My uncle, who lived in Paris at the time, bought my dad a '78 or '79 Cycles Gitane Vuelta and shipped it to us. I don't know for sure, but I would say it was a midrange bike. It originally had the full Shimano 600EX group (ususally referred to as arabesque) and tubular wheels. My uncle had the shop swap out the wheels for clinchers with Maillard hub. I suspect the original hubs (in the sewups) were 600EX. The seatpost is a Sugino. My brother still has this bike (way too tall for me) and has slowly been converting it to mostly French parts. I think only the funky alloy headset remains...
Doug Van Cleve
Chandler, AZ
> From: e a <moschika2@yahoo.com>
> Date: 2003/09/01 Mon AM 03:47:51 EDT
> To: Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Subject: [CR]Japanese components and what bikes?
>
> Does anyone know of a site or has a list of japanese components? I'm trying to get a date for some Suntour Superbe, Shimano Dura Ace & 600 'Arabesque' and a couple Sugino and SR Sakae parts. Are they even within the CR timeline?
>
> Also what were some bikes that came with these? I would like to put the Shimano group onto period correct frame. Seems like most of what I've seen on this list is Campy components on Euro frames. Did any quality Euro frames have Japanese parts or only Japanese frames?
>
> thanks,
> Eric Acuna
> Santa Rosa, CA