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1978 Repaint / rebirth completed 
PostPosted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 2:09 am Reply with quote
owen.lowe
Joined: 26 Apr 2009
Posts: 23
Location: Strathfield Sydney Australia
I have just joined the forum, and posted pictures (also some here) of "before" and "after". If you get a chance, could anybody give this bike a model name - sold in Australia in 1978, but unlike others on this forum. I have had a couple of good responses, but still no model name. Any further clues?

For those interested, the cranks and chainrings are Sugino SuperMighty - very fashionable in 1982, very pretty now. Derailleurs are Super Record, chain and cluster Regina Gold, callipers Suntour Superb, hubs Suntour arx with 27" Araya 36 hole rims, rustless spokes (not shiny stainless), saddle is Turbo "Hinault", seatpost is Sugino fluted, bars and stem Fiammi "Dallas", all stuff gathered back then!

I hope the repaint meets with general approval.

Cheers,

OwenL




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PostPosted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 4:55 am Reply with quote
greyhundguy
Joined: 09 Apr 2008
Posts: 678
Location: South-Central VIRGINIA
Owen,
Exceptional finished project with well chosen upgrades for components.

Jay

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PostPosted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 3:11 pm Reply with quote
sandranian
Site Admin
Joined: 27 Feb 2006
Posts: 2701
Location: Southern California
Nice bike, and thanks for sharing the pics. Just a question though...why did you go with the white stripe and black decals, instead of painting the entire bike blue and using the white decals (ala http://www.gitaneusa.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=560)?

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Stephan Andranian
Costa Mesa, CA
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White bar , black decals 
PostPosted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 3:59 pm Reply with quote
owen.lowe
Joined: 26 Apr 2009
Posts: 23
Location: Strathfield Sydney Australia
Hi Stephan.

The original decals were the black. Greg Softly from Cyclomondo sent me the white ones first, then made me the black ones, as I wanted to repaint the bike its original gold colour.

While researching Gitanes of the era, I saw that the Hinault blue was very popular, and mulled it over for a while. Then nostalgia took over, as I recalled being in love with the white-barred European frames of the early-mid 70s.

When I went with the frame to Star Enamellers, Peter Flemming remembered the era, and directed me to this 70s (Colnago) blue, and recommended the size of the white bars. He was concerned about the decals, but we decided to put the down-tube ones on the opposite sides, so that the stars appeared on the bottom, and he cut off the last (finest) square on the seat-tube decals to match the length of the other.

You cannot notice the black head-tube Gitane decal on the blue, so I am going to try the white head-tube decal to see how it works - but I am sticking it directly over the black one because the black is under the finished clear coat.

So the short answer is - to satisfy a nostalgic whim, and now I can get on with painting the house windows!

I do like your frame, and notice the blue is quite vibrant. My blue has silver behind it, and does not photograph well with close-ups of lugs etc - too bright.

To Jay, I must say that the parts on the rebuild chose me ... most of them had migrated to the Gitane frame after I took possession of it in the mid-80s, when this was my commuter/wet weather option. I didn't really expect them to look as good as they do, and am very pleased to replace none of them (except the aero levers, which are an experiment for now). I will have to get another "oldie" to take its place, but she-who-must-be-obeyed is concerned that four bikes ought be enough. She just doesn't understand!

Cheers and thanks,

OwenL
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 4:13 pm Reply with quote
sandranian
Site Admin
Joined: 27 Feb 2006
Posts: 2701
Location: Southern California
Right on. Frame looks very nice. Glad you like it so much. Satisfying whims is what this is all about. It's like I always say to people when they ask "Why Gitane?"...I could probably buy a better finished bike, and could probably get more for the money when it comes to my new bike(s), but it wouldn't be the same: I would always want a Gitane.

The blue on my bike is original, just the decals are different. That is the classic Gitane "French Racing Blue".

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PostPosted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 2:52 am Reply with quote
Paul Wiseman
Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 584
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Hey that looks supurbe! I like that you have stepped beyong the "original" thing. I do love original restorations, but I like them to be perfect. Anyone know where I can get some NOS white wall Michelin HPs from? Rolling Eyes That's what I mean. If you are going to use the bike, then necessity kind of demands that you sue some modern parts, and there goes the 'original' look. So when I see bikes like this, it just becomes part of that personalised mystique. The best bit is that someone might find that bike on ebay in 40 years time, log on to gitane-mondial (as gitaneUSA will be known by then Razz ) and be completely baffled trying to find it among the catalogues. Laughing I'm an evil bastard, eh? Twisted Evil

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Wisey
Brisbane, Australia
1974 Paris - Nice
1985 Defi
1985 Victoire
1985 Victoire (yes, another one!)
1985 Professionnel
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Customized Gitanes 
PostPosted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 4:38 am Reply with quote
verktyg
Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 2814
Location: SF Bay Area
Wisey,

Most early 70s Gitanes that were still being ridden in the late 70s had been pretty much "customized". Saddles and derailleurs were usually upgraded by then.

With the advent of well made and equipped Japanese bikes in the late 70s owners didn't have to do much upgrading. By then the surviving European bike makers had gotten the picture too and improved cosmetics and equipment to compete against the Japanese makers.

Chas.
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PostPosted: Fri May 08, 2009 12:38 am Reply with quote
Murray30
Joined: 09 Mar 2009
Posts: 11
Location: Canberra, Australia
Hi Owen

Good to see another Australian Gitane rider - great looking bike BTW

The drilled chain rings on your bike are similar to my 1970's gitane Hotellier (see photos in Paris-Brest 1970's gitane, in this forum list). Maybe it was an Australian thing about the drilled chain rings?

Did your bike ever have "touring extension handles" attached to the breaks?

Regards

Wayne
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PostPosted: Fri May 08, 2009 1:58 am Reply with quote
owen.lowe
Joined: 26 Apr 2009
Posts: 23
Location: Strathfield Sydney Australia
Wayne, I do remember seeing a set of those touring extensions on levers, but I am unsure whether it was this bike that once had them. I know none of the bikes I paid for had them.

OwenL
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1978 Repaint / rebirth completed 
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