[CR]Interesting Gitane roadside find

(Example: Framebuilders:Pino Morroni)

From: <Wdgadd@aol.com>
Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2003 13:56:36 EDT
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]Interesting Gitane roadside find

Our town is having its twice yearly bulk trash collection day- always a good time to keep an eye peeled for interesting unwanted bicycles. I found a matched pair of old, maybe pre-1970 Gitane gaspipe "touring" bikes with the following: Brazed on dynamo bracket on seatstay, and brazed on wire guides A tubular chainstay bridge, not the horrible flat kickstand mount! A forged (maybe) flat top crown-lots nicer than the early 70's ones 3 pin Durax cottered cranks, with half step(46-50) type rings Lyotard 36 pedals, in really nice shape, even the dustcaps! Huret Svelto rear/Luxe front changers w/ long huret levers Mafac "Dural Forge" calipers (maybe these would to some extent date the bikes?) Normany large flange nutted hubs w/ steel 700c rims Ideale 39 saddles Nice steel fenders w/Lefol-esque mounting hardware +stays, in frame color Soubitez dynamo, front and rear lamps fender mounted neat little steel rear racks, in frame color

I realize these are nothing of great value, but they're interesting, es pecially the steel 700c rims and Dural forge calipers. No hint of a model name, well preserved paint (flam. gold) and foil "decals". Could they be a Euro market bike? I don't think they're Hostellers- didn't they have cantis, a triple, QR hubs and a front rack?

Best regards,
Wes Gadd
Unionville,CT