Thanks Marten and Freek for that Gazelle info -- I have had a hard time fin ding out much about these bikes and frames and I study the listings when th ey come up on ebay from time to time. I bought my own 1982 AA-Special Amstel Bier team bike off ebay and it has Geert Jan Theunisse's name on th e top tube. It is 531c tubing which is very strange if 753 was availa ble - Theunisse was a lightweight and mountain climber, so I would have exp ected him to insist on 753, not that Holland has too many mountains. The spelling of Theunisse's name seems to be a source of confusion -- I alw ays thought his first name was G-E-R-T, but it is spelt G-E-E-R-T on the bi ke. I found on the net a race report from 1982 and it was spelt both ways in the same report! I believe that he now spells it G-E-R-T in a dverts for his mountain biking camps. What gives?
Hugh Thornton
Cheshire, England
From: Freek Faro <khun.freek@gmail.com> Subject: Re: [CR]FS: Gazelle Champion Mondial frameset. To: "M-gineering" <info@m-gineering.nl> Cc: "classic rendezvous" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>, hughwthornton@ya hoo.co.uk Date: Wednesday, 17 September, 2008, 12:44 PM
In addition to Marten's comments: A-frame had long dropouts/fender eyelets and a c.10 mm longer wheelbase. From what i can see with the naked eye, geo metry was in essence the same. To make it more complicated, i have seen A-f rame's with short dropouts ... I believe this is because customers could al ways order what they wanted from the factory. Until the late 70s there only was a choice of A-frame and AA-frame, then (7 8? 79?) came the 753-frame.
In the 1980 brochure the models were: A-frame AB-frame AA-frame 531-SL frame 753-frame
1982: A-frame AB-frame AA-frame AA special-frame 753-frame
1984: A-frame AB-frame AA-frame AA special-frame AA Super-frame (ultra short chainstays, dented seattube, gearleverbosses on top of dt) 753-frame
Diversification!
Freek Faro Rotterdam Netherlands
2008/9/17 M-gineering <info@m-gineering.nl>
Hugh Thornton wrote:
With reference to these Gazelle Champion Mondial frames, does anybody know the difference between an "AA - Special Frame" and an "AB - Frame" like the one on offer here. They seem to be all the same spec with 531c tubin g. Was it a difference in quality or in geometry? The amount of chrome doesn't seem to be dependent on which it is and I can't imagin e tha t Gazelle would offer frames in different qualities - most manufacturers wa nt all their products to be considered top quality. I have seen the A A frames advertised as "race" frames on ebay, which makes me think it might be geometry that is different, but does anybody know for sure? Hugh Thornton Cheshire, England
It varies a bit from year to year, but typically: A-frame: the standard frame, 531 tubing, long Campa dropouts, BCM lugs and Super Vitus crown. 120mm wide AA: short Campa dropouts, eyelets on toptube, Roto bracket, sloping crown. 126mm wide! Possibly shorter chainstays but geometry was not discussed in t hose days ;) We all knew a AA was 'better' but no clue as to why ;) AB frame: short campa dropouts BCM sloping crown AA special: AB with brakecable thru toptube, FD braze on, Cinelli bracket AA super: extra short with vertical dropouts and dented seattube
chrome and two tone paint was always extra. There were also track, stayer, cross and touring versions
Some years had Columbus tubing options and there was also a 753
-- mvg
Marten Gerritsen
Kiel Windeweer
Netherlands