 |  | | | |  | |  |  | Red Gitane with Shimano 500? |  | |  |  | |
 Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 6:30 pm |
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| Flammer |
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| Joined: 11 Jun 2010 |
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I'm considering the above Gitane, which the owner claims to know nothing. It has Urai wheels and dia compe front and rear brakes.
Was such a model ever produced, or is it a bitsa to avoid?  |
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| Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 6:50 pm |
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| sandranian |
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| Joined: 27 Feb 2006 |
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| Location: Southern California |
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| Need more information...perhaps a picture? |
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| Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 8:00 pm |
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| Flammer |
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| Joined: 11 Jun 2010 |
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| Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 1:30 am |
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| Chaironea |
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| Joined: 07 Jun 2010 |
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| Location: N. Germany / Oldenburg |
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This is definitely not a production bike. The frame has mid 80s decals while the Shimano 500 is from the mid/late 70s. From the blue decal on the seat tube I would guess it is a vitus frame, but do not know what kind.
The wheels or at least the rims seem to be have been replaced (Shimano hubs would still fit with the used derailleurs, so they could be original). The seller himself says that the brake levers heve been replaced by aero levers, which have the cables routed under the bar tape instead of the long "clotheslines".
Another thing are the kind of wheels and crank used. Wheels with spoke protecting dishes and cranks with chainring protectors (or rather trouser protectors) are typically used on lower line bikes. So if the crank is original and the hubs have only been upgraded with new rims that would mean that this bike has never been an especially valuable piece.
That does not mean it is a bad bike to ride or that it's components are prone to failure, it just is a consideration to be kept in mind when thinking about the price one is prepared to pay for it.
All in all it is a bike in the Gitane tradition of just riding a frame with what is available and suits the purpose, meaning that this has probably never been a certain Gitane model but is now a very typical Gitane after some 25 years of use.
One last thing: This is a bike for someone who knows a little about maintenance of older bikes. If you know how to grease hubs, replace a chain, sprockets and chainrings, this could be a fine piece to work on and see in what shape you can get it again. If you prefer to give your bike to a mechanic for these things, it could be a bad idea because you cannot know how much you will have to spend one somebody elses working time in addition to the parts you will surely need. In that case you would be better off with a bike that you can inspect prior to purchase. |
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| Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 7:15 am |
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| verktyg |
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| Joined: 14 Jan 2007 |
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| Location: SF Bay Area |
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| Chaironea wrote: |
| This is definitely not a production bike. The frame has mid 80s decals while the Shimano 500 is from the mid/late 70s. From the blue decal on the seat tube I would guess it is a vitus frame, but do not know what kind. |
I think that you are correct - it looks like a pieced together bike.
The frame appears to be a lugless entry level 1984 Espirit in the US catalog...
http://www.gitaneusa.com/images/catalog/1984/Page_06.jpg
...or the equivalent 1984 Challenger model from the British catalog.
http://www.gitaneusa.com/images/catalog/1984/british/1984-British-catalogue0003.jpg
I Photoshopped the pictures a little and it has stamped steel dropouts and the rear derailleur is held on with a "claw" style hanger.
The threads are "probably" all inch standard on a 1984 bike but finding replacement parts if needed could be a bear. |
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_________________
Chas.
SF Bay Area, CA USA
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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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| Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 8:10 am |
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| vanhelmont |
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| Location: Florida |
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Chas, we used to judge quality of frames by whether they had lugs, and I'm sure this lugless design was mostly to save cost, but how much effect does it have on ride quality? If it really is vitus tubes, would it be a decent frame?
Also, you said finding parts could be a bear. Is that in case it is metric threads? If it's inch threads wouldn't common bottom brackets, headsets, etc. fit it?
Flammer, what do you want to do with a bike? If you just want to take short rides around the neighborhood, or put a rack on it to run errands, it should be fine. The parts on it should be functional, and they differ from the high end parts of the period mostly in weight.
If the aero brake levers were added later, somebody liked it enough to upgrade it in a way to do some more serious riding.
If you do ride an old bike much, you probably will end up doing some maintenance, but if you aren't afraid to pick up a wrench and get your hands dirty it isn't very difficult. There is plenty of info on the internet, and people here will help out if you get stuck on something. |
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| Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 12:59 pm |
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| verktyg |
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| Joined: 14 Jan 2007 |
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| Location: SF Bay Area |
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| vanhelmont wrote: |
| Chas, we used to judge quality of frames by whether they had lugs, and I'm sure this lugless design was mostly to save cost, but how much effect does it have on ride quality? If it really is vitus tubes, would it be a decent frame? |
You're right, in the early 70s a lugged frame was considered a sign of quality as opposed to the lug free flash welded department store bikes like a Huffy!
Many of those gaspipe bike frame were flashed welded - the tubes were stuck together in a jig and an electrical current was applied like in spot welding. Others were just arc welded.
In the early 80s Gitane as well as Peugeot and Motobecane started building lugless frames for their lower end models.
Motobecane used low end tubes from Columbus and made lugless frames all the way up through their mid range models.
They used a preformed ring of brazing material inserted inside the tube ends. Some had internal sleeves thus the were called "internal lugged" frames.
The frames were either oven brazed or flame brazed using automated production lines.
These steps were taken to compete against low cost bikes coming from Asia.
I've not heard of any frame failure in these lugless French bikes but... I'm a belt and suspenders kinda guy!
I remember one day back in the 70s when some parent brought a fillet brazed Schwinn bike into our shop. The whole head tube had broken free from the top and down tubes - the brazing didn't adhere to the head tube at all.
Those frames were made with sleeved, well mitered thick wall gaspipe tubing. The brazed fillets were up to a 1/4" thick at the joints.
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/schwinn-braze.html
We sent them off to the Schwinn dealer.
After that I've never trusted a lugless frame! The head tube joints are continuously in shifting tension, compression and shear stress... Belt and suspenders for me!
I'm not sure that the blue sticker on the seat tube is a Vitus decal. Those bikes were made of light weight gaspipe tubing. |
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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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| Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 3:35 pm |
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| Flammer |
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| Joined: 11 Jun 2010 |
| Posts: 8 |
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| Thanks for the great info guys. I am after a restorer, but this unit IS a bitsa. |
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