Is this Motobecane frame a "Team Champion"?
 

I've just purchased this frame from ebay for £55 (inc. p+p) (around $60) and am wondering if I have wondered across an amazing frame/possible bike ....If not it doesn't matter too much as it would make a good raod bike anyhow - if anyone has any suggestions for parts (yes I know about swiss bb's :D) then that'd be good too.

Pictures are attached, sorry about the poor quality - best i could get from ebay. http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=209424http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=209425http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=209426

o btw i'm planning on doing a group bike ride from Newcastle to Edinburgh - if this could be fitted up (please feel free to suggest parts) to meet such a task then that would be appreciated

Not sure of its pedigree. Don't know enough and it is much later than mine. Period French parts would look nice. Stronglight crank, Mafac brakes, etc.

I doubt that a Team Champion (or, earlier, Champion Team) would have been produced with fender eyelets, a seatpost requiring a separate clamp, or turkey-wing brake levers. Are there any tubing decals (such as, on downtube just below the head tube)? Are the front and rear dropouts stamped Campagnolo? What does the frame weigh, bare except for pressed-on fork/headtube races?

This was the guys description (I havn't recived the frame/fork/handlebars/leavers yet):

"MOTOBECANE RACING BIKE FRAME 24 1/2" FORKS AND BARS
MADE FROM 1020 TUBING HI-RESILIENCY ALLOY STEEL GOOGLE SEARCH
IT MADE IN EARLY 1970S WOULD MAKE A GREAT FIXIE
ASLO WITH FRAME IS SEATPOST ORIGINAL BARS WEINMANN
LEVERS STEM AND BAR TAPE WHICH IS SOLID PLASTIC STICHED ON
LOVERLY PAINT FINISH STILL VERY GOOD
WOULD MAKE GREAT FIXIE MUDGUARD EYE AND SLIDING DROPOUTS
VERY GOOD OVERALL CONDITION STICKERS LOOK GOOD I WAS
GOING TO BUILT INTO SINGLESPEED BUT NOT HAD TIME
NO DENTS A SMALL AMOUNT OF RUST
COMES WITH BB AND HEADSET BUT WILL NEED
REPLACING OR REBUILDING
SEE PICTURES FOR CONDITION"

The seller obviously has little knowledge but an eye for asethics:)
To be honest I am chancing it - either way the frame is in good condition and ive paid a normal price for the frame/ or got an amazing deal if it is a high end one.

ps. could i fit 700c wheels onto this?

That is a cute description but, the graphics, decals indicate to me more like early eighties, maybe late '70's. The mention of "1020" tubing indicates a lower-mid model. 700c wheels should fit, but I'd measure first. Nice frame though. Loverly paint :)

Not a high end moto. 1020 tubing was used on my mid 70's Super Mirage. Should make a nice rider.

Yeah its cute when people describe bikes as "RETRO". If its early eighties will that mean standard english BB? i hope so..obviously this is just speculation

It might have, but, if this was a French market Moto, who knows? Good luck. neat bike.

It says it has 1020 tubing on the side

I would guess it is approximately an '81 vintage and near the bottom of the lineup that year.

Not TC. +1 to everything Charles said. By the time they were using those graphics, TCs were no longer orange and definitely not 1020 tubing.

Have you purchased the frame?

On your guesses, I can add that the handlebar cover speaks '77-80 Super Mirage (unless other models used it, too). But then, Supers used 2040 frames in that era.

1020 = entry level.

Greta looking frame! I love the colour. Don't be put off at all by the fact that it's not top-of-the-line. Almost all French bikes are nice riders and that's what you bought it for. The main difference will be a bit of weight in the frameset, and take it from someone who's ridden very heavy to crazy light, it won't make any difference in how much you enjoy riding it. The fantastic news is you already have a BB and headset in there, so the threading doesn't really matter, just re-pack them when you take possession of the bike.

If this bike were mine, I'd keep everything on there and build it up on the cheap. Don't pitch the seatpost because it can be a pain finding the right size again, just purchase a $3 clamp for the top. Put your money into a nice leather saddle, as that will have the biggest impact on the overall look of the bike, and crank next. I don't know if singlespeed is your thing, but with the lack of braze-on's this frame would make a killer singlespeed, and then you could also throw on a cool french chainguard and maybe some fenders. I think that's the route I would go.

Almost looks like a newer version of my Mirage. I mostly say newer because of those decals near the BB. The handlebars on mine also had that one piece of black rubber wrap. Mine is a 78, I think. Basically this just confirms what everyone else has said, early 1980s Mirage/Super Mirage. Probably a nice riding bike, and probably build up to ~25lbs if you use good parts.

ill get killed for saying this on a vintage post... could get tiagra crankset 4500 (2011) with hollowtec II - ive heard good things about it. I am a powerful rider so weight isnt an issue.
I've been looking at extra long breaks to fit 700c wheels - Alhonga do good ones that don't look cheap despite the name of the company (which does sound cheap). not sure about the wheels yet.

I dont particularly mind fitting new parts onto the old frame - these new parts are probably better than the originals fitted. Then again I want this bike to look tasteful too (no one will take me seriously with a tegra set?).

the leather seat and the clamp are good ideas...French fittings are weird.