Hi Dan, I trust that Barb is enjoying her diamond tennis bracelet.
Mike Schmidt Millington, New Jersey Sent from my iPhone
On May 12, 2009, at 12:13 PM, Daniel Artley <dartley@baltimorecountymd.gov
> wrote:
> Last Saturday at T-town I'd been hunting Mafac levers since the body
> of one I'd just mounted had a chunk break off. Sitting in the
> corral with Larry Osborne, Walt Skrzypek, Charlie Young & Steve
> Maasland, I spied the levers ... connected to an old green Gitane
> frame w/ bars, crank and nothing else. Would you just sell me the
> levers? Nope! Yah gotta take the frame with it, 30 bucks! Turned
> out to be a Professional, all 531, though with pretty ordinary
> dropouts. By then Larry, Charlie and Walt were there egging me on.
> Rats! (like I need another project frame ... Now, if it were a
> Peugeot?) I bought it. Walking it back to Larry's cube, Steven
> asks about it and after telling him I'd gotten it just for the
> levers, he told me about the pile of NOS levers he had at home.
> Grrrrhh! Now I've got levers coming from Steven. And, even though
> this bike really is a nice rider, the last thing I need is another
> project, even though I don't have anything nice French at home, just
> an old gritty UO-8 frame hanging in the rafters. If I couldn't get
> rid of this, it would be a donation to the local bike co-op. People
> were packing up, we did a loop to see what goodies were available
> for I ain't takin' it home prices and I left the frame in the
> corral. Larry found a nice GB map of Britain bar & stem from Mattie
> Bowne and the lonely bike was still sitting there when we returned.
> At Walt's suggestion on the way out, we had the announcer push it
> for the crowd. Price? From Walt 'Forty bucks!' I agreed. ... Dave
> Abrahams soon walked up and while he was hemming & hawing over the
> price, I offered it for $30. Dave bought it. I was happy not to
> have to pack it home. And this was after Mike Schmidt e-mailed a
> photo home to the wife of me with Steven's all panto'd something
> Italian copper & chrome coffee getter telling her it was mine. The
> weather was great. Had a good time. Happy trails,
>
> Dan Artley in Parkton, Maryland USA
>
> Archive-URL: http://search.bikelist.org/
> From: <FujiFish1(AT)aol.com>
> Date: Mon, 11 May 2009 22:31:14 -0400
> Subject: [CR] FS: Gitane c.1970 Professionnal Tour de France Service
> Course, ( http://search.bikelist.org/
> )
>
> A post mother's day special ...
>
> For Sale: Gitane Professionnal Tour De France - Service Course,
> 49cm seat
> tube and 52cm top tube, both taken center to center, dark green,
> made with
> Reynolds 531 tubing. Takes 700c wheels. This is the version with
> Simplex
> gears and unmarked but perhaps Simplex forged dropouts. An unnamed
> CR
> member, Gitane fan, and information documentation specialist, noted
> that this
> bike could be from the very late 1960s or very early 1970s (early
> in the
> Gitane TdF era), because of some features that I have now forgotten
> the
> specificity of! One I remember is the brake calipers with the older
> Dural Forge markings? Ask me to ask him again, if you want to know
> what those features
> are! I did note however, a stamp on the inboard side of the
> Simplex rear
> derailleur pulley cage: S 72. Does this mean 1972?
>
> The bike came to me with Campy wheels and cranks that were obviously
> not
> correct, so they have been plundered ... hence, NO cranks or wheels
> included.
>
> Frameset does include: Stronglight French threaded headset and bottom
> bracket (118.5mm spindle), Mafac Dural Forge center pull brakes and
> levers
> with
> white half-hoods, Nitor 26.2mm seatpost with red glider pieces in the
> clamp assembly, Pivo faux lugged aluminum 90mm stem with unmarked
> but likely
> Pivo aluminum 37mm bars (o-o), Simplex derailleurs, shifters and
> clamp-on
> guides, Huret top tube brake cable clips, and an unmarked but
> Simplex looking
> binder bolt. I suspect the cables, casings and bar wrap are all
> original,
> and in restorable condition.
>
> The decals on this bike are in outstanding condition, compared to
> what you
> might expect of a bike that saw little use, but some exposure.
> There is
> rust on some of the more poorly chromed Simplex bits, while some other
> chromed bits still look excellent. The jockey wheels on the rear
> changer are
> shot ... broken from age or exposure, I think. The paint has a few
> marks, but
> it isn't horrible, and I'd image that the solid color scheme would
> make a
> touch-up less complicated. I've wiped it down, but not cleaned it
> with
> water or any cleaner, in any way. I expect deep cleaning will make
> it look
> even better than its already impressive condition. No pictures
> yet, but
> will gladly take some quick shots if asked (even if you are not
> looking
> to buy
> the bike). Again, let me note ... there is rust visible on the
> Simplex
> fixtures.
>
> Asking $150, plus actual FedEx delivery, which should likely fall
> somewhere
> between $25 and $45 for different destinations in the continental US.
> International or overseas shipping will also be, the exact USPS
> cost only.
>
> I can find a set of Campagnolo Gran Sport wheels that need
> servicing, to
> throw in for an additional $50, should the buyer be interested.
> Thanks for
> reading...
>
> Ciao,
> Mark Agree
> Southfield MI USA