Gazelle? Does anyone know anything about them?

Hmm, There's no decal on the toptube (as far as i can see). Looking at the rest of the decals there should be a "Champion Mondial" in blockletters.

My lovely Gazelle Champion Mondial AA Super is up for sale, here: http://www.londonfgss.com/thread26538.html

I just bought this beauty, which is all original from the year of my birth.
http://i373.photobucket.com/albums/oo176/Joe1983_photo/DSC00959.jpg

Give us some pics from underneath BB shell...

Hi Dutch Cheese..

Sorry crap photo with iphone

3169614.?? You can also see the gazelle stamped.the is also maybe a small 10(?) ringed
near the edge of the bb shell near the bb spindle if this helps
I will try again in the morning if this doesnt help

Goshdarnit. I'm really starting to doubt if the Gazelle track bike I traded my Colnago Super Mexico '77 Oro frame for is a fake :-S

Dutch Cheese (ben je Nederlands trouwens?), can you help me out? This is the frame I now own:
http://www.classicbikeshop.eu/frame-gazelle-bleu-track.html

Greets from Rotterdam. (watsop Erik, Fruit n Shame?!)

Sorry Tjeu, I can't help you.
This frame is too old for me to know it well.

I had my doubts when I saw Chancertime's track frame, but the Gazelle stamped mark and the frame number look damn original. Not the paintwork and decals of his frame.
Yours looks more original (paint, decals), but I can't look underneath the BB shell.
I don't know the style of the seat stay caps, but it seems that this was normal (early 1970's?).
For the rest both track frames do have some Gazelle marks.
I would say: don't worry.

(yes, I'm Dutch, too)

Goshdarnit. I'm really starting to doubt if the Gazelle track bike I traded my Colnago Super Mexico '77 Oro frame for is a fake :-S

Dutch Cheese (ben je Nederlands trouwens?), can you help me out? This is the frame I now own:
http://www.classicbikeshop.eu/frame-gazelle-bleu-track.html

Greets from Rotterdam. (watsop Erik, Fruit n Shame?!)

Who cares if its real, its bloody gorgeous!

Hi Dutch Cheese..

Sorry crap photo with iphone

3169614.?? You can also see the gazelle stamped.the is also maybe a small 10(?) ringed
near the edge of the bb shell near the bb spindle if this helps
I will try again in the morning if this doesnt help

Judging by the link that TSEWANG sent me (thanks alot) and the reynolds fork stickers I tentativly date my Gazelle from around 1970- 1971
( http://fivenineclimber.com/bikes/gazelle/misc/serial_numbers.htm )

The seat stays are similar to pre 1970's gazelles.

2423143
#2852788
#3062605
3169614
#3170463
#3177616
#3180142
#3181632
#3183291
#3184325
#3186883
#3187588
#3200252
#3205799
#3207682
#3201494
#3213898
#3213908
#3214556
#3216390
#3221805
#3224912
#3231837
#3241811
#3243012
#3250868
#3254092
#3255113
#3256050
#3266854
#3269717
#3270695
#3277792
#3280367
#3281831
#3284659
#3290469
#3295?32
#3296775
#3297692
#3299382
#3313108
#3320240
#3324934
#3324-74
#1468292
#4465873

Model
Early race bike
Semi Race

AA-Frame?
A-Frame

AA-Frame
AA-Frame
A-Frame
AA-Frame
A-Frame
A-Frame
AA-Super
A-Frame
A-Frame
A-Frame (?)
A-Frame

AA-Frame
AA-Frame
A-Frame
A-Frame
AA-Frame?
A-Frame
AA-Frame
AB-Frame
A-Frame
AA-Frame
AB-Frame
AA-Frame, 753
A-Frame
AB-Frame
AB-Frame
AB-Frame
Baan-fiets
AA-Special
AA-Special
AB-Frame
AB-Frame
AA-Special
AB-Frame
AB-Frame
AA-Special
AA-frame, 653
AB-Frame
AA-Special?
Super Tall!!

Year, guess
1962-64
1970

1971
1973
1974
1975
1975-76
1975-76
1976
1976
1977
1977
1982
1
Owner
Elev12k
Erez Beckman

Rini Wagtmans
Charles Colerich

Unknown
rideone
webmaster
Ed Gouw
Martin in Arnhem

Thanks. Yes it's gorgeous, but I traded it for a Colnago Super Mexico '77 ORO road frame. Like this one: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3435/3176559097_3cdb3bed7c.jpg
Which is pretty damn rare, so if the Gazelle turned out to be a fake... That'd suck.

Still, I do believe it's a real Gazelle, because I got it from a serious collector and I've had one other collector say it's a real Gazelle.

@Dutch Cheese All the info I could find on the frame indicates it's indeed an early '70's frame. The BB shell however doesn't have ANY engravings. Nor do the fork and frame dropouts. Kinda weird...

Thanks for everyones help.

