get low

So i picked this up from a coworker becuase i wanted a road bike. I paid $125. I understand i may have done her a favor, but im ok with that. It's Santa Cruz, so there's a pretty big bicycle market. I wanted to convert to a fixie but if that's too much work or $$ i wont bother. So can anyone help me ID this bike or give me any info on it? From google i have deduced that it's a 70's french import 10 speed, some of which were crappy and some decent. Any other info would be awesome!

leerish

i believe motobecane mixtes were usually lower on the hierarchy... and if that crankset is original, it would indicate that yes, it is lower on the hierarchy.

i live in nyc though, where there is a pretty big bike market and people try to sell their mirages and nomades for 250, so considering where you live... i don't think you did too bad at all.

you might be able to figure something out from this:
https://www.equusbicycle.com/bike/mot...979/index.html

jwa

Good! I hope she's hot, 'cause I think you did her a BIG favor. Looks like your basic low-end early 70's - probably sold for about that same price new. Looks to be in decent condition. Send a close-up pic of the derailleurs & brakes & someone here will likely be able to give you much more detail.

get low

Damn... i guess if its low quality its not worth putting money into. The lever bracket's say "Weinman", calipers say "Dia-Compe", rear derailer says "Huret" and the rear hub says "Sun-"something. That's everything i can find.

From the link you posted up it looks like either a Mirage or Grand Jubile?

Damn... she's hot but has a boyfriend so the hot is null.

leerish

the grand jubile had downtube shifters.

you should definitely post pictures of the components; that might get you some more/better responses.

get low

Anything else i should photograph?

Tom Fritts

You only paid too much if you don't give the lesson of how to evaluate a bike purchase any cash value. Your next purchase might a bargain, once you are a bit better read on bikes and their evaluation. If the bike is rideable, it can give you $125 worth of service. So enjoy it as is.
The cottered crank (if indeed thats what I see) indicates it is pre-1976, but I can't tell you how "Pre". I recently purchased a 1976 Motobecane mixte and with it came a 1977 brochure listing all models and features for that year. All touring series Motos in 1977 had a 2040 tubing sticker high on seat post; and all 1976 touring series models had 1020 stipckers in that position. All 1976 had cotterless cranks. In 1977 only the Nomade (lowest model) lacked chrome tips on the forks. That might have held true on earlier years as well. I'd guess that you have a Nomade or Mirage. In 1977 the Nomade came with generic centerpull brakes while all others came with Weimanns or better. Your Diacompe may indicate better than Nomade status. If the bike has steel wheels (check with magnet) you might consider replacing them with a used alloy wheel set (preferably from a used source for cost reasons). tom

Blue Order

It's almost certainly a Mirage, which would be second from the bottom of the Motobecane lineup.

However, it's not true that Motobecane mixtes were at the low end of the hierarchy. Motobecane made several mid-to-upper-mid end mixtes, including the Grand Touring, Super Touring, Grand Jubile, and possibly, the Grand Record.

It's also not true that you did your friend a "BIG favor." This bike is certainly worth $125 in the Bay Area market-- in fact, you could probably turn around and sell if for $150 today. You didn't get a screaming deal on it, but you did pay a fair price-- maybe even better-than-fair.

The bike is a mid-70s model; not sure of the exact year, but it's somewhere between a 1973 and a 1980, inclusive. EDIT: This bike is pre-'77, based on the wings decal on the seat tube. Quite possibly a '76. The frame material is hi-ten, so it's not a high end bike, but still a good bike for getting around town. I can't tell from the pics, but it looks like the wheels might be alloy (they would likely have been steel originally). If they're alloy, the bike needs nothing, except perhaps a tune-up and grease, and whatever else you might want to sink into a low-end classic. If they're steel, the bike will perform just fine except in the rain, and it will be a little heavier with steel wheels. A good and worthwhile upgrade would be to swap out the steel wheels (if they are steel) for alloy (aluminum) wheels.

Your choices: Keep it as is, and it will be a great and very classy city bike, perfect for getting around town or across campus. Or, if you really want to, you can convert to fixie, although that will obviously cost you more than keeping it as is.

Blue Order

I have a scan of the specs page from a 78 catalog. Unfortunately, I can't find the scan right now, but as I recall, the "touring" lineup included the Grand Touring, which is definitely not hi-ten (either 1020 or 2040); even in 1976 and 1977, the Grand Touring had Vitus 172 (chromoly) main tubes.

I'd be interested in getting a scan or a photocopy of your catalog, if you wouldn't mind, because I've got a '76 Grand Touring mixte and a 77 Grand Touring.

bigbossman 

On the nose.

Or....

"No more calls, we have a winner".

Clean it, fix it, ride it, don't drop huge amounts of cash on it. Tires, tubes, cables, housings. You'll be styling and when you tire of it you can easily sell it for what you have into it.

Tom Fritts

Indeed you are correct. The Grand Touring is listed as being Vitus whereas all of the other touring series are 2040. I'd be glad to share the brochure with you. Why not PM me with an email address and tell me whether you want it all or just info on one specific model.

get low

Does anyone have a definitive answer on a model or year? It looks like Mirages arent mixte frames?

Also as a point of comparison.. would you guys say it is better or not as good a bike as a Schwinn Varsity

Blue Order

Year: The closest I can get, based on the round headbadge and the winged M on the seat tube, is somewhere from 1973 to 1976. My guess is 1976, but it's just a semi-educated guess.

if you want to be certain, you will have to date it by the SunTour, DiaCompe, and Weinmann date codes, available at Vintage Trek's Component Dates Page.

Model: Almost certainly a Mirage (and yes, Mirages are available in mixte frames.).

Preference: I'd take a Mirage over a Varsity any day. That's just my personal preference. I think that the Mirage is probably lighter, and it's also French, vintage, and classic. Can't beat that for style, even if it is at the lower end of the Motobecane lineup.

due ruote 

You could easily do a FG or SS conversion on this using the existing wheels, for very little cost. A cog or SS freewheel will thread right on. If you go the FG route, use a BB lockring to fix the cog. Yes, you'll have to re-space and dish the rear, but that's low cost. Just don't ride brakeless. I don't know squat about cottered cranks, but perhaps someone else can chime in?

mparker326

https://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalog...-76/Page05.JPG
https://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalog...-76/Page07.JPG

These are the catalog scans from 76 for the Nomade & Super Mirage.

Both had cotterless cranks so age is < '76.

Blue Order

Thanks for that link! So '73 - '75 then. Looking at the condition of that bike, I'd say it's in remarkable condition for a ~35 year old bike. Of course Motobecane really did do an outstanding job painting their bikes. That bike is in sweet condition!