If quintessential means different things to different people and within the timeframe of the '70s bike boom, I would have to call on my '72 Motobecane Mirage. As a 15yr old busboy in a small resort town, I thought I bad just purchased a true racer when compared to my '50something Royce Union 3speed. To me, that heavy laden, steel outfitted BSO was a gem though a study in conflicting componentry. Why combine alloy turkey levers and gorgeous high flange hubs with ***sigh*** steel wheels?? Nevermind. But the memories were worth every penny. I later went alloy wheels, disco'd stem shifters, turkey levers, kickstand etc, added downtube shifters and soon found myself in love with cycling.