[CR]Re: old french bike

(Example: Framebuilders:Norman Taylor)

From: <IKersey@aol.com>
Date: Sat, 24 Nov 2001 08:45:36 EST
To: JRadford@stantec.com
Cc: Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]Re: old french bike

Hi James,

Just searched my copy of The Complete Buyer's Guide to Bicycles (1973). The only one listed as an "Alpine" model is a Gitane touring bicycle (retailing for between $145 and $165 in '73$). This bike came with Mafac Racer brakes, Rigida rims, Normandy Sport QR hubs, Durax triple chainwheels (52t x 46t x 36t), Simplex Prestige ders. (Huret optional), and Pivot handlebar. It also came equipped with full touring gear (head/tail lights, fenders, and front/rear racks). Colors were white, blue, black, red, orange, and violet.

Check your bike to see if you have extra braze-ons on the front fork and seat stays for touring racks. These may indicate that your bike was indeed a Gitane Alpine that one or more of the previous owners stripped down and rebuilt with a hodge-podge of zeus and peugeot parts.

I'll echo Dale by saying that without more info to go on, the above is all speculative. I have an early Gitane catalog that is being shipped to me -- if it has any more relevant info on the Alpine model, I'll let you know.

Ian Kersey, Williamsburg, VA (where it's raining for the first time in months!)