Received the Gitane today. The Normandy Sport hubs (with Mavic sewup rims) are marked 76, supporting the consensus that this was later than the 1973 stated. Paint and decals are 9 out of 10. Absolutely no tubing decal or any indication of one, but the nice honeycomb forged rear DOs. Not marked, but I think the list consensus was Huret. Front DOs are forged Simplex, not with simple "SIMPLEX" stamping, but the old Simplex logo with interlocking letters. Lugwork simple short point but quite clean for a production model. Given the quality DOs and clean lugwork, I have to believe this is made with high quality tubing as well. 3 Tubes 531 would probably have had a decal to that effect, so I'm guessing Vitus. No model name other than "Racing Team". One assumes the Super Course or Tour de France would have been identified as such and carried 531 decals, plus the Super Course would have had Campy DOs. Anyone have a 1976 or 1977 Gitane catalog showing what model was just below TdF? Or perhaps a touring equivalent of the TdF with non-531 tubing? This bike has a nice ESGE rack and color-matched Bluemels Popular mudguards which might be original. If this in an Interclub its a huge improvement on the early 70's Interclub. In fact, the frame is finished much better than the early 70's TdFs. A nice buy at $265 I think.
Regards,
Jerry Moos Houston, TX
Jerome & Elizabeth Moos <jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net> wrote: I just bought this Gitane on eBay. I think it is a 531 main tube or Vitus model one step down from the Tour de France, and not a TdF as stated. The decals also look more recent than 1973 to me. Can anyone identify this model?
Regards,
Jerry Moos
Houston, TX