gitaneusa.com :: View topic - E-Bay "1971 Super Pista"??

DP

I didn't think the swedged seatstay bikes were super pistas,
Also, is this one new enough to have campy dropouts too if its a super pista?
what do the Gitane experts say?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1971-GITANE-SUPER-PISTA-TRACK-BICYCLE-57-CM-CAMPAGNOLO-HEADSET-/140622220452

verktyg

Dale?

The seat stay caps scream late 60s early 70s Gitane Super Pista. Many builders cut down the Campy dropouts but these look a little thin.

The other thing that doesn't look quite right are the fork ends and rear stay ends. Gitane used a fish mouth cut out on most of their better model bikes from that era. These are domed.

It could be a European model thet was made with only the three main tubes Reynolds 531. One way to tell is pull the BB and look inside the chain stays to see if these is a seam in them. Reynolds was seamless.

DP

[quote="verktyg"]Dale? The seat stay caps scream late 60s early 70s Gitane Super Pista. Many builders cut down the Campy dropouts but these look a little thin. The other thing that doesn't look quite right are the fork ends and rear stay ends. Gitane used a fish mouth cut out on most of their better model bikes from that era. These are domed. It could be a European model thet was made with only the three main tubes Reynolds 531. One way to tell is pull the BB and look inside the chain stays to see if these is a seam in them. Reynolds was seamless. [/quote]

Hi Charles, I don't think the eBay bike is a super-pista, those seat stay ends at the seat lug scream (to me) Interclub or "Track Standard" the domed, seat/chainstay ends are track standard/interclub Fishmouth stay ends like you say always appear on the better model exports and single-sourced or sold-in-yurrops.
Question: has ANYone EVER seen a "super pista" downtube transfer?
My suspicion is pinto sold track standards fitted with campy parts, honestly...a "super pista" with [i]crimped[/i] stays??

verktyg

Dale,

The Super Pistas we sold had Professional Super Pista down tube decals.

Wayne Bingham who bought Mel Pinto Imports posted this picture of old Gitane down tube decals.

I suspect that the frame may have been an intermediate model with the 3 main tubes made of Reynolds 531 and the forks and stays made of Durifort or Gitane plain carbon steel tubes.

You can see the Reynolds stamp in the down tube?

It would have been easy to install all Campy components on the frame. Campy track headsets had a stack height of ~33.8mm. The Stronglight P3 headsets were ~34mm.