I can speak from personal experience on this one. I'm the original owner of my Motobecane Le Champion, silver, 25" purchased new in early January 1975. I don't know if that makes it a 1974 or 1975 model. I do recall we had to order it (in late 1974) and wait at least a month or two for its arrival at my local bike shop, a Schwinn franchise. It was equipped with a 1974 dated Campy crankset & 1974 rear derailleur.
Indeed the original tires were sew-ups, Clement Paris Roubaix. I remember well because I still have one of them that I kept all these years. Super Champion 36 hole rims but I don't recall the exact model of rim and they are long gone. I'm thinking they only had the one oval Super Champion red label and no other model label. And yes, Campagnolo high flange hubs. 3-cross spokes. I don't recall if the spokes were plain steel or chrome. I'm thinking they were plain steel.
Mark Winkelman
Dallas, Texas USA
Keith,
Hate to be the bearer of bad news but Motobecane Le Champions came with tubular tires at least up through 1976. There are a number of internet sites with copies of the 1974 Motobecane catalog.
velobase.com has an extensive list of old Moto catalogs.
The 1974 spec sheet lists Clement Paris Roubaix tubular tires with Super Champion rims. Bikes from that era came with whatever rims and tires the bike manufacturers could get hold of or had in inventory at the time of assembly.
For example the specs for a 1971 LC were Vittoria Mondiale tubulars on AVA rims laced 3x to Campy Nuovo Tipo large/high flange hubs. The 1972/73 LCs where listed with Mavic Monthery rims and Clement Elvisia (TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE) tires. The 1975 and 76 LCs were spec'd with Super Champion rims and Gran-Turismo tires whatever they were.
In those days, bikes were like a box of chocolates. You never knew what you were getting until you opened the box! ;-)
The Rigida 13-19 rims probably first became available in the US around 1976 in response to Mavic Module-E rims. Both rims were developed for use with Michelin Elan high pressure clincher tires.
During the early 70s the Le Champion was Motobecane's top of the line standard model bike. In 1974 they introduced the orange Team Champion model also called the Champion Team.
These orange bikes were in celebration of Luis Ocaña's 1973 TdF win and were always scarce items. His bikes were reputed to have been rebadged Italian frames.
I suspect that the 1974-76 Le Champion frames were the same as the Team Champion or Champion Team frames except for the finish and some minor details.
I have a number of Moto LCs that I've come across in my elusive search for an orange 1974-76 Team Champion.
I've seen comments to the effect that these frames were touched by "other hands" which I interpreted to mean that they may have been built by a constructeur or custom frame shop.
Hope that helps. Send pictures when you get it finished.
Chas. Colerich Oakland, CA USA
globallyoff@s2ki.com wrote:
> I have a '74 Le Champion that I am in the final stages of restoring for a
> bicycle show in March. The bicycle is a time machine and is nearly
> perfect. The problem at hand is that I don't know what kind of tires
> these bikes came with from the factory. The wheels are Campagnolo Record
> high flage hubs mated to Rigida clincher rims that have a red oval label
> that says "Rigida 13-19". The wheels are built with a cross 4 pattern
> with what appears to be Robergel chrome plated spokes. Each wheel has 36
> double butted spokes.
>
> My question is............what brand and type of tire came on these bikes
> from the factory. If I am unable to source them, what would a good
> alternative?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Keith Kessel
> Shreveport, La.