Bicycles

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Started the tear down yesterday of the Super Course yesterday.


This isn't going to be a polish/shine/rechrome restoration, just a clean/lube/replace maintenance items job. I have tires, tubes, and brake cables. Need shifter cables and brake pads. If I have any motivation today, I'll get the bulk of it done.

[wheelbender6]

I first learned of Gitane because they sponsored a Formula 1 race team. It was back before most F1 cars were turbocharged. They were almost all v8s, v12s and flat 12s.
Must have sold a lot of cigarettes to afford a F1 sponsorship.

It was not until I joined a site dedicated to fixed gear bikes that I learned of Gitane Bicycles. The fixed gear movement seemed to get a lot of riders interested in vintage and classic ten speeds again.

"Gitanes is mostly known for being Ligier's major sponsor from 1976 to 1995. They also sponsored Larrousse for the 1994 Japanese Grand Prix."

[cheesy]

Originally Posted by wheelbender6

I first learned of Gitane because they sponsored a Formula 1 race team. It was back before most F1 cars were turbocharged. They were almost all v8s, v12s and flat 12s.
Must have sold a lot of cigarettes to afford a F1 sponsorship.

It was not until I joined a site dedicated to fixed gear bikes that I learned of Gitane Bicycles. The fixed gear movement seemed to get a lot of riders interested in vintage and classic ten speeds again.

"Gitanes is mostly known for being Ligier's major sponsor from 1976 to 1995. They also sponsored Larrousse for the 1994 Japanese Grand Prix."

If you were French, you smoked Gitanes or Gauloise. The first time I was in Paris, it was hard to find someone who didn't smoke.

Which fixed gear site was that?

[wheelbender6]

I am still working on making my first trip to Paris. I haven't even been to Paris, TX yet.

My fixie hangout was a website when I was a member but it is on facebook now.
https://www.facebook.com/FixedGearGallery/

My old Ron Cooper is on there somewhere.

[cheesy]

Ahhh, the old FGG gang.
Dennis and Katy Bean-Larson, Skidly, fixedweasel, Princess Hungry, n8bone, Carls, TracyH, pigface, Chromazoid, SueG, kenH, bny, JEFF WHITE, tinman, roscoe, Graham, and...cheesy.

Still in touch with most of them. Dennis and Katy are on vacation in Mallorca. Chromy passed away in 2016. bny moved to da yoo pee. I think tin is in Texas. PH is engaged. n8 is back in NJ. Ken retired a few years ago. SueG, his better half, retired a couple weeks ago. Roscoe is still producing albums. Skid is still fabricating. JEFF seems like he has always been retired. Tracy has a new dog. Graham shows up once in awhile. Carl and weez are retired and we get together for rides a few times a year. Weez is still an animal. Still stealing chainring bolts and still pushes 91 inch gears for fun.

The Mighty Dunelt and my Miyata CarbonTech 3000 are on there, too.

[cheesy]

Pretty much done with this one.


There's some minor tweeks still left to do, but it's rideable. Sadly, the original Blumel fenders were beyond repair.

[cheesy]

Getting there with the Gitane.


Built the front wheel this morning. Handlebars were a bit tweaked, so got those straightened and ready for taping. Going to run a front brake controlled by two levers. I did that years ago on a fixed Miyata CarbonTech 3000. Now I need to remember how I did it. Looks like the next challenge is finding a 39-41t chainring with a 135 bcd for the Campy Daytona crank.

[cheesy]

Sometimes being an old fart in this hobby can be fun. I visited the well established local-ish bike shop, but not the one I wrenched at. The young guy comes out from behind the counter and asks what he can help me with.

"I need a 700 x 32 tire and a 30mm recessed brake caliper nut."

"Sure, no problem. Here's your tire. What was that other thing?"

"A 30mm recessed brake caliper nut."

"Uh, what exactly is that?"

"That might be before your time. You might need to ask one of the old farts in the back."

The kid gets one of the older guys. Turns out I used to race with this guy in the eighties.

"Hey, man. Long time, no see. Howyabeen?" (cue a few minutes of old guy bullshitting)

"Whatchaneed?"

"30mm recessed brake caliper nut."

"No problem." Walks back to a drawer, takes one out, and hands it to me.

The kid rings me up and says that he'd never heard of that kind of nut. The other old guy tells him that in the eighties, if your bike had those types of nuts on it, it wasn't a cheap bike. Then he proceeds to tell the kid about our exploits before 1995.

[wheelbender6]

I know what you mean. My nearby bike shop doesn't carry anything that will fit a bike over five years old and they are not interested in ordering it for you.
They have a great bike shop an Galveston Island that carries a lot of stuff for older bikes, but it is 70 miles from me now.

[cheesy]

Just about finished.


Waiting on a warm and sunny day to wrap the bars outdoors.

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I got sick and tired* of waiting for a nice warm day, said, "screw it", and wrapped the bars this morning. Just imagine the bars being a dark blue in the above picture.


*It's rained all week and has been snowing all day. Last year at this time, I was starting on my second mowing of the year.

[wheelbender6]

We are trying to take soundings on the Des Plaines river next week. Nice on Tuesday but rain and snow showers the rest of the week. Its good to be an office rat sometimes.

[cheesy]

The fifty cent Raleigh went to a new home today. In its place is a 1974 Dutch Gazelle built Raleigh Grand Prix, which I don't want. I'm going to get hold of my old bike shop and see if they want to sell it a second time.

[wheelbender6]

SA coaster.jpg

schwinn chain.jpg

Schwinn breeze other.jpgI bought this 1977 Schwinn Breeze for the 3 speed coaster brake hub. That is also my HS graduation year, lol.
I am looking for a Schwinn camelback frame and I will swap all the parts over to it.
I may swap to an old racing frame if I cannot find a camelback for a reasonable ransom.

[cheesy]

I hope it's at least a TCW lll hub and not earlier. Stopping is optional with the earlier ones.