Motobecane Team Champion ID Help
 

Created a post over at Paceline Forum. User there suggested I start here. Will add photos here once i hit 10 posts.

Got this bike from CL a few weeks ago.

Seller sold it as a 1977 which would be the only year this frame was made with Reynolds 753 (previous years were 531, subsequent years were Columbus SL). However, there are no stickers.

It came with a full Campy Record group and a Nuovo Record RD. Patent on the RD is '80.

Can anyone help me identify the production year of the frame?

Congrats on the purchase.

A fellow c&v member (and former frame builder for Davidson) hosts the american market Moto catalogs here:

bulgier.net - /pics/bike/Catalogs/Motobecane/

Picture Assistance
 

Are the dropouts Campy or Huret? I ask because I have a 78 with Huret; I believe that was the only year for those. The color of yours looks identical to mine, but the top tube model name is different. Mine is a hand painted script. Also the downtube decals are silver on yours vs dark blue originally on mine.

Those look like Campy. Huret had the rear derailleur housing stop on the dropout.

Campy drops

Looks identical to the 1979 example in the "USA" catalog, except that the graphics are darker blue instead of silver. Those specs say "8 tubes double-butted Columbus" plus the fork blades so implies this is all SL (or perhaps some largest size have SP seat or downtubes?) Does yours take a 27.2 seatpost or is this metric in which case a 26.4? Is there "rifling" in the steerer base? Also Bocama Super Comp lugset and a Cinelli BB shell in '79. I guess the question may be if there's any catalog spec that would rule out Columbus if that was the fork's ID and rule in Reynolds 753. I don't see a catalog for '77, Mark Bulgier's site will not load for me. EDIT, I was able to view the FRANCE market catalog for 1978 and they models are somewhat different to US line but there's nothing built with 753 (also nothing with Columbus, either) could be a couple use "extra light 531" but do not see the red-label decals that would indicate that in their photos so maybe not. Also the graphics are either dark blue or gold, nothing sliver-on-blue. A very nice bike, BTW!

I am pretty sure that, as the OP stated earlier, 1977 was the only year for 753. Those were a different blue - more of a Robin's egg, rather that the "brilliant blue" (Motobecane's term) of the subject bike. And prior to 77 they were still orange. In 1981 they were more of a blue-gray. The catalogs show brilliant blue for 78, 79 and 80, but 78 is out, as it has Campy dropouts. That puts this bike at 79 or 80, and the RD points to the latter.

(Edit) correction - Per the catalog spec page, Brilliant Blue also was used in 1981. I was confused by the photo.
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Seat tube measures 26.68 with my digital calipers.

I'm def thinking 79/80 also. The decals are confusing though since they don't match the 79 or 80 catalogs?!

Possibly replacement decals?

Nice bike. It may not be a US market bike, so wouldn't necessarily match US catalogs. Motobecane definitely mixed things up in different markets.

I think that's rather incredible, whatever the frame material is... Great score, and thanks for sharing!

-Gregory

One should always remember that almost ever present disclaimer for bicycle catalogs. Specifications are subject to change without notice. It is right there on the spec page of the 79 catalog.

And the disclaimer is always subject to change, not be present or not make any sense what so ever, always or somewhat not at all. ;)

This is clearly an outstanding bike no matter which of these possible frame materials were used. Beautiful bike! Congratulations

My Bertoni's drive-side dropout is drilled for a campy portacatena like this Moto. Those came out in '77/'78. Maybe @T-Mar can weigh-in on probable years for this bike.

@Drillium Dude started a thread on those here:

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...-pictures.html

Sweet bike. Has anyone mentioned the titanium Super Record bottom bracket? (sorry I haven't read the whole thread.)

