chilisincarne

Decent road bike or junk?

Vintage Manufrance Hirondelle mixtie road bike

CliffordK

It is hard to tell from the photos (nearly all from the same distance and direction).

The rims look narrow, and the tires look flatter than expected, with a relatively small freewheel... I'm thinking it may have sewups on it. Either that, or pretty good narrow rims (for the era).

The Simplex FD & Shift levers put you into the junk category.

On the other hand, it has cotterless cranks, and a lot of alloy bits and pieces. The grips seem odd though.

My guess is that a few parts have been swapped over time. I'd ask the seller what all the badges on the seat tube indicate, as they may tell you whether it is High-Ten steel or something else.

$150 is probably not a bad price for the bike.

brian3069

Looks like braze-on shifters, possibly forged dropouts. Is that a Reynolds decal on the down tube? I would check it out.

oddjob2

"Great condition" ??

Old tires, fenders need work, chain is loose.

$100 max.

CliffordK

I don't think I've ever seen the plastic Simplex shifters with braze-ons. I think the band holding them in place is barely visible in some photos. Many bikes have a brazed stop to keep them from sliding.

Based on the shifters and FD, I'm guessing probably also a simplex RD which usually is equipped with a "claw".

Nonetheless, a unique bike. A lot depends on the actual tubing.

randyjawa 

Interesting, were I in a position to do so, I would, definitely, look a lot closer at that bicycle...

CliffordK

I see a lot of teeth on the chainrings.
I can't follow the whole chain path, but I presume it has simply dropped the chain. I couldn't ding $50 for simply putting the chain back up on the rings.

But, the bike could use a full tune-up, and straightening the fenders and trimming those wires sticking up.

FastJake

+1 Could be a Reynolds sticker on the downtube? If 531, it would be a major score IMO. How often do you see a 531 mixte?

Even if it's hi-ten the components generally look decent and it could be fixed up into a nice, attractive bike. But at that point I'd want to pay about $100 for it.

chilisincarne

That was a lot more in sight than I was expecting given the pictures! I apologize if this is common knowledge but what is that piece of the frame on the seat stay?

CliffordK

I saw that.

It is about where one might mount a generator.

randyjawa 

Generator mount, as seen on this old Peugeot PE41...

ramzilla

if you just wan't an easy bike to restore beware................it's probably not made in Japan, it may have the dreaded freakish french threads.

CliffordK

If your LBS doesn't support French & Italian bikes....

Then E-Bay is your friend.

IRD makes a square taper cartridge (replaceable sealed bearing) BB with interchangeable cups.

ramzilla

One of my personal nightmares involves Maillard Helicomatic hubs.......... arghhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!

FastJake

They don't have to be a nightmare. You just throw them in the trash and replace them with a standard freewheel or cassette hub. Easy.

Ex Pres 

Ad is now showing the bike as STOLEN.

I guess someone took off with it on a test ride.

CliffordK

Whew, that is pretty low, especially when the price doesn't seem that unreasonable. I wonder if it was a test ride, or someone got the address from the seller and snagged it. Or, perhaps just a random drive-by.

Most of what I buy is parts. When I picked up my Bike Friday, I pedalled it around the garage to make sure the seat would fit. The seller offered me a test ride which I declined as the house was at the top of a hill, and I was all hill climbed out. He didn't ask for any ID which I thought was a bit strange until I realized my Colnago was parked in his driveway.