Early '70s Gitane Country CX (tentative build thread)

So I've had this in the shed for nearly 3 flippin' years and it's time to do something with it. I basically bought it out of fascination for the Huret honeycomb drop out and the built in portage rest

It's a 1973 (what's left of the decals suggest so) or a 1974 (the cable guide for a double chain set suggests this) so it's going to be something of an amalgam as I like the '73 decals but really want a double chain set at the front for usability.

I've not quite settled on colour yet (I love the Orange Corsa; Vert Izoard and both the Bleus) but have at least decided that it can't just be lacquered over!

I think I've seen two others pictured somewhere on the internet so any info or pictures anybody might have would be most welcome.

Always fancied one of those and its got the potential to be a very nice thing.

Hang on to the idiosyncratically French bits though otherwise there may be a few Gallic shrugs when you get round to rebuilding it.

I’ll try not to let you down

It’s going to be as close to original as possible although at the moment I’m relying on Suntour shifters until I can find Simplex ones. Their might be some upgrades of the mech and so on but they will stay Simplex.

The Shimano 105 and Sora combo (for which a person of Gallic persuasion was actually responsible) will be out of here as will the red Flite!

Ive never seen a "portage rest" before. Is this something other frame builders did? Looking forward to the rebuild thread.

I saw a more recent Colnago that did that. Not sure about any others.

And of course we had day glow straps and bags on our MTBs for far too long at the end of the 80s

At first glance, I thought it was a cyclo-cross frame.

Good to hear and If you already know all the below completely ignore me.

I suspect said previous owner has been marched off into the desert with a company of the French Foreign Legion as punishment but I was thinking more about threads and diameters like the pedal threads, cranktool threads, BB and headset threads and the stem diameter.

Also don't forget there's Simplex about under different names like Spidel and Gipiemme if you look and I'm sure a saw a long cage alloy bodies Simplex rear mech on ebay recently for a sensible price.

I built the all French Meral in my signature up using as much Spidel as I could find.

[/quote]
Good to hear and If you already know all the below completely ignore me.

I suspect said previous owner has been marched off into the desert with a company of the French Foreign Legion as punishment but I was thinking more about threads and diameters like the pedal threads, cranktool threads, BB and headset threads and the stem diameter.

Also don't forget there's Simplex about under different names like Spidel and Gipiemme if you look and I'm sure a saw a long cage alloy bodies Simplex rear mech on ebay recently for a sensible price.

I built the all French Meral in my signature up using as much Spidel as I could find.[/quote]

Ah right I'm with you. Sorry for the dumb moment there

Yeah the stem and headset and bottom bracket are all to be very carefully recycled

Weirdly the existing cranks have English threads so I might change those so I can use a lovely set of Atoms with French threads.

Just been to have a look at the Meral! C'est genial ca!

It is. Or at least that's what Gitane advertised it as. Might race it next winter... then again I might just stay in where it's warm!

I think a lot did have English pedal threads by then but from memory the tool needed to get the crank arms off on some of them is specific to Stronglight isn't it?

Thanks on the Meral but pleased as I am with it the fact its made with Columbus and not Vitus irks somewhat, I've got a Navarro from Lyon that's made using Vitus and so will be completely French when its finished.