It is a Cycles Gitane Vuelta. I have never seen nor heard of another. It is full double butted Vitus tubing, don't recall exactly what though. As I said, it was full Shimano 600EX but we thought it would be more fun if it was all/nearly all French. Now it has Simplex Super LJ derailleurs and TA cranks with (I think) the Criterium chainrings. I see that there was a US model in '78 that was mostly Campy with Weinmann 605 sidepulls. I am not really looking for what a Gitane might have had, rather what French brakes would be period correct for a nice but not top of the line French bike. Could be that Racers would be a reasonable choice but I would prefer sidepulls. Thanks!
Doug Van Cleve Chandler, AZ USA
On 12/27/06, Jerome & Elizabeth Moos <jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> You don't say what model Gitane. Pretty sure MAFAC Racers were still around
> in 1978, but had been pushed down to mid-to-low end bikes. Better models
> would have had MAFAC Competition, the successor to the Racer and only a
> moderately different design. Not sure if MAFAC LS sidepulls had come out
> yet in 1978. Other possibilities would be CLB CP's or SP, although the
> better SP's are very rare now. Some French builders also used Weinmann CP
> or SP although these brakes were Swiss, not French.
>
> Regards,
>
> Jerry Moos
> Big Spring, TX
>
>
>
> Doug Van Cleve <dvancleve@gmail.com> wrote:
> Howdy folks,
>
> My brother has a Gitane that was purchased new in Paris in 1978 by my
> uncle for my dad (who never really rode it). It was originally all
> Shimano 600EX 12 speed except for the seatpost. Over the years we
> have switched it to all period correct (I think) French stuff except
> for the Sugino seatpost (put back on when the Simplex alloy kept
> slipping) and 600EX headset (kinda cool, don't have proper headset
> tools). It has Campy Gran Sport brakes, but I am wondering what it
> would likely have had if it were sold all French? I would think that
> it is new enough that it wouldn't have had Mafac Racers. Any ideas?
>
> Thanks and happy New Year :^)
>
> Doug Van Cleve
> Chandler, AZ USA