Re: [CR] gitane tour de france

(Example: Bike Shops)

Date: Sun, 21 Feb 2010 08:16:45 -0600
From: "earle.young tds.net" <earle.young@tds.net>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: Re: [CR] gitane tour de france


I have always thought of the Gitane TdF as the quieter brother to the PX-10. It has many of the same positive features: a decently constructed, nice riding Reynolds 531 frame and the usual package of serviceable French parts. It's not as well-known, not as sought after, and probably more likely to be modified over the years, as it is more likely that the original owner actually rode the bike. In contrast, a larger number of PX-10's were bought by people who wanted a nice bike and had heard that the PX-10 was a real bargain of a nice bike. They rode it until they had to replace a tubular, then hung it in the garage and took up golf.

One thing I found out by fortuitous accident is that the pre-bike boom TdF is actually a much nicer frame than the '73 and later. I bought one cheap on eBay. It has a horrible rattlecan paint job, but underneath is a jewel of a frame. I had it at Cirque '09 as a fixed gear bike, for those who remember the bad along with the good.

Earle Young Madison, Wisconsin Offering expert wheelbuilding services for classic and modern bicycles.