my bottom bracket to slightly change the bearings' rolling surface. Has anyone tried this? I can't see any reason why it would cause problems, and it saved me having to buy a new axle.

verktyg

During the Great American Bike Boom which lasted from 1970 until early 1975, about 24 million "Light Weight" derailleur bikes were sold in the US. The large majority of those were domestically produced "gas pipe" kid killers with 26x1/3/8 tires sold mostly through department stores.

Of the millions of imported light weight derailleur bikes with 27x1 /4 tires they were mainly from Europe but later some came from Japan. They too were made of "gas pipe" tubing but most of them had lugged frame construction. These light weights weighed in around 28 to 34 lbs.

Of all of the bikes sold the US during that period never more than a few percent where quality models made Reynolds, Columbus or other make of butted frame tubes, alloy wheels, cranks and so on.

The first thing that we looked at when checking out a bike was the derailleur hanger. Most better quality bikes had Campy style rear dropouts with an integral derailleur hanger boss.

If you've ever been out in the wind and rain trying to change a rear wheel then you appreciate the integral gear hangars. The cheap old bolt-on plates holding the derailleur onto the dropout invariably would fall out when you removed the rear wheel the chain would twist and the derailleur would wrap around the freewheel. You're standing there trying to hold the bike in one hand and get the wheel out with the other. You'd get covered with dirty grease and you were a mess by the time you got the wheel back in.

The cost of even Campy dropouts added less than $5.00 to the cost of the bike. We imported bikes made to our specs and it was a real battle getting those cheap $^(%(&*&* to build mid price range bikes with good dropouts.

I have an English Mercian frame form that era built with DB Reynolds 531 tubing, nice lugwork and paint but it still has stamped steel dropouts without a derailleur hanger. Bike manufacturers were CHEAP!

My argument is there are probably less than 250,000 quality bikes from the Bike Boom era left in the US and many of those are in bad condition.
Most of the Fixie riders that I've come across have just graduated up from a skate board and seem to have the same mentality or lack of it as their sidewalk shredder brethren.

They take and butcher up a nice bike that they have no understanding about and when the fad ends or they graduate from school the Fixie gets thrown in a dumpster.

The Fixie phenomena is not a fad? In Portland they are called "fakengers" - wannabe working class heros on their coffee ride to the local Starbucks with their "Messinger Bags"... that's not a fad?

The worst part about these fools is the way the ride around in traffic irritating drivers who are just looking for a reason to disregard cyclists.

It's their bike but I don't have to have or show any respect to the fools. And yes, I used to ride fixed fear track bikes on the road for training rides.

Chas.

sandranian · Site Admin

Ouch! Scathing review!

I agree that the current fixie thing is a fad, and I am sure that no one would disagree. However, I don't think it is a bad thing at all. Let's put it this way: I never had ANY kids gawking at my old bikes before this year. Now, when the garage is open, I get offers for my track bike from 13 year old kids. Of course, they don't know about the bikes, nor can they appreciate them, due to the lack of knowledge. But it starts a conversation, during which I then get to talk about the beauty of Campagnolo track chain wheels, etc. Remember: everyone came into the sport for some reason or another, and at least some of these "fixie" people will stay, which is great. Even my daughter (16) is now regretting that she didn't take me up on my offer to buy her a racing bike some years ago, and has expressed interest in a fixie.

With regards to the current post and the bicycle in question, please don't read my post as directly aimed at you AT ALL. I don't know about your history with bicycles, and there certainly isn't anything wrong with a fixed gear. I like the bags, the style, the bikes...etc. I was a bit bummed out to see that a girl who I had recognized on a 1970's Peugeot fixed conversion had painted the bike...what a shame...but otherwise, most of these bikes would be in the dump (i.e. at least someone over the age of 15 was riding a bike!).

And look at it this way: In a few years, there are going to be a crap-load of cheap track bikes available!

I don't care what they are riding (as long as it isn't a mountain bike or bmx!!!).

zackcyclesgitane

verktyg.
I ride a fixed gear for two reasons:

1) I got my bike from the dump, where it was rusting away in the rain with a 27" front wheel and no pedals, and I can't afford much more than a track cog.

2) I have severe exercise-related asthma, as well as chronic bronchitis. I always wanted to ride a bike, but all bike riding was excruciating for me, because my asthma kicks in when I take a breather. Any pause, and my lungs start tightening and filling with fluid. Fixed gears offer no coasting, therefore, for me at least, much less wheezing. Also, because I'm hammering up hills at low RPM rather than spinning a granny gear, the work is less aerobic. I ride with a brake, so that I don't have to resist the pedals at crazy aerobic RPMs on the down-slope. Fixed gear is a LOT easier for me. Asthma rates are skyrocketing. Perhaps others have discovered this too.
Since I have started riding, now that I've found a way that works for me, I have gotten much fitter, and I am considering riding my 10-speed Univega Gran Turismo. Fixed gear is a gateway bike for a lot of people who would never have considered cycling.
You can argue that I just didn't "put my mind to it" with geared bikes, but I'm afraid you would sound a lot like the soccer coach I had at age 7, who told me the same thing and put me in the hospital.

And my final point: cubism was trendy, and without cubism the MoMA would be full of nothing but Impressionist paintings.

urbanseeds

Zack,

I haven't noticed any squeaking or noise from the twisted spokes. I wanted something a little different from the next guy. The only problem now is the Gitane is a little more desired by others so I have to make sure I lock it up in a safe spot.

Don't stress about FIXING your Gitane. Without guys like us these Gitanes would be rotting in the dump or someone's garage.

It's your bike.
Recycle, then cycle.

zackcyclesgitane

i won't stress about fixing. one day something that really begs for a full restoration will come along when i have money and my karma will be restored.

so no input on flipping bearings anyone?

and by the way sandranian, even if it was a painted peugot, is there anything in the world better than a girl on a french bike? hell no.

sandranian · Site Admin

That is why I said "a bit bummed out"...not completely....

Wink

verktyg

verktyg · Last edited by verktyg on Wed Dec 05, 2007 9:34 am; edited 1 time in total

verktyg