Just brought this home tonight. I believe fork, 700C rims w/ s.s. spokes and brakes are likely not original, not sure about the rest. I'm guessing someone spent some time putting this together as a close-to-stock bike. Campy almost everything. Cinelli stem, Mafac brakes.

Any thoughts/comments welcome. Guessing early-mid 70's but I don't really know. I haven't ridden a bike for probably 15 years I had my brother's Grand Record while he was in the Peace Corps (Lesotho) in the late 70's. He came back and stayed with us in Berkeley while he got it in shape and then rode it up the coast into Canada, across and down to my other brother's in Long Island. Came across this bike yesterday on CL and felt like it might oughta be mine and so it is.

197? Le Champion

Mark, based on the serial number it should be a 1975 but to me it looks more like a 1974, unless the camera exposure has affected the lighting. This looks pure silver, as opposed to the silver lilac used in 1975 (see post #2 of this thread for a 1975 Le Champion).

My brother's Grand Record was a warmer silver than this. You're right this is a very neutral pure silver color.
Thanks

Fork looks like it's maybe from a Raleigh Professional, although the ones I've seen have been chromed on the crown.

Both had some parts swapped-out.

Super Mirage
6303654
048

Based on catalog reviews, it looks like a 1978 or 1979




Grand Touring
0683
7066078
3109

Based on catalog reviews, it looks like a 1983

Good info, I'll keep my eyes out for the correct fork. So far this seems to work fine. I don't know how the geometry compares though. Thanks.

It does look close but it does not quite match the contours/profile of the one on my '76 Mk IV. I'd say it's not a Raleigh Pro fork.

Here is my contribution. I guess mid '70s but someone here likely knows better. Serial number is on the left dropout: 2751232. Photos on my Google+
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/1...KuOzOmp9-S02AE

Thanks.

I have a Grand Record frame that I got with some parts I assume were original. It came to me with headset, stem, bars, bottom bracket, seat post, and saddle, but that's it. I'm fairly certain it's a 72 or 73 based on what I can glean from catalogs and pics of other bikes on the web.

- Reynolds 531 main tubes
- Maes bend bars (I'm assuming, since no markings)
- No chrome "socks" on the fork

It's not critical that I age this bike, since I am taking some liberties with the build (Suntour drivetrain, Stronglight 93 crank), but I just bought a backup set of Campy NR drivetrain parts from a 72 Mondia in case I ever want to restore it. It'd be nice to know if the Campy parts are the right year, just for my own edification.

Left dropout has the number "1263931"
Right dropout has the number "4216"

Here are some pics -- ignore the placeholder wheels from my old UO-8...

I have a Motobecane grand record that I purchased new in 1975. It is a 1974 model, serial number 2462490. Everything is original except the seat post , which I added, tires and the handlebar wrap.

Great looking bike, hillcountry! How many bikes from that era are still with their original owners, in such good condition?!

What's the dealer sticker down on the seat tube?

Thanks Al! The dealer sticker is from the old Turin Bicycle Co-Op that was on the near North Side, Rush Street perhaps. I remember leaving the store when a fire truck, a hook and ladder came honking down the street, klaxon blaring and a dalmatian was on top, going to the fire with the firemen. Really neat!

Hi!

Got a Motobecane Mirage Sport, 1983 possibly. BB has a serial number M68**507v. Two numbers are under the cable guide, which has text modelle vitus depose. It means something like model vitus registered. The plate has no screws or anything, so I don't know if it can be taken off. M stands for Moto, I believe, but small v, if that has any meaning?

I picked this one up today. It was advertised as a 1972 Grand Record, and that seems to be consistent with the information in this thread.





The serial number on the outside of the left dropout is 1238406.



Assuming sequential numbering, that would place it somewhere just ahead of the yellow 1972 Grand Record shared by [MENTION=158148]VonCarlos[/MENTION] in post 32 (s/n 1250892). Mine has the same paint scheme as the GR shared by [MENTION=41131]noobinsf[/MENTION] in post 59 (s/n 1263931).

I would also note that though noobinsf believed his to be a '72 he has a different Reynolds decal than VonCarlos. The latest H Lloyd Cycles timeline says this decal change happened in 1973, though there obviously could have been a transitional period.


The number stamped on the inside of my right dropout is 64216.



I would note that this is the exact same number stamped in the same location on noobinsf's Grand Record and the Grand Record shared by [MENTION=243294]acoffin[/MENTION] in post 18 (s/n 1428239) which also has the same color scheme as mine, so that number must have something to do with the manufacturing process and not the specific frame.

