Hello. You have a Mixte frame Motobecane. I have one too. I have the Sales Brochures from 1975 to 1980 and I believe that this bike predates 1975. Good luck with the restoration.

Sb23539, Motobècane offered the mixte (unisex) frame across various models. Yours appears to be either a Nomade or a Mirage. U.S. import models after 1973 had a riveted metal head badge. That yours has the rectangular plastic badge makes it either a bike produced for the European market or a U.S. bike from 1970-73. I'd guess the latter. With 1020 steel tubing, chromed fork crown and "socks", Dia-Compe center-pull brakes and the "deluxe" saddle it would appear to be a Mirage mixte from 1970-73.

The bike looks to me to be all or mostly original. If you clean up the barrels of those high flange hubs you'll likely find a stamped two-digit year code. Also, if those are Rigida Chromix steel wheels, you may find a stamped year code inside of a diamond shape <72>. Either of these will tell you the bike's maximum age.

The Shimano / SunTour handlebar-end controls (barcons) are an interesting detail that may or may not be original. These were just beginning to appear in the European bike market in the early 70s. I own a 1970-71 Motobècane Grand Record (U.S. import) that came to me equipped with barcons and I'll never know for sure if Motobècane produced the bike this way "off-catalog" or if they were added (possibly new) by a dealer in the U.S. or by a previous owner. They take a little time to get used to but work quite well.

Motobècane was known for its paint quality in the 70s. With some good cleaning wax and some elbow grease this metallic green accented in gold can be absolutely stunning. Enjoy!

Thank you VERY much for all of your detailed information. I can’t wait to fix it up. Do you have any recommendations for cleaning the rust off the wheel rims etc? I was planning to use pretty fine steel wool.

thank you!!

I am looking for that magic potion, too.

Only used Nevr Dull and a toothbrush with cleaning powder/milk (for stainless steel in the kitchen), but nothing has any magic effect.

Thinking about that Barkeeper‘s stuff.

My favorite method for removing light rust from steel and chromed steel is to soak the part in apple cider vinegar for 1-2 hours and then while still wet lightly brush away rust with a brush made with brass bristles (softer than steel). For aluminum parts go right for the Mothers Mag Polish for miraculous results.

No magic potion, but my favorite method for removing light rust from steel and chromed steel is to soak the part in apple cider vinegar for 1-2 hours and then while still wet lightly brush away rust with a brush made with brass bristles (softer than steel).

If this is the wrong thread for this, I apologize.

Hello, I just found a Motobecane that I am trying to put a date on. I've read the highlights of this thread, but I'm confused because my bike seems to pre-date everything posted here. It also has a seat tube decal that I've not seen elsewhere. The stamped serial number on the dropout is 0878896... starting with a zero, not a 1 like others. The inside of both dropouts has 45916. There is a faint remnant of Mirage on the top tube. I have the derailleaurs, I just removed them for cleaning. I think the rear may be a Huret Luxe Speciale, but I'm far from an expert. My bicycle collecting is almost exclusively American made balloon tire (and earlier) stuff.

Thanks for any help!

If you post some photos of the full bike including the head badge and any decals showing tubing material I'll try to help.

Unfortunately it's not allowed on this forum for a new member. I tried attaching, and also hosting the pics from my own server and it's a no go :-(

EDIT: Let's see if this works... not linked, so you'll have to copy past to your browser URL.

www.xframechevy.com/private/Motobecane1.jpg
www.xframechevy.com/private/Motobecane2.jpg
www.xframechevy.com/private/Motobecane3.jpg

Thanks... I saw that link somewhere else, but the website is down. I found the scans on another site though (Links not allowed on this website for a new member). The scans are very fuzzy for the 1970-72 catalog, so I can't see details to verify.

Unfortunately, as a new member I'm not allowed to post pics or links.

You should be able to post to the gallery. Poke the "Gallery" link in the upper left...

Thanks! The pics are already there from my previous posting attempt. Actually, in there twice!

Linking to my gallery of course, is also illegal. But, it's at this websites URL /g/album/19520153

Hi everyone, this is my first post here so if I should be in a different thread, let me know and I will move.

Anyways, I bought a Motobecane single speed a few months ago and I'm trying to figure out how old the frame is. They guy I bought it from wasn't sure, but he thinks it's pre Bikesdirect era. All the components are newer so no help there. I looked though the old Motobecane catalogue scans and couldn't find much. That makes me think that it's just a Bikesdirect bike but I really really hope it's not. I can't post photos or links in messages yet so I've made a Imgur album with all the serial numbers and badges included.

