Thierry Vincent is one of France’s most talented photographers, and while he’s usually more comfortable shooting exotic cars and motorcycles, he recently took it upon himself to document his rebuilt Gitane Tour de l’Avenir.
The emphasis for this custom build was budget, the total cost coming in under €110. The donor bike is a 1975 Gitane Tour de l’Avenir, a relatively standard French-made road bike which Thierry stripped, cleaned and had painted. The rear derailleur was retained, along with the Mafac brake, and the other necessary components were sourced according to functional and aesthetic requirements. Thierry aimed for a certain look that was in-between a vintage track bicycle and a cafe racer motorcycle, and a suitable pair of handlebars were found which achieved the desired stance. Other bargain bin parts were found, in keeping with the aged or classic theme, including a Brooks B-17 saddle, and a ‘Arabesque’ Shimano 600 rear mech.
Interestingly, the last two images were taken on a camera almost as old as the original bike, a Nikon EM with an old Nikon E series lens (50mm f/1.8) on 400 ASA Ilford HP5 film. Have a look at Thierry’s portfolio and blog for more beautiful photography.
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