Gitane Tour de France

Frame check

Tubing, threads, wheels and paint

Tubing

Look for the Reynolds 531 decal on the seat tube. Gitane's 1975 French catalog lists the Tour de France with three Reynolds main tubes, and collectors say US bikes from 1974 and 1975 went the same way, so the decal wording matters. A Campagnolo dropout points to the Super Corsa instead, which used Campagnolo ends where the Tour de France used Simplex.

The frame

Gitane collectors describe the workmanship as rough but sound, with off-center lugs and messy brazing at the dropouts. That's normal for the model, so judge the frame on dents, rust and alignment, not tidiness. Ask for photos of the dropouts, the head lugs and the underside of the bottom bracket.

Threads and standards

French threading throughout. The bottom bracket is 35 x 1 mm with a right-hand fixed cup, so it needs French cups or a Phil Wood or Velo Orange fix. The stem is 22.0 mm and won't take a standard 22.2 mm stem without sanding, and French bars clamp at a different size, so swap bars and stem together.

Wheels

Export Gitanes for the US mostly came on 27 in wheels, a size never used in France. A five-speed freewheel of the era means 120 mm rear spacing.

Parts it came with

Expect a French mix of Simplex derailleurs, a Stronglight crank, Mafac Competition brakes, Normandy hubs and a Pivo stem. Collectors say Gitane often built bikes with whatever parts were on hand, so a slightly off-catalog mix can still be original. Older Stronglight cranks take their own 23.35 mm puller.

Dating it

Collectors date mid-1970s frames by the head tube decal, which changed slightly for 1976. A three-ring Gitane logo on the seat stay caps is said to mark a 1976 or 1977 bike.

Paint and decals

Gitane applied its logos as stickers with no clear coat, and the gold lug lining was done by hand. That's why clean originals are scarce. The yellow and blue France-shaped Tour de France sticker sits on the right fork blade.

Safety jobs

Many 1970s French bikes wear AVA bars and stems, which have a reputation for failure, so replace them. Fit fresh brake pads before riding, since old Mafac pads go hard. Old tubulars or clinchers should go too.

Original parts to look for

• Simplex derailleurs
• Stronglight crankset
• Mafac Competition brakes

Hard to find if missing

• Original Gitane stickers
• Simplex dropout adjusters
• French-thread bottom bracket cups

Check the listing photos against these lists, and ask the seller about anything you can’t see. Swapped or missing original parts should come off the price if originality matters to you. For replacements, see our vintage components guide.