Classic & Vintage - Trying to ID a Motobecane

I recently decided I was going to re-learn to ride a bike, find out of it's true when they say you never forget. First things first, I had to find a bike, so I picked one up at a garage sale. The woman I got it from says she'd had it for years, bought it used. I'd really like to find out how old this bike is, etc. It's a Motobecane. Other than that, I can't say a lot, I don't know a whole lot about bikes. Until recently, I hadn't ridden one since I was twelve.

If someone could tell me a little bit more about my bike, I'd be eternally grateful. Here are a couple pictures. Be warned, they're very high-res.

Image 1 (http://www.redhorizon.org/misc/moto1.jpg)
Image 2 (http://www.redhorizon.org/misc/moto2.jpg)
Image 3 (http://www.redhorizon.org/misc/moto3.jpg)

Thank you very much your time.

-Alec

Pretty bike. Mid to late '70's. Just got one a few years older than yours last week.

I'm certainly no expert on old bikes, but I'm posting because I have an old Motobecane ten-speed bicycle that appears to have that identical mixte frame; it has the same patterns in the lugwork, including the gold paint around the edges, the same name stamped on the stem, same decals, except for the one at the top of the seat tube which is absent on mine. My bike is done up as a comfort bike, though, with regular upright handlebars instead of drops; it has Huret stem shifters, center-pull Weinmann brakes, and Huret derailleurs, and the Pivo stem that is shown in your pic, and mine has Brumel fenders and mudflaps.

I bought it used, so I don't know its exact age, but it has an old city bike registration sticker on it that expired Dec. 31, 1981, so I suspect it's a bike from the seventies. Because of the similarities, yours might be about the same.

my moto has similar lugs and the same weird rubber handlebar grip that I have no idea how I'll take of if I need to, and the shimano crank has a 78 date code on it,

nice color, what size is the frame? weight? mine was 35lbs, removing the hurette derailleurs saved 5lbs! try that with todays components, losing 5lbs would cost $1k

No idea. I know next to nothing abotu bikes. Like I said, last time I rode one, I was twelve.

this site is well thought of for information and a good source for older bike knowledge too.

http://sheldonbrown.com/beginners/index.html

I got my motobecane at a pawnshop and it held up for many many miles and a few crashes before I broke a well worn shift cable and converted it to single speed, they are good bikes durable and comfortable geometry and tastefull paint and decals unlike some other bikes of the era, I would like to find a higher end model some day.

The amazing thing about this bike is that it appears to have the original tires(!)which I believe are Michelin. I remember selling these bikes when I worked in my first bike shop in 1974. This is either a Nomade or a Mirage model, I would guess it is the Nomade which was the least expensive model. They were imported by the late Ben Lawee, (Lawee, Inc Long Beach, CA) who had the idea of mixing Japanese shifting parts on Motobecanes because he recognized that Suntour at the time had a superior shifting system. He fought hard with the french to get these bikes done the way he wanted and succeeded because he was an extremely tough businessman. How do I know this?
I ended up working for him in the early eighties after he started the Univega brand. He was the toughest boss I've ever had!

I would estimate that it is circa 1974-1977 on the basis that it is using the SunTour derailleurs, but still has cottered crankset and a 1020 tubing. Gut feel says its 1974-1975. You should be able to narrow things down by decyphering the two letter date codes on the SunTour derailleurs. The Vintage-Trek website has all the info these codes.

Flip it over, there might be a date stamp on the underside of the BB shell.

Based on the cottered cranks and the head badge I'd put it at ~75-77. By 1978 Moto had converted the Nomades to a cotterless crank with steel rings. I don't think much older b/c the headbadge from the early 70s was different. I'd say Nomade but the front quick release might mean Mirage.

Good choice for someone looking to get back on a bike after many years. Will last many more years/miles.



:beer:

I'd say Nomade also, because I have it's mate in a men's bike. I have cottered Nervar cranks and the same head tube emblem. My dad bought mine new for me around 1975, as I recall.

It's a pretty bike.

As far as I've been able to tell the mixtes don't equate directly to men's models, but the level of componentry on both mine and Alec's places them at about the Nomade level.

Unfortunately, I'm only going to have this bike (as much as I've already fallen in love with it) for a few more months. I'm moving out of the country for university, and there just isn't an easy, inexpensive way to transport it.

I'm sure you won't have a hard time finding a good home for it when you are done. Just please don't take it to the dump! :)

peace,
sam

It's staying with my mom, who might make good use of it.