Topic: anyone give a crap about my bicycle rebuild?

[BlindJoe]

    This is my Dad's '75  Gitane "Tour de France" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gitane) that he rode across Iowa in the Ragbrai a couple of times. It had been hanging in my parents garage for 13 yrs until last summer when I decided to start restoring it. I striped the frame and painted it Toyota "Speedway Blue", the pics don't do it justice.
         It got put on the back burner for my 550 project until now... Past couple days I've been cleaning parts in the vibratory tumbler, I welded up the frame stand from a crappy weight set that had been sitting in my basement











They definitely don't  build things like they used to. Thanks for looking.

[754]

Cool..I collect Fat tire bikes..

[masonryman]

that bike looks a lot like my first car, only it was red 

[City Boy]

Great job KottkeHead.Looks like you've got a family airloom there worthy of restoreing and using!!I certainly care as I am an avid bike rider myself .I'm curious;you mention using a vibratory tumbler .Could you describe how it is built and operates or maybe some pics of it .  Rock On

[BlindJoe]

Thanks for the comments.

CB:    You can see the tumbler behind the bike to the right in the first pic. Its made by "Chicago" and I bought it from Harbor Freight for about $50. After the second day of use it literally started to tear itself apart, the shaft that ran through the bowl was way too small, and the nuts that secured it vibrated loose, so the shaft started to wobble around and grind away at the mounting hole in the lid. It was a pretty easy fix though, just bought some heavier duty hardware from Home Depot and put a grommet in the mounting hole.
      It works great now. I've only had it a couple of weeks so I'm still trying to figure out how to use it exactly, but it did a great job of removing the rust and oxidation from the bicycle parts. For the media I've used green plastic pyramids first and then the walnut shells to polish. It leaves a really smooth and uniform surface. And like Ron Propeil would say "You just set it and forget it!" 

[74cb750]

Wish I had some pic's of my brother's triples. They look very wierd.
good luck on your rebuild

[seaweb11]

I think I had one of those bikes

................but now I have to change my search for my garage build to find it

"anyone give a crap"

Good luck with the project

[bunghole]

Campy components.  Very nice!

Keep that bike.  Ragbrai is no joke.  I'm impressed by your dad!

I was training to ride the Death Valley Double, but pulled my head out of my butt and realized that 200 miles through Death Valley in the summer (110 degrees) might not be fun.

[mrbreeze]

Was just wondeing.....does anyone give a crap if I give a crap?

[bunghole]

Was just wondeing.....does anyone give a crap if I give a crap?

I really do.  Can you start another thread for that?

[mrbreeze]

If I did.........do ya really think anyone would give a crap  ......

[seaweb11]

Ba$tards  

as if any one gave a crap!

[mrbreeze]

 

[ColinMc]

Awesome build...especially awesome bike! You'd be amazed at the gems you can find at garage sales when people sell bikes they got for free from relatives or other strange ways and don't know what they have. Any time i drive by a garage sale if I see bikes sitting there I stop in! My pride and joy is a Gazelle I brought back with me from when I lived in Holland for a good chunk of my life. Good luck with the build, that's gonna be one killer bike!

[754]

Nice lug work on it..
Do you know what conmtry it is from?

[78CB750CAFE]

the Atala is Italian, the Gitane is French. I probably know the guy who brought both of those bikes into America, he was the first importer and distributor of european lightweight racing bicycles here. I collect and restore vintage bicycles as well, so if you have questions or need parts LMK.

Drew

[BlindJoe]

     Hey Drew, what kind of tires would you recommend? Not looking to spend a fortune. I don't know too much about road bikes yet...... Also, I'm in need of the two main bolts for a set of "Mafac Racers", the cap that holds the shift lever onto the post "Campy", and a dust cover for the pedal "Lyotard". Would you happen to have any of that, or know a good source? 

Thanks

[tramp]

just rebuilt my old super le tour i bought on 75
still ride her