The Motobecane in question is probably a 1972. I had an identical one yellow with black Nervex Pro lugs(The Moto Variation) except it had a copper colored Mylar Motobecane headbadge and a Stronglight 49D crank rather than Nervar. That was my 4th bike which I bought it new in 1974 but it was old stock. Paid $215. It had a no circlip no front bump Record front derailleur which was later transferred to my Bob Jackson when I bought that in 1975. It also had a 1972 Nuovo Record rear derailleur and a dated 1972 Brooks Pro all these went to Bob J which I still own. The third time I rode that bike I flipped over the bars while going up a hill on Thanksgiving 1974. I hit nothing I swear! The Reynolds 531 fork had one bent blade and the wheel was shoved into the blade. No damage to the wheel. It looked like the blade just decided to bend. I weighed 105 lbs and I bent the Pivo bar going over it. The dealer did not stand by the so called lifetime frame guarentee and I got a generic steel fork as a replacement. I sold that bike only a couple of years later, the possession I ever sold. It was never right to me after the Reynolds fork was replaced. Brian Blum in Berkeley
ich Pinder <rpinder@usc.edu> wrote: Bruce - I can't help ya with one, but seeing your post prompts me to ask a few questions to the list.
I just bought a yellow Grand Record frameset recently from the list, and I was curious about a few things. An exactly similar bike (actually, I first wondered if this unsuccessful ebay auction WAS my bike at first, the frame is so darn similar) is shown at the link below
1) I think this frame is an early 70's model. Unlike pics I found on Sheldons and Jerry's bikes, there is NO chrome on the fork (or rear). 2) Were all these frames Reynolds tubing ? There are no visible frame materials decals, or any of the characteristic faint ghost outlines where such a decal went. The frame feels light - quite similar to a same sized Paramount I've got stripped down. The FORK seems a bit heavier than my paramount fork though. 3) This one has a DECAL headbadge - so maybe it's a later bike ? 4)Where the seat stays hit the seat tube, the stays are a bit 'fluted' - there is a small, crease on the last 1.5" of the stay. 5) Jerry's bike, although it has the same sized and style graphics on the downtube, has totally different seat stays (plus the above mentioned chrome) 6) Serial numbers - I dont see any on this bike BB or elsewhere. I do see some faint, 5 or 6 digit numbers on BOTH rear dropouts..and theyre different numbers ! (did Motobecane put serial numbers stamped into dropouts ? If so, maybe the builder grabbed TWO with different serial numbers when he was brazing ? )
I bought the frame mainly because of the way the lugs looked. I also wanted to see if the BB height was lower than my other 59cm frames...which it seems to be. (also the frame seems to have a long trail). The yellow paint is in nice shape, but there seems to be a 'clear' coating that is splotchy on top the paint - this era bike would not likely have clear coat, but I wonder if someone put it on much later in its life. This clear isn't coming off easily, and likely will kill the graphics if I did get it off - so I think I'll respray it if I keep it.
Any comments you might have, or pics of other examples you could point me to, would be appreciated. I may put some pics of the lugs up on my pages. Link of Ebay bike is at:
---------------------------------
Groups are talking. We´re listening. Check out the handy changes to Yahoo! Groups.