Dear Frank-o-phyles, I just picked up a 1983 Gitane Criterium in trade for my old rigid mtb. The Gitane has decent lugwork, lugs have triangular cutouts, and seat lug is "fastback" type. Anyone know the type of lugs these are? Bike has Weinmann 405 sidepulls, Simplex SX630 derailleurs,(rear is all alloy, front is combination steel and alloy). Embarrassed that the front shifts better than the top of the line all alloy (except for cage) that's on my old PXN10E. Both derailleurs have sticker on them that says Bernard Hinault, as the saddle is a Bernard Hinault Turbo. Crankset is Stronglight 104, pedals are Maillard with clips and straps. The graphics are the cheapest I've ever seen. They are stickers, not decals. Yuck! The dropouts are forged, but there is no name on them. They are pleasing to the eye and do not resemble the Simplex dropouts on my other French bikes. The rear brake cable is routed through the top tube. (Kind of a neat feature for rides at this time of year in Tucson which are VERY sweaty even at 5:30 AM, no cable guides to rust out from drops of sweat getting in them). The tubing sticker on the frame says Super Vitus 983 Special Double Butted Chrome Molybdene Steel. The stem is an Atax that I have never seen before. It is kind of "aero" in that the clamp wraps completely around the bars with the binder bolt going through behind the bars. That might have been a poor description, but any of you who have seen one will know what I am talking about. The bars are Phillippe "Tour de France". It's a neat bike and it tracks straighter than any bike I have ever owned (with the exception of the Dave Bohm massaged PXN10E). It really feels lively and smooth. Can anybody tell me where this designation of Vitus tubing falls in rank of quality? The fork Vitus sticker has a different number on it. It is three digits, the last two being _80. There is a small scratch in the sticker that rubbed out the first number. Anybody know what it is? I would guess 980, but that's all it is-a guess. Where does this bike rank in order of Gitanes available in 1983. (I know it must be a good way from a Gitane TDF). Any interesting information and insight would be appreciated. Also, anybody want to trade me a stem? The Atax aero is too long. It is 105mm. An 80 or 90 at most would be ideal. It is 22.0 diameter with 25.4 bar clamp diameter. Stem is in excellent condition. I know Vitus has come up on the list before. Sorry I wasn't paying attention at the time. Hope I am not sentenced to the archives, as lengthy computer time strangely produces hard flying objects from spouses direction! Hah! All The Best, Don Walter Tucson, AZ PS- Anybody know of a source for NOS cones for front and rear Normandy red label (Luxe Competition) hubs? I am really enjoying riding this bike. My Peugeots are starting to snarl at me.