1973 Gitane Tour de France / uncataloged "Super TdF" version

Photos taken Fall 2005 - a subset of over 300 detail photographs documenting the process of stripping this bike to the bare bones in preparation for an eventual thorough refurbish / rebuild.

Back in May of 1973, I watched as the fine folks at Beaverton Cyclery unboxed this very Tour de France after having received it as shipped directly from the U.S. distributor Gitane Pacific. Indeed, its peculiarity is precisely why I purchased this bike in the first place before it ever had a chance to hit the showroom floor. While it may be badged as a TdF model, it actually has a Super Corsa frameset with Campagnolo 1010 dropouts rather than the standard Simplex variety typically found on TdF's of this era. By virtue of those Campy 1010’s having a threaded derailleur hanger and locating notch, S.A. Micmo / Cycles Gitane equipped this example with a Campagnolo Nuovo Record rear derailleur and matching Record front changer and down tube shift levers rather than the Simplex Criterium variety that came standard on most period TdF’s, as well as Record large flange hubs which are arguably a cut above either the standard Normandy Luxe Competition or optional Campagnolo Nuovo Tipo hubs (...although in its original racing configuration, I did use a wheelset built around Campy NT HF hubs as they were every bit as robust as their Record counterparts, actually weighed somewhat less, and with a little bit of proper attention could be made to spin as well if not better than any other hub available regardless of price).

Based upon my subsequent conversations with the proprietor of Beaverton Cyclery, I was given to understand that Cycles Gitane had come to realize that the "Tour de France" name had more cache in the U.S. market than did the moniker "Super Corsa", despite the latter being their more expensive flagship model (...and this would seem to hold true to some extent even among contemporary collectors). Furthermore, S.A. Micmo / Cycles Gitane found the extensively Campagnolo equipped Super Corsa (...arguably the least “French” bicycle in the Gitane line up from that era) something of a difficult sell stateside. This was primarily due to the fact that all of its Italian componentry was subject to VAT coming into France and all of that expense was passed right along to the retail consumer. The net result was that Cycles Gitane attempted to bridge their two upper end models with a hybrid of sorts. Basically, on a very limited scale they took spare SC framesets which they already had on hand, badged them as TdF models, more or less equipped them as they would a TdF (...i.e. Stronglight Competition bottom bracket and SC 93 crankset, Lyotard 460-D Duralumin pedals with Christophe clips and straps, MAFAC Competition brake calipers and matching MAFAC Dural Course 121 levers, Stronglight P3 headset, with an optional Campagnolo hubset typically using Nuovo Tipo models but on rare occasions Record hubs), but by virtue of the dropouts being the Campy 1010 variety, affixed Campagnolo shifters as well as front and rear derailleurs rather than the Simplex grouping normally found on an early TdF. The result was that Cycles Gitane could command a premium price at retail begot of name recognition of these "super" TdF models while at the same time maintaining a significantly lower production cost in relation to the SC due to the use of select "homeland" components as compared to the more costly Campy fittings found on the latter. By late 1974, Cycles Gitane was looking for ways to further reduce their build costs associated with these "super" TdF's and began affixing later editions with older Campagnolo Gran Sport or Record rear derailleurs (...either one of which featured the older chrome plated bronze body) as opposed to the newer and more expensive alloy bodied Nuovo Record rear derailleur which had been used on earlier versions such as my own. In addition, some examples of late model limited edition TdF's can also be found having threaded and notched Huret rear dropouts rather than Campy 1010's (...oddly enough, often paired with Campagnolo drops on the front fork), presumably in an effort to further reduce the cost of manufacturing.

For those folks out there who are both keenly observant and actually so astute as to notice the peculiar angle of the front fork, lest you think that this bike may have suffered a frontal impact of the accidental kind, that is not at all what happened. Way back when (...when dinosaurs roamed the planet and I actually made a modest attempt at racing this bike), the front fork rake was altered in order to increase the amount of trail and thereby render my mount a bit more stable at speed (...as in making it easier for me to hold a pace line) with only minimal sacrifice in overall maneuverability. Of course, this was done using the not often publicly discussed but ever so venerable "cold setting" methodology whereby I first removed the front wheel and brake caliper, then placed a sturdy section of two-by-four across the leading edge of the fork blades at a strategic location, and finally applied some "gentle persuasion" in the form of a ten pound, lead pellet filled, dead-blow mallet. What can I say? I was young, and impetuous, and at the time it seemed like a brilliant idea (...remember, things were not as they are today where one can casually browse online or through various mail order catalogs choosing from a multiplicity of highly specialized replacement forks each having differing options regarding material construction, steering tube substrates, blade configuration, rake, etc.). The fact of the matter is, my crude modification accomplished exactly what I set out to do with respect to altering the handling characteristics of this bike (...and most importantly, did so without completely destroying either the fork itself or the headset bearings in the process).

As one ought easily discern from these photographs, my trusty TdF had fallen into prolonged disuse prior to my deciding to undertake her reclamation. And while I have yet to make a final decision as to whether I will restore this particular bike back to an absolutely showroom stock condition, or rather, refurbish her in a slightly altered guise approximating that point in the late 1970's when I resigned myself to the fact that neither she nor I were competitively viable any longer, I believe that I have on hand the necessary bits and pieces to go either way. Quite frankly, I am inclined toward the latter rebuild scenario if only because this would have more personal meaning. And besides, it would not be all that difficult thereafter to switch her back to an original state should I ever find myself disposed to do so. In either case, I will likely reset the fork rake to factory standard as part of any impending restoration effort.