That bike doesn't look like it necessarily has a 650B "native" frame...the brakes look like they're very long reach and at the ends of their travel. Conversion, I'd vote.
You'd want 165 cranks afterwards. I have one of these frames down at work, and could look at BB drop if anybody cares.
Scott Minneman San Francisco, California, USA
-----Original Message----- From: sandranian [mailto:sandranian@yahoo.com] Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 11:43 AM To: Mitch Harris Cc: Rendezvous Classic Subject: Re: [CR]Helyett Randonneur on French Ebay - Item 320263783867
I didn't even catch that. Shame on me! I am unaware of any Gitane which was built with 650 wheels (with the possible exception of the kids bikes).
Stephan Andranian Costa Mesa, California, USA http://www.GitaneUSA.com
Mitch Harris <mitch.harris@gmail.com> wrote: Except for the 650B wheel size, the frame looks identical to my 1975 Gitane and others I've seen. Brake bridge details and other small things match up. The fork rake shape looks just like a mid 70s Gitane too.
Did Helyett lisence the name after 1962?
Did Gitane ever make a 650B bike? I know Peugeot did.
Could this be a 650B conversion? The Raid brakes with super long reach
are
useful in conversions since a mid 70s Gitane would already have lots of
brake reach--my Mafac Racers (on 1975 Gitane) are adjusted fairly high
in
the caliper stirrups for 700C wheels so Raids might allow 650B on my
frame.
>From the angle of the side photo I can't tell if the chainstay looks
like
the deep BB drop of a 700C Gitane or not.
Would Helyett have used braze-ons instead of clips/clamps for top tube, shifters, and bb cable guides?
Mitch Harris Little Rock Canyon, Utah, USA
On Wed, Jun 25, 2008 at 11:28 AM, sandranian wrote:
> The pictures aren't the greatest...but it certainly does appear like a
mid-70s bike. The green appears to be the same that Gitane used in the
mid70's, but I cannot make out whether or not there is gold pinstriping
around the lugs, which would be there if it was a Gitane (with the
original
paint job).
>
> The fact that the seller does not take detailed pictures of the bike
(including the decals) is not good....
>
> Stephan Andranian
> Costa Mesa, CA USA
> http://www.GitaneUSA.com
>
>
> "Scott L. Minneman" wrote:
> Norris,
>
> The components puzzle me, but the frame sure looks like a rebadged
> mid-70s Gitane...the geometry, the fork, the lugs, and the spiderweb
> dropouts are a direct hit (maybe even the color).
>
> Scott Minneman
> San Francisco, CA, USA
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Norris Lockley [mailto:norris.lockley@yahoo.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 7:46 AM
> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Subject: [CR]Helyett Randonneur on French Ebay - Item 320263783867
>
> First of all, my apologies for outing this bike to the Lisst, after
> the a uction has finished, and the bike is now destined to go to
> Japan.
>
> However I only noticed it shortly before the auction was due to close
> and, with the seller living quite near to where I have my house in
> France, I dec ided to have a bid or two. Again it was not
> straightforward..and it took se veral minutes before I decided to risk
> my money.
>
> The principal reason for my uncertainty about the bike is that it
> looks as though it has existed in a time warp. The Helyett company,
> based at Sull y-sur-Loire, not far from Orleans where the seller
> lives, closed down in
> 19
> 62. However this Helyett frame has the skeletal rear drop-outs found
> on fra mes from the mid-70s, and Prugnat long-point windowed lugs that
> I don't rec all seeing on the wholesalers' lists in the early 60s.
> Same goes for the fo rk crown.
>
> It's an odd-looking bike...the frame looks more like a racing frame
> that a randonneur..just look at that fork rake (for a 60s bike?). Some
> details of the frame's build quality can obtained by enlarging the
> photos..and it appe ars to be quite a decently constructed frame. So
> why would any serious comp any put steel 650 rims on such a bike and a
> TA chainset with rings for road racing..although the cranks are 165mm
> for touring.
>
> After playing at Sherlock Holmes for ten minutes or so, I thought that
> I ha d the answer..so I slammed a couple of bids until it became
> evident that th e Japanese opposition was keener on the bike than my
> meer curiosity could m anage.
>
> If anyone out there would like to interpret the origin of this
> frame..and w hy it is like it is...I would be pleased to hear from
> them..so that I can c heck my theory out.
>
> Norris Lockley, Settle
>
>
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