The bike shared by acoffin has a different head badge, and it has Weinmann brakes, which according to the catalog scans at bulgier.net would likely place it as a 1973 or 1974 (the scans list Universal brakes for 1970-1972).

FWIW, I just noticed that acoffin also has the "pre-1973" Reynolds 3 tubes decal. This is interesting given that noobinsf has the later decal even though his s/n falls between two bikes with the earlier decal.

Here's my recent pick up. No serial number that I see, the only number on the bike is the 60 on the back of the fork. Components include Weinmann symmetric brakes with 733 on the back, pivo stem and bars, Huret Svelto rear derailleur.

You know how sometimes you just post at the end of a thread and then read backwards? That's what I did. Here's the three numbers on the rear dropout. The one on the outside is hard to read xx45554 the others are matching 65116.

Got this info from an obey.de seller in Luxembourg

hinten innen: 65716
hinten aussen: B32 und
1126112

Motobecane Super Mirage
S/N: 3514518
other number below 609

I wouldn't sweat the year too much. I have what I believe is a 75 Champion Team and it has 72 equipment. Supposedly it is original, but I cannot verify it. AFA the serial, I question any and all Moto serials. I once shared mine and got an email from someone who said his CT had the same serial.

I have (well, really, my wife has) a nice Motobecane Grand Touring mixte. I spent a bit of time trying to figure out the serial number. Unfortunately, just about the only visible spot of rust is the serial number under the bottom bracket shell. After some vinegar soaking and a bit of work with bronze wool, I think I might be 1226618. I'm not 100% sure, however.

1977 Grand Record


I purchased this from the original owner in 2015, he provided the original receipt from a bike shop in Madison WI


#3321898
6 04

Before clean-up and maintenance;


















After;

I'll be very grateful for any clear insights about the year of this recently acquired Grand Record. I'm placing it between 1974-77 but would love to narrow that down.

The bike is known to have belonged to a collector but came to me with no details about it's history. It appears to retain many original parts but also some others that together don't match any catalogs I've found. Appears to be original paint. It has unusual road/race gearing (52/45 -- 14-21) with period correct components. Can't help wondering if it might be a bike that was caught up in the component supply shortages of the early seventies and assembled a bit off-catalog. (Ignore the modern saddle and pedals)

For dating note the riveted round head tube badge (for the GR... 1973-??), lack of brased on cable guides (pre-77...?), Campy rear drop-outs and remnants of a Reynolds 531 decal on the seat tube but not on the fork.

Below are the frame and hub numbers and then full component details.
---------------------------------------
NUMBERS

Bottom Bracket: 53 2V
Drop-outs
RFront: 37301
LFront: A26
LRear: Campagnolo
RRear: 82216 Campagnolo
Maillard Normany hubs:
front: M 07 77
rear: M 09 77
---------------------------------------

COMPONENTS

FRAME:
C-T: 58cm (23")
C-C: 58cm (23")
Reynolds 531 decal (deteriorated) on seat tube
Elaborate (Nervex?) lugs
Campagnolo rear dropouts

HEADSET:
StrongLight Competition

BRAKESET:
Weinmann 500 side-pull, Weinmann levers

SHIFT LEVERS:
Campagnolo downtube

FRONT MECH:
SunTour Compe V "QH 4532"

REAR MECH:
SunTour VT Luxe Quick Cage

CHAINSET & CRANKS:
StrongLight 93 Super Competition
52-45 "170 9/16 20"

PEDALS:
Atom 600

FREEWHEEL:
Maeda Pro-Compe SK 8.8.8
5-speed 21-19-17-15-14

HANDLEBAR:
Kusuki WIN

HUBS:
barrels stamped "Normandy M 07 77"

RIMS:
Rigida 13-19 27" 36H
---------------------------------------

That's a really beautiful bike. It's hard to narrow it down more without a proper serial number.

The 82216 stamped on the right rear drop out seems to me to be some sort of manufacturing code. Note that almost all of the bike in this thread with a number in that location end in '16' with the lone exception being the mixte that ends in '17.'

There really should be a seven digit number stamped either on your left rear dropout or your bottom bracket. These can be really hard to see.

I'm not sure what to make of your component mix. Being a Grand Record, it should have Nuovo Record derailleurs. So I don't think the particular components tell you anything at all.

Livefish, beautiful bike. Did you buy it in Europe?