If you scrutinize the steerer you should be able to tell if it's Reynolds or Columbus.
If Col., you can tell without taking the fork out, just look at the underside of the fork crown to see if the steerer has raised helical ribs (sometimes called "rifling" somewhat erroneously). Ir Reynolds, you'll have to take the fork out and sometimes even sand the paint off the steerer above the headset race, looking for the words REYNOLDS BUTTED stamped very lightly into the steel. Thos just the absence of "rifling" is enough to make us suspect it's Brand R.

If it has a Col. steerer then that's strong evidence (though not proof) that the rest of the frame is Col. too. Converse applies if it's an R steerer.

Mark B in Seattle

I saw that bike advertised. Asked the seller for proof of 753 tubing, as it looked identical to the Columbus tubed frames from the same era. Never heard a response.
If it really is a 753 frame, you have one of very few manufactured. They're very rare.
Either way, you got a nice bike.

Some photos of a real 753 bike:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/282672...n/photostream/

My 78 came equipped with one. Eventually the cones pitted. I wonder if they can be replaced. I am confident I am not nearly strong enough to break one.

I now have a standard Record unit, so good enough. The old pitted curiosity is tucked away.

This wouldn't be a 1977 model with Reynolds 753, as the seat post is too small and the Portacatena dropouts weren't introduced until the fall of 1977, for the 1978 model year. However, 1978 literature mentions and show the Huret dropout with the integral cable stop. The Campagnolo dropouts reappear for 1979, along with the first appearance of brazed-on down tube shift lever bosses. The catalogue photo isn't high enough resolution to determine if the brakes utilize recessed nuts like the subject bicycle, but the 1978 literature definitely shows exposed brake caliper nuts. Also, I believe the 3-hole version of the front derailleur cage was a 1979 model year introduction. Consequently, I believe this to be a 1979 model. The serial number and component date codes on the rear derailleur, crankarms and back of the hubs' locknuts may help to increase the confidence level.

For reference, this is my 1978 model. The decals are replacements, and the head badge likewise is not original. It came with a square plastic badge like on the OP’s bike.
As T-mar notes, the brakes on mine are nutted and it has Huret dropouts.
Team Champion is hand lettered on the top tube. The nds chainstay says Made in France in the same script.
I bought mine new in Spring of 1979. It was leftover stock from the previous year.
Btw it differs from the catalog specs as it uses a Campy clamp on cable guide rather than brazed. So, as someone mentioned, the catalogs are useful but not necessarily 100% accurate.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4729a273a.jpeg

@due ruote - your TC is gorgeous! You've really kept it in pristine condition. Wish the same could be said for mine.
@bulgie - is the titanium SR BB an issue? Looking into the end of the steerer, there appears to be ridges on the inside of the tube. Took a pic, but hard to get a good one. Will post when I'm allowed.
@satbuilder - The pictures in the original CL post really hit me. Once I saw it in person and took it for a spin in the parking lot I was sold. Wasn't really concerned with the tubing. Such a great looking bike and my first vintage ride!
@T-Mar - you are on a different level! Gonna take me awhile to unpack your response!

So, I got some pics of the BB shell. Will post once I'm allowed. The shell is stamped with "CINELLI SC" over "FRANCE" set inside a square/recess in the curve of the shell. There is also a partially illegible serial number. From what I can make out "1006?2S" Not sure about the 6. The character that follows it is unreadable.

Thanks for the compliment, but I would say yours looks just as good. Mine does have a few nicks. Nothing serious, but matching the color has proven too much for me.
Enjoy the bike. I have always loved the way mine rides.

Beautiful bike, @architect215. I'd love to see some detail shots, i.e. lug joints, dropout/stay junctions.
@T-Mar, have the serial numbers from Motobecane ever been deciphered? I know there was a thread for that, but don't remember any conclusive results.

BFisher as soon as I get in my 10 posts, I'll be sure to put up plenty of detail shots.

I went through the entire serial number thread earlier and mine doesn't seem to fit with what I saw. 1st three digits in mine are "100...." Also didn't see any cinelli BB shells.