Maxi Sports was a company owned by Guimard. Essentially, it was the bicycle team which then signed on sponsors, like Systeme U and Castorama. You will notice the Maxi Sports logo on Systeme U jerseys (the small rounded off, stylized French flag on the front breast of the jersey).
The bicycles being sold as Hinault's are completely different from the Gitane aero bike ("Profil") which Hinault used. I have no idea if they are or aren't Hinaults. They are badged with the same decals used in 1985 for the La Vie Claire team which Hinault rode for.
The Gitanes in question were developed after the company was purchased by Renault around 1976/77 and was the first to use a wind tunnel to improve the aerodynamics of the bicycle, as opposed to merely improving the rider's position during time trials. Hinault used the Gitane aero bikes with the front brakes mounted in the rear of the fork and in the front...it seemed that they experimented with that.
http://www.gitaneusa.com/
A version of the Gitane Aero bike was made available to the public in the early 1980s, using all Shimano components:
http://www.gitaneusa.com/
This bicycle was later further refined into the "Delta" machine...which was truly revolutionary for its time (about 1983/84) and looks quite modern today (pictured is the 1988 variant, which was the same as the earlier ones):
http://www.gitaneusa.com/
During the latter stages of Systeme U, some of the bicycles were being outsourced or produced by other as yet unknown manufacturers, including the "Raleigh" Maxi Sports bicycles referenced in these posts. If you look on the Maxi Sports advert attached here, you will notice the "Delta" and the bicycle called the "Extrema"...in Systeme U colors...which was badged as a "Raleigh" in 1989 and on which Fignon lost the Tour de France. I have no other evidence (besides this advert) that the bicycle was manufactured by Gitane.
http://www.gitaneusa.com/
I am sure there is a bunch more to write on this....
Stephan Andranian Costa Mesa, California USA http://www.GitaneUSA.com
_____________________________________
This E-mail is covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2510-2521 and is legally privileged. This information is confidential information and is intended only for the use of the individual or entity named above. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited.
From: Freek Faro <khun.freek@gmail.com> Subject: [CR] Was: Bikes Used By The Pros, now: Maxi Sports To: "kevin sayles" <kevinsayles@tiscali.co.uk> Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Date: Sunday, March 7, 2010, 3:35 AM
Hi everyone,
The names Maxi Sports and Castorama got me thinking, and leafing through some old magazines. This ad I found in the (I think) August 1990 issue of Miroir du Cyclisme, called 'Miroir du Tour 90'. The ad is by the firm MaxiSports, and shows Laurent Fignon posing in his Castorama outfit, and with his Raleigh bike. The text says that Maxi Sports can sell you a custom made Raleigh bike, developed by Maxi Sports. Cyrille Guimard is the man behind Maxi Sports.
So how was the connection between Raleigh, obviously English, and MaxiSports, which is obviously French. Anyone know the story?
Freek 'stupéfait' Faro
Rotterdam Netherlands
2010/3/7 kevin sayles <kevinsayles@tiscali.co.uk>
> Hi Norris,
> I agree with you in that I think the chrono bike claimed to be Hinaults
> looks way too large for him........and if I'm not mistaken the chrono
> aerodynamic bike I remember was in Gitane blue, and wasn't the front brake
> on the reverse of the forks......I used to have a big poster of him on
> it........which is funny really, because despite his unquestionable class
> and ability....I was never really a fan, don't know why....just never
> endeared himself to me.......ovbiously I must have liked the bike! [I was
> however a big fan of Jan Francoise Bernhard.......perhaps because I was told
> I looked very much like him, [when I had hair] both in looks and in style on
> the bike........one thing is certain....I never went as quick!!]
>
> cheers
> Kevin Sayles....wishing I was riding the Yorkshire RC reliability trial...
> Bridgwater Somerset UK
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Norris Lockley" <
> nlockley73@googlemail.com>
> To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Sent: Sunday, March 07, 2010 12:06 AM
> Subject: [CR] Bikes Used By The Pros
>
>
>
> >From time to time on the List there are enquiries about where the actual
>> bikes used by Pro riders end up, and I recall that during the last twelve
>> months a handful of machines and frames that pruported to having been
>> ridden
>> in anger by Pros have turned up.
>>
>> French Ebay has more than its fair share of such machines and this week
>> has
>> come up with an odd selection. However I think that a couple of them bear
>> very close scrutiny as to their actual provenance. None of the machines
>> are
>> really and truly within the List's time-frame..are only just outside..and
>> both the riders dis start their careers within the timescale..I think.
>>
>> The first two bikes, it is claimed, belonged to and were ridden by none
>> other than Bernard Hinault; they are:
>>
>> *item 1303700899026 - a prototype chrono machine*. This is transferred up
>> as
>> a Bernatd Hinault frame..all aero tubes and shaved components. It is
>> claimed
>> it dates from 1984/85. To my mind it looks a tad too big for Hinault, but
>> as
>> he had long legs for his height and accordingly a short torso, this might
>> exp[lain the design of the frame. At 1000 euros and something like 16
>> hours
>> to run, the auction has not yet attracted any bidders. The second machine
>> is:
>>
>> *item 130370091298 - a prototype cyclo-cross machine.* Hinault did
>> actually
>> take part in cyclo-cross races during the closed season, and this machine
>> looks to be more his size..around about a 55cms. However the seller states
>> that the frame is the only one of its type..which is not true. The frame
>> is
>> a MECACYCLE TURBO, with the twin seat tubes..or at least a copy of that
>> design. At 1000 euros and about eighteen hours to run, the auction still
>> has
>> no bidders. The third machine is;-
>>
>> *Item 230443398748 - a Maxi-Sport lugless frame in Castorama Team blue.*
>> It
>> is claimed that the frame belonged to Fabien Jeker and he used it during
>> the
>> 1993 season. The asking price, without a fork is 99 euros..with no bids on
>> its second outing.
>>
>> Apologies, Dale, if I have compromised the List's time frame slightly, but
>> I
>> thought some of the List's members might well be interested in these
>> items,
>> particularly as there is such a healthy interest in Gitane machines ( and
>> of
>> course Hinault rode Gitane machines, but these two might just be into his
>> La
>> Vie Claire period).
>>
>> Norris Lockley
>>
>> Settle UK