Prowler 

Greg, I don't know what broke on yours but my Nishiki came to me with a broken body spring on it's Suntour Cyclone RD. I took it apart and found that the small tab that was bent onto the end of the spring - the one that points 'down' from the spring to engage the wee hole in the bottom (near the cage) of the spring cavity- was what broke. I carefully bent a new tab to fit into that hole and put it all back together. 4 years and many miles later that RD is still working just fine. YMMV

GTBruiser

Motobecane Grand Touring

S28546

Thanks. I did very little to refurbish it: a poor wash job, replaced consumables/broken stuff, buff with a rag, and voila.

5 posts in 2 years reflects my quandary with this bike. How does it ride? As it is presented, great but not great. Everything works, handling is secure, and it is a smooth ride. The brakes do need some dialing in. But the bike and I don't really fit very well. The handlebars with the unobtanium rubber grips are too narrow for me. The stem is up as far as it will go but I'd like several more cm at least until I get in better shape. The seat is uncomfortable for me.

So my dilemma is in order to fix all of these fixable things, I'd need to swap out original components and that will detract from the coolness of the originality of the bike in my mind. And if I swap out things that don't really fit, I should probably start with the frame which I think is a size too small for me given my desired 75cm seat height.

For a while I had the frame set up with a 700c wheel set (Nexus 8 IGH rear hub), fenders, lights, a threadless stem adaptor and Albatross bars. That was a VERY nice ride but it seemed more appropriate to be original.

My Polyvalent is my main bike so this one waits for a day for a classic ride.

dparham

UPDATE : I'm doing a full clean and service and keep this bike... it seems it had been upgraded here and there and now has 7 speed STI shifters that Im servicing ..I have the rear dura ace unihub so I'm guessing they had figured out it works with the 6 speed cassette!

dparham

our local thrift store has a motobicane for Grand Tour for 100 bucks... the prices have increased at this thrift store so a little put off but maybe Ill catch it on half price day!

dparham

it has knobbies and terrible seat so would need to be cheap enough sell to justify all upgrades

mountaindave 

You've got a great commuter/cyclotouring bike. To be honest, with all those modifications, even the threadless adapter is not way out of line. Some of the French constructeurs made stems that clamped onto the stearer tube, the equivalent to today's threadless stems. Albatross bars are not out of line either, for an upright commuter. There are ways to make it more "French" perhaps, but a bike that gets ridden is worth adapting to your needs.

You seem to care about the historic qualities of the bike, which is admirable, but not at odds with using parts that make the bike rideable for you. Simply store the original parts with care and they can be put back on if you decide the bike should move on to the next rider who cares as much as you do about its historic character.

You have a somewhat rare example of a bike for the US, but (with all due respect) it wasn't made with the most expensive tube set or group. It was a work horse and there is nothing wrong with continuing to use it as a work horse that better fits you. One exception, those guidonnet levers are quite pricey these days...

3alarmer 

...depending on the year, some of those are very nice riding bicycles. I have one with a Vitus 888 (unbutted) frame tubing sticker on it that I have been enjoying a great deal lately(from the early 80's I think). But they don't command much attention in the resale market, if that's your intention.

dparham

I more collect interesting bikes than sell... but occasionally Ill sell.. I don't like however overpaying for something id be stuck with possibly since I already have 20 bikes! haha I just hacked up a centurion range !! ironman and saved all the parts and built a recumbent frame from it and its VERY nice riding recumbent... ultegra/105/sram X9 mix...

3alarmer 

...the Stronglight triple that came original on mine is probably worth 50 bucks, just by itself. The original Huret rear derailleur was a POS though. It's kind of like a French version of the Raleigh Super Course, long wheel base and straight gauge tubing, but already set up with a wider gear range.

People either love them or hate them.

itpesaf

Seatpost is on back to front haha! But this is my newly restored peugeot carbolite.

https://imageupper.com/i/?S0200010050111E14930991875896

GTBruiser

I hear ya! I found my Grand Touring at a thrift store. The young person that was wheeling it to the sales floor seemed apologetic about asking 90 ducks for it.
"It's gonna be hard to sell an old French bike", says he.
"I'll give you 25 for it, so, you'll no long have to worry about it", says I, whilst pulling my best poker face.
"OK", he says, cheering up noticeably.
"Here ya go", I say, handing him the cash and bursting out with the biggest Kool-Aid Smile seen in these parts in about 20 years, all the while hustling the Motobecane towards the nearest exit.

dparham

hahaha NIICE! sadly enough if I dont catch it in time, they throw a tons of bikes in a scrap container and sent to the salvage crusher yard... its so sad... I use to buy lots of bikes there but I cant pay 200+ dollars for every bike at a donation thrift store... they have walmart bikes there now for 90 bucks... i told one guy I could buy a new one at walmart for that in color I want! he had glazed over eyes like did not compute...

cmsdld

A. Berton

P1010531-2.jpg

alexcosta1889

i see some very beatiful bikes here, damm!

Here are my "Rustys", restoration in progress, 1980 Peugeot PL8M5v all original as found and 70's uo8 or ao8 frame with Shimano stuff and alloy wheels, havent found a period stem and handlebars that fits correctly yet.

Will post Decent pics after restoration

mountaindave 

Welcome to the forum! That Breton is scrumptious, but we need more info!

LouB 

Just purchased a beautiful Charrel. It's a 78- from what I understand the last year Paul Charrel made his bicycles in Lyon. I'm still deciding how to approach restoring it. It's beautifully built. Lot's of unusual custom touches on this bike.
Gonna be fun!

cmsdld

Thanks! I'll try to take post larger/better pictures this weekend.

ryansu

I looked for a couple years for a Motobecane, after I rebuilt a Mirage and it fit me like a glove I thought about keeping it but I didn't really need another bike and sold that one, but made a note to look for a Gran Something in my size, never saw a Gran Jubliee or Gran Record but I would see Gran Touring occasionally but never in my size until one day I'm looking on CL...

[IMG]IMG_1093 by Ryan Surface, on Flickr[/IMG]

And I spot this beauty in just my size, which I believe to be a 77 or 78, it still had the leather bar wrap but strangely with safety brake levers that had been modified

[IMG]IMG_1097 by Ryan Surface, on Flickr[/IMG]

I have some upgrades for it, Pasela's, a B-17, VO 46/30 crank, etc.

[IMG]IMG_1094 by Ryan Surface, on Flickr[/IMG]

Someday I am going to get around to giving it a thorough rebuild.

[IMG]IMG_1096 by Ryan Surface, on Flickr[/IMG]

MZilliox 

Berthoud Randoneusse now with Campagnolo 10s, Berthoud fenders and saddle, Odom hubs, 28mm compass tires, nitto stem and noodle bars
Berty lookin fly by Matt.zilliox, on Flickr

greg3rd48 

@MZilliox Beautiful bike and scenery.

jimmuller 

What's not to work? It looks great!

capitancardoza

There we are, since my last post (#1868) I made some adjustments.. See the images attached!

1973 Mercier (model 300, probably).
New additions:
Brooks England B17 - Honey
Brooks England Leather bar tape - Honey
Panaracer Pasela 23c clinchers - White
100th Giro d'Italia vintage canteen(s)
Yellow wiring details
And a full cleaning for Shiny and Chromed effect

kcblair

^^^^^Now that's pure beauty. KB

DQRider 

Really excellent photos of a beautiful bike. Thanks!

Is there a link where we can see these in a larger format?