I know tjeu was having trouble so maybe someone at five nine can help.If you
have no serial it may be a early riders bike! Way cool.

If your having trouble dating your bike there are some contacts on Five nine climber website ( fivenineclimber . com ) who
really might help...

I spoke to Habitual ,who has a lovely Gazell track,and after reading around
five nine climber website which has lots of Gazelle info
all over I have nailed the date (someones letter on the site) and the colour (a letter from the Gazelle factory as it was as an option ) to 1970 which is cool as it is just around when they started the Willem (?) Gazelle team which
was important in the development of Gazelle and of the CHampion Mondial moniker which they rode on.

Anyway,thanks,
J
On the left is the number 70 which is the year, followed by serial No followed by Gazelle stamped in the same direction as the 70. All info off fivenineclimber.

Yo Tjeu!! this is becoming a nice little Dutch thread.
And i also think you Gazelle is real Tjeu, it has all the characteristics of a 70's Gazelle track bike (double fork crown, wrap-around seatstays, Campy trackends and drops. Do you have a Roto BB shell by the way??) And about the serial number, both my Gazelle trackbikes are stamped with only a number and no "Gazelle", which i find strange. I also noticed that the numbering is somewhat different than Gazelle's roadbikes. Is there anyone who has some info about Gazelle and serialnumbers? I't quite hard to find online..

I don't know much about Gazelles but at least on my Champion Mondial track which is from early 1970s I think (no pics now, sorry) the seatstay ends wrap almost all the way around the seattube to the front side. On yours they look very different.

Mine looks pretty much exactly the same as the yellow one posted by Habitual on the previous page. Different color and no chrome, though.

I think you have to check this:
http://www.fivenineclimber.com/bikes/gazelle/misc/serial_numbers.htm

If the GAZELLE stamping is missing, it's a bit strange, but not impossible.
They used to have some kind of hand tool and had to roll the Gazelle stamp manually into each BB-shell.
Sometimes they simply forgot.
Exception: Cinelli cast BB shells: these came from the factory with the name already casted/stamped. Sometimes, when Cinelli had no stock of Gazelle marked BB shells and delivery time was a bit tight, they supplied parts with regular Cinelli logo.
For the regular production models, it's as good as impossible that a frame number is missing. All sales orders (but also resprays, repairs, etc) were based on frame numbers. As chancertime mentioned, perhaps there was no frame number for very early pro team bikes Still strange tho'.

Style of numbering: most of the times, the frame numbers were rolled into the BB shells also, some kind of machine.
With special frames (all custom, made to measure, 753, track, CX, lo pro, tandem, ...) were made by one person, not in small series at some kind of production line.
SOmetimes they picked a pre-numbered BB shell, sometimes they used a BB-shell without numbers and hammered the numbers into the BB shell manually.

In the 1980's Gazelle's lightweight devision had a "book", where all frame numbers were registered. Meaning: series of BB-shell /frame numbers and the date when these numbers were pressed into the shell. So, this was a rough indication (+/- a couple of months) when the frame was produced.
I'm not sure if that booklet still exsists of if it's lost. Meanwhile it may be worth something.

@ Shame, my Gazelle doesn't have Campa dropouts. That's the weird thing. All the characteristics of a Gazelle frame, but no engraving what so ever.

I'm gonna go with the option it's been ridden by a pro. Hahaha.

Such a shame, a while back I actually found a Gazelle Champion Mondial road bike in my size that was painted exactly the same as my track frame. Should have just bought that to compare and reunite the two.

Such a shame, a while back I actually found a Gazelle Champion Mondial road bike in my size that was painted exactly the same as my track frame. Should have just bought that to compare and reunite the two.

Don't worry, you will find other Gazelles in the same colours.
It's called Baikal blauw, code nr 68. Plenty frames produced that colour. White decals were standard for this paint colour.

Hi there tjeu

The reynolds stickers on your frame were produced after 1975-6.
Prior to this the stickers didnt have the address on and there were a couple of
other differences.Try a web search to find out.
That is why I think your Gazelle is an early model.
That and the fact it does not have the wrap-around seat stays that are such a Gazelle trait.

Cheers,
j

Thanks. Yes it's gorgeous, but I traded it for a Colnago Super Mexico '77 ORO road frame. Like this one: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3435/3176559097_3cdb3bed7c.jpg
Which is pretty damn rare, so if the Gazelle turned out to be a fake... That'd suck.

Still, I do believe it's a real Gazelle, because I got it from a serious collector and I've had one other collector say it's a real Gazelle.

@Dutch Cheese All the info I could find on the frame indicates it's indeed an early '70's frame. The BB shell however doesn't have ANY engravings. Nor do the fork and frame dropouts. Kinda weird...

Yeah, I've been talking to numerous people and they all say the frame is produced between '76 and '78.

Habitual's bike and yours have the same kind of seat stay ends, right?

