New Frame off CraigsList. Worth it? Good frame?
 

I spent $75 on this frame a few minutes ago. I'm eager to see if you think it was worth it and whether it's a good candidate for converting to a fixed gear. Here are the specs and pictures (borrowed from the Craigslist page I bought it from).

Eightys, Motobecane Grand Sprint Frame, TA crank, Atom pedals, Campy headset, Weinmann front brake, Shimano front d, No dents horizontal drops with adjusters. Replacement, chrome end 531, fork.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-UQ4YQFK9L...-h/two+pic.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-UQ4YQFK9L.../three+pic.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-UQ4YQFK9L...-h/one+pic.jpg

I wasn't able to get the pictures posted for some reason. They're right at the top at this page: http://densspot-randoms.blogspot.com/. There's three pictures. Looking forward to hearing what people think

No offense, man. But, why do you ask AFTER you bought it?

That's like saying, "I met this girl. Don't know much about girls but I married her. Is she a good one?"


That being said, post some larger pics to start.

you definitly could have got it for cheaper

Well I came close enough to that with my first girlfriend, so guess I'm building a track record. Anyways, I've got new pictures of it on the same site, http://densspot-randoms.blogspot.com/, just click on each one to get bigger versions.

OK. That sucks, but.. that said, is it a good candidate for my first fixed gear conversion?

Haha! Join the club.

About the bike. It's a good looking frame. Looks like a campy headset.

Basically you've got:
- Frame
- Fork
- Headset
- Front brake
- Pedals

You are gonna need:
- Stem
- Handlebars
- Bar tape
- Brake lever
- Fixed or free rear wheel
- Front wheel
- Cog
- Lockring
- Tires
- Tubes
- Rim tape
- Seat
- Seatpost
- Cranks
- Bottom Bracket
- Chainring

...and you are gonna have to buy everything else a-la-carte either new or used which will likely cost you more than the cost of an off-the-rack entry level bike. You will have a unique bike, but it will take weeks or months and a good bit of cash to finish.

Restoring bikes is not unlike restoring cars.

Go here for starters: http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed-conversion.html

Post this over in the Classic and Vintage forum. They'll tell you what they think and what they know about the frame.

Also, if you grind anything off of it weasels will rip your flesh.

Fork looks like a Raleigh.

Is a fair buy.

Thanks for outlining all the components I should be looking for. I knew it would be a long, expensive process to do my first build, so I'm prepared for that. I definitely want my first fixed gear, even if it's not the prettiest, to be my own. So, it's nice to hear that you think it looks good. And you're right - it's a campy headset.

Sheldon Brown seems to be the man around here, eh? I'll do my best to learn what he's got to teach. Thanks again!

* Sigh of relief *

Thanks - good to hear

The fork is a Reynolds 531. I'll post something over there, thanks

I think that's a very good deal for that frame. Want to sell it to me for $85? haha.

^This.

You done good.

Also, you will probably not need a new crank, bottom bracket, or seatpost. I don't think Carleton looked at the pic.

Is it a French-built Motobecane? If it is, the indie points you'll get are enough to justify it if you spent too much. Think about all the hipster girls you'll be hooking up with and pretending to understand art with!

:crash:

Yeah the cranks and chainring should work and it's pretty common for the inner ring to give you about a 41mm chainline on most road bikes, so you may not even need a new bottom bracket either. If not, you'd only really *need* a new bottom bracket and you could run that chainring/crank combo just fine.

haha, I have a French built Motobecane Mirage and it's staying a geared bike(but I did reduce it to a 1x6) The ole' girl even survived getting side swiped by a car.

Haha while they talk I'll sip my PBR - think that'll work? Coincidentally, is there anyway to know if it's French-built verses an import from Taiwan?

Thanks. Bit confused, though. So I can keep the inner ring and crank, and there's a chance the bottom bracket can stay. How will I know if the bottom bracket will work with the outer ring taken out?

You will know it works if when you put on your rear wheel, the chainline is straight. There are also methods of measuring your chainline (search feature) although I've never done such a thing so I can't comment on that. If your chainline is off (ie, crooked as hell) then you'll need a new bottom bracket spindle length that will put your chainring in line with your rear cog.

Like I said though, there is at least a decent chance that the inner ring will work as is. If you remove the outer ring you'll need shorter chainring bolts as well.

Gotcha thanks a lot :thumb:

OK bad news. I took the bike to the manager at my LBS, a guy I trust a lot. He said he wouldn't ride the frame. It's been in a frontal collision and'll could break down at any point in the future. Good news is that I'm getting a full refund from the guy I bought it from on Craigslist. Good guy. I'll hold on to all the info that you've all passed on, though, and hopefully apply it towards the next frame I buy! Thanks!

Wow. That sucks about the bike but very cool that the guy gave you your money back.

My unsolicited suggestion if you are building a fixed gear would be to start with a track specific frame which will eliminate chainline and dropout issues. There are lots of beautiful old and new track frames out there.

Just like track bikes are the new skateboard, track boutiques are the new skate shop. Maybe there's one in your area.

Thanks. I'll seek one out. I did see one out in California last summer but all the frames were $500+, which is way out of my price range. They were beautiful frames, but still... I'll look around here.