Tod, I will definitely stand with Mr Lockley's guess of Motobecane. The head lugs are dead ringers for a couple of my own Grand Record bikes from the mid-'70s and I have ONLY seen that particular Nervex pattern used on Motobecanes. It is very distinctive and different from any of the 'stock' Nervex Professional or Serie Legere patterns that I've seen used on any French (or other) bikes of the 60s-70s.
As for the date, among my own small herd of Motobecanes, I have serial numbers in the 297xxxx and 346xxxx range which I believe were mid 1970s and also 134xxxx which was from either late '71 or '72.
Very nice frameset! I've never seen those particular details - like the canti bosses, rear brake cable stop bridge or brazed on down tube bosses specified on any later "Grand Touring" model bikes. My catalogs all show standard Weinmann 999 center pull calipers used on that model by the mid-70s. Also, the Nervex lugs were only used on the more costly semi-racing 'sport touring' [specifically the Grand Jubilee and Grand Record] models (at least for the US market) by that same time.
I wonder if those braze-ons may have been later "custom" features, possibly added by a previous owner - so, perhaps a modification to a Grand Record frameset... a very nice idea! And, in any case, a lovely frameset.
Bob Hanson, New Mexico, USA
"Norris Lockley" wrote: I'll take a stab at guessing the brand of Tod's mystery French touring frame..and would suggest that it is mid-70s -possibly 76 from one of the numbers on the frame - Motobecane..possibly a "Grand Touring" or "Grand Randonneur" or words to that effect. I have a Motobecane racing frame with the same lugs..almost a cross between Oscar Egg Super Champions on the tube sockets and a variation of various Nervex cut out on the head tube. The badge is a dinky job...later to be replaced by a stick-on plastic affair. Some of these Motobecanes - if that is what it is - were very well built...for factory produced frames...good tidy brazing, nice attention to the top-eye plates etc.
Norris Lockley....Settle UK