I'll upload some pics of the bike when it's really done. It's rolling right now, but it still isn't completely period correct.

Hi there tjeu

The reynolds stickers on your frame were produced after 1975-6.
Prior to this the stickers didnt have the address on and there were a couple of
other differences.Try a web search to find out.
That is why I think your Gazelle is an early model.
That and the fact it does not have the wrap-around seat stays that are such a Gazelle trait.

Cheers,
j

Hi there

good its coming along.

No - my seat stays are different to Habituals model. He say his is a 1976
whereas mine is from between 1969-1974??

If fact the seat stays that fold around and taper to the frame are a trait of the mondial but I believe these may have been introduced after my bike was produced.
I am guessing between 1967-1974 the company was trying to get things right as the team was really new so different things were tried hence what we call irregularities
pop up.My lugs are also slightly more intricate but similar and my forks are too,

Gotta go

J

Yeah, I've been talking to numerous people and they all say the frame is produced between '76 and '78.

Habitual's bike and yours have the same kind of seat stay ends, right?

I'll upload some pics of the bike when it's really done. It's rolling right now, but it still isn't completely period correct.

very nice small gazelle track frame on ebay at the minute 52 / 54 cm

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RARE-GAZELLE-TRACK-FIXIE-PISTA-FRAME-RAHMEN-MINT_W0QQitemZ120503038726QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1c0e8a7306

I'm currently restoring exactly the same bike (only a bit older than this one) at the moment. Can't wait till it gets back from the painter!

here are some new shots of my gazelle lo pro's in stereo !
http://www.flickr.com/photos/45408566@N05/4174009236/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/45408566@N05/4174006068/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/45408566@N05/4173253279/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/45408566@N05/4174009424/in/photostream/

Beautifull ensemble Dicki. Now seperated again, but we know the one that left found a new happy owner we can be confident of he will take good care of it.

Intermezzo! No Gazelle, but another Dutch: Batavus.

Batavus is the other large Dutch manufacturer. Sometimes Gazelle took the lead, in other years it was Batavus. Both had their performance orientated frames made in house at their own small series/custom department . Gazelle had their.... Champion Mondial line up. Batavus carried the 'Professional'. Traditional 3rd of the Dutch manufacturers was Union, but they outsourced the performance aimed frames. They had their thoroughbreds made with Gianni Motta in Italy.

I picked up this Batavus Professional a couple of weeks ago >>>

Mid 80s frameset in teampaint. I picked it up as full bike. Its previous owner told me it started its live in competition. After it was retired from racing this roadframe had been used on the track for a couple of years! Particular track-typical scratches on the seatstays kinda confirm this. When I picked it up it was equipped with parts donated by most likely a 70s low end Raleigh. No idea why and I couldn't get an explanation for it, but what I did know for sure immediately was the parts would have to fly a la minute when home.

The frame has no tubing decal. Around that time Professionals could be had with Reynolds 531C, Reynolds 531P, Columbus SL or Columbus SP. SLX came little later. SP was mostly used with larger frames. I do not feel spiral shaped butting under inside the steerer (SL), so I think most likely 531C or 531P is used for this frame. Lugs are like with Gazelle Bocama longpoint >>>

The braze on under the toptube is for holding the race number.

Metal 'Batavus' headbadge >>

I do not have plans for this newly acquired frame yet. This frame is a little small for me, so building a serious roadbike with it does not seem to work for me. I could do a fun theme, making use of the fixed or ss concept. Finally I could also hang it on the wall, as a piece of art sort like, but that is not were it is made for. More for this >>>

On the cover of the 1984 catalogue

Overall the Professional line up was not as broad as the Champion Mondial line up. Champion Mondial also included randonneurs, stayers, aerobikes among more. The Champion Mondial is also made in larger numbers. Both series are well made with keeping eye on what they are intended for. Nothing ueberfancy with plenty decoration, but Dutch pragmatic.

nice gazelle lo pro frame only on e-bay currently

no size mentioned

I saw it went for $400, so I think the buyer did a good deal with the NOS(!) frame.

E!Bmk~$(KGrHqUOKi0ErzSLbRFUBLI547R7wg~~_3.JPG)

Intermezzo II >>> another Dutch make: Zieleman

Ko Zieleman was a small builder from the Reggestraat in Amsterdam. His frames are highly regarded. They were raced by many pros, but they were all Zielemans in disguise. Sponsoring was something Ko didn't do. All frame left the shop being paid for.

60s Zieleman Type Special >>>

The frame was refinished in the 80s. When I got my hands on it was equipped with a mix of Nuovo Record and Dura Ace. I rebuild it with the about the most exquisite 80s typical stuff: Weinmann Delta Pro brakes, Roval aero wheels and Super Record. An aero dress for this sinsiter black beaut.

Couple detail pics:

Brakes Dart Vader approved >>>

Cinelli 1R stem, Zieleman pantographed >>>