If you don't want to open the album, the serial numbers I can find are

• T7B27-0
• IAS6080620
• BI-1585

Any input is appreciated, thanks!

Album here: imgur.com/a/PkicoGy

Dangit, I was hoping it was vintage. Oh well, it's still a really fun bike. Thanks for your help!

Hi Everyone,
Reading this thread has helped me estimate ages of two of my MB's.
I would like to add numbers from two Sprintours. Haven't seen this model mentioned much.
Both found on the bottom brackets:

I bought this one in Germany at the PX in 1978. Restored last year.
4259450 and 803
I just found this one here in Florida:
4173017 and 127

The frames, size and color are identical.
​​​​​​​I have lots of photos and three other MB's.

Here's a frame that I bought from JunkYardBike a few years ago now. The photo is his, when he'd built it up with a (nice) "mishmash of available parts". Serial number on outside of left rear dropout is 1773730, and also stamped on inside of right rear dropout is 64016. I guess it didn't tickle his fancy enough, but I'm looking forward to building it up -- it has clearance for 38 mm tires at 700C, and 42 at 650B, so we'll see what happens. I believe it's a 1973, based on others who've posted "LCs" with similar colors in this thread and this one.

Just picked up a Dynamax Concorde, which I understand to be a Motobecane product; 64216 on the inside right dropout, 340 on the outside right dropout, didn't see anything on the BB shell (yet). Had to scrape paint off to see those numbers, the whole thing was rattle-can painted, frame, fork, headset, hubs, spokes, rims, gears, gear cables, crank, pedals, pretty much everything - but whoever did it masked (crudely) most of the decals. Has Stronglight 5-pin crankset, NR gears (rear is Pat. 72) and shifters, Normandy gold-label Competition hubs with Weinmann 27" rims, Weinmann brakes, Pivo stem and bars. Remnants of Reynolds stickers on the frame and forks, 28.15mm seat tube (with paint) and 26.4 seatpost. Tyres and saddle missing.

This is going to be a LOT of work; pics to follow.

EDIT: Having done some research, this is an almost perfect match for the 1972 Grand Record specification in the US catalog; brakes are Weinmann, not Universal 61, and the bar is Pivo but the spec only says "Alloy Maes bend (racing)".

Has a pre-CPSC front mech.

A lot of times I don't bother with before pics - but this is just SO horrible:

Holy smokes. What were they thinking! At first I thought it was a white bike to memorialize where a cyclist was killed.

My first impression also, but masking the decals? And high-end vintage? All the ghost bikes I've seen were junkers.

He/she/it painted right over dirt - the backside of the front mech cage is *crusty* - and white.

Pedals/cranks are french threads. Net says BB is swiss, I have paint stripper on it now and will know for sure when I get it out.

Ok, everything is off/out now. Frame is 60cm c-c, weighs 2155gm, fork 775gm. Fixed cup was french; and it was a bit of trouble getting it off, had to put it in the vice with a stout washer bolted into the axle under the jaws to hold it in. Stem and seatpost came out no trouble.

There might be quite a few grams of paint, I'll weigh them again when they are bare.

I have a Dynamax serial number 50 1628

This hurts. If it's painted over the factory paint (as it looks), I would try mineral / white spirits to remove the abomination. With and old / harsh towel and a thin, sharpish piece of wood to scrape it off. Factory paint will be fine, white spirit doesn't affect it, but it does affect a fairly fresh spray paint. It might be a saving grace that it seems the person spray-painting it didn't prepare the surface properly, so the new paint won't probably adhere to the frame that well. As for the exposed metal bits, rims etc. white spirits + crumpled tinfoil should do the trick. Same for the headset, pedals, derailleurs and so on. Fingers crossed the factory paint underneath is in good condition.
Gosh, this is criminal...

Still amazes that anyone would do this. Somewhere there's a village missing an idiot. :-\

I think you've got the ID correct. The Nervex lugs and the two black bands on the seat tube mark it as a Motobècane "grand" level bike (Record, Jubilee, Touring) from the early / mid 1970s. If those Campy parts are original, that would almost certainly make it a Grand Record. I've seen a number of these from that era that appear to be original and fitted with Weinmann center-pulls, despite the catalog specs ("subject to change without notice..."). During the parts crunch the Weinmanns should have been infinitely more easy to source than the Universal or Campagnolo parts from the other side of the Alps. Those also look like Atom/Malliard 700 pedals underneath the paint, which would be right for an early 70's Grand Record. The stem and the double brake levers suggest a Grand Touring, but may also be something that was changed or something these DynaMax folks(?) were doing.

Will be curious to see what model decals you find underneath all that muck...