Innergetic

I can get a new Mercier TT with 520 reynolds for the same price as reviving my '70s Motobecane (2040 no-mo) with an IRO build kit + wheelset.

Mercier has a better frame, but the IRO wheelset would definitely be better as would the drivetrain...

Suggestions?

Keep in mind this is all $350 or under.

frymaster

if you buy the kilo in a year you'll want new wheels, if you build the motobecane in a year you'll want a new frame.

as a result i would go with the build because:
a) the chances of finding a really good frame for cheap are much better than the chances of finding a really good wheelset for cheap.
b) you will learn by building and knowledge has value

das_pyrate

yeah build would be better. you get to know exactly what you're riding.

plus everyone on the face of the earth seems to have a mercier.

Innergetic

I hear that brother...

mihlbach

Get the Kilo TT and sell the Motobecane. Old french bikes are a big PITA. Trust me, I've gone that route. The threads in the BB and fork are obsolete sizes, as are the stem, headset, and seatpost diameters. Its not easy to find compatible parts. The frame is designed for 27" tires, which, if you get 700c wheels, will make you buy long-reach brakes, your bottom bracket will be lower than intended, and you'll end up with a bunch of ugly extra clearance in your frame and fork.

I had a beautiful 1970's Motobecane Grand Jubilee. It ride like **** and lasted 700 miles till the damn seatube cracked in half and all that time and money I dumped into is was a total waste. Don't trust old vintage steel. You have no idea how fatigued the tubes are. If you into vintage bikes, thats one thing, but if your just looking for something to ride, its simply not worth the trouble.

ALaS

Bikeisland.com build? Know what you put into your bike!

Triple8Sol

Regardless of what frame you get, I say build. I went with a simple KHS Flite 100 frameset and picked everything from there. Spent a little more than the full retail price of an off-the-shelf Flite 100 completel bike, but with much better components that also fit me better.

frymaster

well, milhbach sounds like he has experience and i would defer to that.

i realize that french bb's are a pain but have known several folks who have dealt with them, albeit with the application of a little money and time... but headset, seat post and fork as well? yeesh.

TheDL

Build. If you ever need to replace the BB there are options (Velo-Orange) or you can have the frame re-tapped. Also the point was made about finding another cheap frame (Craigslist), should the need arise.

Plus building you learn and in the end you have a personal piece. Not an off the shelf ride. An aspect which some value more than others.

PedallingATX

So for $350 you only really have a few options:

1. Kilo TT
2. Restore the Motobecane
3. Buy used

Restoring the motobecane is a horrible idea. It will end up costing you way more than 350 and ride like crap. Don't mess with it. I have never converted a French frmae, but I did convert an old Italian frame and that was hard enough. I can't imagine how hard it would be if you are dealing w/ obsolete threading. TheDL: are you serious? retap an old POS frame?

the Kilo is a great bike that will serve you well. You won't have any headache in getting it setup to run and you can be riding it in 2 weeks from now and have it for the summer.

Building a bike from a bikeisland frame isn't an option w/ your budget. There is no way you can build up a bike from the frame and keep it under 350.

Buying used is another good option. You can find some serious deals on CL. I would check that out, but make sure you know what you're looking for.

rudetay

I think the only part of the IRO build kit/wheels that you'd find would be any better than what comes stock on the Kilo TT is the cog and maybe the rims. But, the Kilo wheelset is perfectly fine and will perform pretty much exactly like the IRO set.

People tend to think that purchasing parts separately guarantees they are of better quality. While this is true on some low low end geared bikes, because you can't even buy the ultra-cheap components they come with, on something like a fixed gear bike there isn't much to cut corners on unless it's coming with a 1 piece crank like the SE Draft. I've run the TruVativ Touro cranks that come on the Kilo (mine were from a Rush Hour) on two frames now, and been perfectly happy with them, no issues at all. The IRO/andel/kazane/whatever cranks are likely of similar quality. This same comparison applies to most stuff in that price range.

The Kilo TT comes with perfectly good stuff, there are much better components out there that are better, sure, but not new for the price range the IRO build kit falls under.

mihlbach

Don't forget about the stem. A normal quill stem will not fit through the locknut of a french headset.

Build your own

Not sayin' that french bikes can't be a PITA,but i converted a Mirage and had only minor problems.The BB was swiss and even though standard cups are not supposed to work it worked out with some cheapo cups.They went in a bit on the loose side but tightened up fine and i rode it for a winter as my beater before giving it to a friend who rides it pretty much daily without problems.The fork/headset inside diameter was 22.0 instead of 22.2.Again,it's not supposed to work but a SR quill stem of a nishiki frame went in fine(sanding down a old stem works fine too).Being a beater i kept the seatpost.
A old hi ten motobecane is certainly not a frame to dump a lot of $ into,but if someone already has one it's only a matter of checking a couple things(BB threading,diameters)to see if the bike at hand can be converted without too much fuss.

Andy_K 

Velo Orange's French bottom bracket changes things a lot. French threading need no longer be feared -- at least not on the BB.

There are still potential problems as noted above. When I converted my Gitane (which had an ISO BB, BTW), the stem was irrevocably frozen to the steerer, but it was more or less where I would've wanted it anyway, so I overhauled the headset in place and just left it.

I'd say convert. Re-building an old bike builds character. I look at it like a Jedi making his own light saber, except that in this case he ends up with a kind of crappy lightsaber that he loves anyway and is much cooler than the crappy one he could have gotten from lightsabersdirect.com for a little less money.

fanta510

French parts aren't difficult to find. I came across a NIB Campagnolo pista BB with french cups for a song, along with a number of other french BBs and headsets for my builds. Sourcing these parts has become even more affordable with Velo-Orange's sealed french BB set.
A quick spin of sandpaper will allow standard stems to pass the locknut. Reference Sheldon Brown's page on French bikes.
You simply have to do some online searching, or call up some local stores. That said, if you have the room, keeping the Moto geared and picking up a Kilo could be a nice option.

Innergetic

The Motobecane is a Mirage. If I were to do a build, I wouldn't need to replace the fork, headset, stem, handlebars, or bb (even though it's probably a good idea to do so) so essentially even though the I would be getting a new BB it wouldn't have to fit.

That being said I wouldn't call it rideable at this point:
The rear brake cable snapped off the hood after pulling too hard
The chainring is bent, as is the front derailleur (limiting it to 5 gears)
The chain falls off on the smallest cog (limiting it to 4 gears)

So if I don't build it, it's going on CL as a "Vintage" (ooo!) bike.

That being said it appears that there's no clear consensus as to which is a better idea.

Right now I'm leaning towards the build because as someone said you can always get a better frame and but the parts on that.

But please, continue!