Thank you VERY much for all of your detailed information. I can’t wait to fix it up. Do you have any recommendations for cleaning the rust off the wheel rims etc? I was planning to use pretty fine steel wool.
thank you!!
Originally Posted by
Livefish
Sb23539, Motobècane offered the mixte (unisex) frame across various models. Yours appears to be either a Nomade or a Mirage. U.S. import models after 1973 had a riveted metal head badge. That yours has the rectangular plastic badge makes it either a bike produced for the European market or a U.S. bike from 1970-73. I'd guess the latter. With 1020 steel tubing, chromed fork crown and "socks", Dia-Compe center-pull brakes and the "deluxe" saddle it would appear to be a Mirage mixte from 1970-73.
The bike looks to me to be all or mostly original. If you clean up the barrels of those high flange hubs you'll likely find a stamped two-digit year code. Also, if those are Rigida Chromix steel wheels, you may find a stamped year code inside of a diamond shape <72>. Either of these will tell you the bike's maximum age.
The Shimano / SunTour handlebar-end controls (barcons) are an interesting detail that may or may not be original. These were just beginning to appear in the European bike market in the early 70s. I own a 1970-71 Motobècane Grand Record (U.S. import) that came to me equipped with barcons and I'll never know for sure if Motobècane produced the bike this way "off-catalog" or if they were added (possibly new) by a dealer in the U.S. or by a previous owner. They take a little time to get used to but work quite well.
Motobècane was known for its paint quality in the 70s. With some good cleaning wax and some elbow grease this metallic green accented in gold can be absolutely stunning. Enjoy!