RIDING THE GITANE GRAN TOUR

Simply put, I did not ride the Gitane enough to get a feel for the ride and be qualified to comment on the ride quality.  The bicycle was just too small for me but I did take it around the block a few times to ensure that it was working as intended.

I did not put the bicycle though its paces because of the size issue.  It did seem to accelerate well but I never really pushed it to best experience that quality.  Top speed was also another characteristic that was not investigated.  My primary concern was to ensure that the bicycle rode straight, shifted properly and finally, stopped when and where I wanted it to.

The Gitane tracked perfectly and made no attempt to pull one way or the other as I slowly relaxed my grip on the handlebars.  The sitting position was far too upright for my liking and I could not achieve proper leg extension.  These two factors alone are enough to throw one's opinion about ride quality way off but I tried my best to take that into account.  After riding the bicycle for half an hour, or so, my guess would be that the Gitane would prove to be quite comfortable for the right person as she, or he, zipped around the city.  Or even for a spin or two in the country.

The indexed Shimano 105 transmission required minor adjustment on the road and then worked pretty much as one would expect form the 105 product - smooth and positive shifts with the click of the shifter.  The Mafac cantilevered brakes were easy to set-up and offered excellent stopping opportunity.  The worked very well with the Shimano straight bar lever selected.  And the levers proved to be easy to reach and pull.

The handlebars were left "as found" in the width department.  I suggested to the lady that she could shorten them herself if she saw fit to do so once she had a chance to ride the bicycle.  I might add that the black anodized alloy bars blended perfectly with the Gitane's cosmetics and offered an even better match to the selected brake levers.

With test riding and adjusting completed, I set to packing the bicycle in preparation for shipment to an address in Eastern Ontario, Canada.  The west coast lady was moving home and asked that the Gitane be sent to her parents house.  I did hear back from the lady one time, though.  I had forgotten to throw-in a set of drop bars and levers for her should she wish to swap controls out.  I packaged up the bars and levers and mailed them off a few days later.  I do hope they arrived OK.  I hope also that the bicycle has proved to be fun and rewarding to ride.