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Frenchbuilt

Got back to US for a quick vacation and finally took my old TDF from the barn in Napa.

It has been there for 25 years and very well used but dry and in good shape.

I bought it to replace the Gran Sport in 1973 when I was 15 and right away took off the stickers and the plastic seat and put on a new Ideale 90. I also broke the Pivo and changed to a Cinelli stem and bars. And, at the time, I liked red and changed some of the cable housings and tape. Everyone had Campy sidepulls but I put on low budget Weinnmann which worked great and out braked anyone in the Santa Cruz mountains where the bike spent most of its life.

The wheelsets were changed several times because of storm drains and pot holes -front Campy/Mavic, rear Normandy/Mavic.

I took advice from the forum and bought 3 for $50 tubulars, rim tape and the bike will be on the road within the week.

I have a repro sticker set and all of the original type white cables and tape.

Maybe will put it back to this look. Don,t know.

So, thats it.

Dan

verktyg

Dan,

Nice 1972 TdF "barn bike.

At the end of 2007 I picked up 2 "barn" bikes in the same condition as your TdF: a 1967 all original PX-10 and an almost all original 1969 TdF. They both had been in storage for 20-25 years and like yours, it showed.

I cleaned up the PX-10 and made it ridable. The TdF I overhauled, cleaned, polished and touched up.

Here's how they looked when I got then home (after vacuuming most of the loose dust off).

Before - The bar tape was falling off of the PX-10

After a little cleaning

Now here's the seek beauty, before

After

The TdF is such a nicer riding bike than the PX-10 that I haven't had it out in over a year!

BTW, are you still planing on coming over?

PM me.

Gtane

Dan,

Nice bike. I really like it when they're extracted from dusty dark corners to return to former (and new) glory days. It looks like it doesn't need much.

Enjoy that next spin.

Tim