It sounds like this one is a wall hanger for now but I may decide to keep it a fixed gear just for fun. The frame doesn't resemble a Gitane very much, the lugs, fork and fork crown are very different, as are the tops of the seat stays. The bottom bracket shell is different as well, the main barrel looks like it's wider at the edges than in the center, like it was expanded on the outside, or maybe just an effect of threading it. I did find a pic of another one which is similar, but has different lugs and forks. My frame and forks are French threaded. Quality wise, I am guessing that this is comparable to a Peugeot UO-8 or similar models. I have a UO-8 and a plain steel Gitane frame here to compare to, but the Anquetil is lighter than either in the same frame size. The Anquetil forks also have a pretty extreme rake. I'm not sure how to measure this correctly, but if I lay the fork flat on the bench, the center of the dropouts are 90mm from the bench top, I don't think it's so much that they forks are raked all that far, but that the bend in the blades are near the very bottom, and not very gradual at all. The forks look very similar to those on my Motobecane Grand Jubile'. I do have enough new old stock parts here to assemble this with a set of Rigida steel rims, Normandy hubs and simplex gear changers. The brazeons are pretty crude, they are nothing but stamped metal and only spotted to the side of the top tube, the dropouts are also pretty light duty looking and very thin. The seat post is steel, and is stamped Made in France. The frame is a bit small for me if I go by the seat tube measurement, but the stand over height would be increased slightly with a set of 27" rims. The biggest problem I have always had with French bikes is the shortness of the top tube, as in knees in the handle bars. I'll have to try this with a set of 27" wheels and a longer reach stem before a complete assembly.
Since the rear rim has some cracks starting, it's not worth risking use, but the front rim is mint, and the rear hub is usable but nothing special. The rims are built with straight gauge galvanized spokes, and the front rim looks much more recent than the rear, but both appear to be the same model rim. I have another bike with a set of Champion du Monde rims, that look identical, I am guessing that these are just missing the decals. The front hub which is marked Renak, is also in very clean shape, still bright and shiny, as is the rear "950" hub, but it looks to have had a bout with a drill to remove weight. The rear sprocket looks to be off of an old Sturmey Archer or Brampton hub, and is locked with a bottom bracket lock ring.
Joe McKishen
Vineland, NJ
USA