Rebuilt single speed circa '73-82 Motobecane Ride report!!

[kelownagirl]

Very cool Trek! What I wouldn't do to have my old 1975 10-speed back again. It was a purple Apollo bike. It cost me $114 and I loved it.

So when are you to ride it? Just for fun or ?

[Trek420]

So when are you to ride it? Just for fun or ?

Aren't all our rides for fun? I was thinking on my first Tri .... maybe not. Maybe a ride to coffee today but we need to do a low key and I mean really low key Bay Trail ride.

[RoadRaven]

Wow Trek
Great story

What a very very cool LBS and 6'2" dude!
I can so relate to that... with 7 cyclists in my family, doing four different types of riding, we end up with lots of spare parts and extras that we keep "just in case".

We have often given spare shoes, aero bars etc to people in need, or helped them with tweaking their bikes, with no expectation of payment. You do these things for pleasure, to see the enjoyment on someone elses face, or just because its great to see another bike on the road, or a bike or cyclist given a second chance.

But your story is even better because here is a money making institution who realises it is not ALL about money... who has not forgotten about the excitement of people, or the pleasure of creation...

Looking forward to hearing about your first few rides on her...

[dex]

I'd love to see your handlebar and brake lever setup. I have an old Mercier mixte sitting in my kitchen right now, awaiting a makeover/rebuild, and I was thinking moustache bars for her. Yours looks awesome! I'm sure you'll have loads of fun with it.

[DebW]

Wow. That sure turned out well. And rebuilding a 73 Motobecane isn't the easiest thing in the world since the parts are French (different threading). At least you don't need French threaded freewheels since you got a new hub.

[Trek420]

Very cool Trek! What I wouldn't do to have my old 1975 10-speed back again. It was a purple Apollo bike. It cost me $114 and I loved it.

Maybe that's the feeling of rebuilding an old bike. It's like the first bike you learned to ride on and the feeling it gave. We're older now and we know all about the fancy stuff. We log our rides, journal them on TE and BJ plot it out coordinated to our HRM.

But when's the last time I just rode around the block just because I could? I sure don't know when that last was but I just did.

At one corner a man called out "nice day for a ride!" and I replied "yeah it is!" I don't get that response from people when on my road bike which kinda says "don't interrupt the serious (but hecka sloooow) rider training" or the GT comutermobile. That was nice.

DebW, yes, I thought this was not an easy build to do. Chris hid his scraped knuckles well. It has a sticker on the tube "built with 1020 tubes & stays". What's that? Not Columbus.

Zen, that's whatever the technical term is for what you call the part you ring the bell with. We're so high tech here.

RoadRaven, he's an incredible businessman, with a tiny two-man shop I think he does quite well. Just hanging around I learn a lot about business like he's very efficient on shipping and saves a ton there. You'd think shipping costs would be sky high because with a small shop he can't get things in bulk. But I think a lot of us do good stuff with spare parts etc. I know he donates to the local Trips for Kids Store. I'm staring at a box of stuff now that's going to go either there or ALC riders. Yes, it's possible to have too many jerseys or to shrink out of them.

Dex like this? Don't tell Mimitaby you have a Mercier, I think that's what she wants. But do post pictures!

[DebW]

DebW, yes, I thought this was not an easy build to do. Chris hid his scraped knuckles well. It has a sticker on the tube "built with 1020 tubes & stays". What's that? Not Columbus.

I wonder how many swear words it took to get the cotter pins out.

1020 is a grade of chro-mo steel. It was used on low-to-middling 10-speeds back in the day. Not the quality of Columbus tubing, but well above department-store grade. I believe 1020 was used on Motobecane Mirages (and maybe Nomads?) which came in mixte frames. The original weight on a Mirage was around 27-28 lb with lots of heavy steel parts, but since you've got upgraded wheels, crankset, a single rear sprocket, single chainring, no derailleurs, I'd guess your mixte now weighs.... 24 lb (maybe 23 1/2?).

[Trek420]

since you've got upgraded wheels, crankset, a single rear sprocket, single chainring, no derailleurs, I'd guess your mixte now weighs.... 24 lb (maybe 23 1/2?).

Which makes little difference because the rider has gained back 7 lbs lately but with a few more "nice day for a ride, isn't it?" rides ...

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Trek- so great, the whole story!! And the green is perfect, and the cork bars.

I am still not seeing any pix of the whole bike- just a bit shot here and there- am I missing a whole bike picture somewhere??

Zen- the black knob is the thing you flick with your finger that hits the bell and makes it ring- it's on a spring.

[Trek420]

How's this?

[KnottedYet]

She needs a nice honey Brooks.

A B17 for your little heinie, and a B67 for when I come to visit!