Now a mixte owner! Pics!

[Cindyloo]

Wheeeheeee! I bought a mixte at a yard sale yesterday for a sweet price! It is a 1977 (I think) Motobecane, Grand Touring model. It has Suntour 7 GT front and rear derailleurs and 1020 steel frame with Suntour shifters and Dia-compe/Weinman brake levers/cantis, Normandy hubs stamped 07-77 (hence why I believe it is from 1977). The bike is a light green metallic (beautiful)!!!

OK, now what to do with her?? Clean her up and ride her or totally rebuild? Keep her with gears or change to fixed gear? I am so excited! I am pretty good intuitively with mechanical things but no experience breaking down a bike.

Her BEFORE pictures are below before cleaning up. She still has a old pump attached and the seat is at a weird angle. I have rolled around on her a little and she seems to fit me pretty well. I would like to ride more but she doesn't have any brake pads right now . Thank goodness someone pointed that out before I took off down the street!

Did I mention that I'm excited??!!!

[Trek420]

My mixte has found a TE sister!!

She's beautiful and almost identical, even the color. You could always do this and turn her into a sweet freewheel mixte.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=19096

[Cindyloo]

Sweeeeet Trek!!! That's the same bike! Mine is like a "before" picture and yours is "after"!

I may have some questions for ya when I figure out what's what with the bike. Thanks for the link to your pics. I love the color of this bike.

[Trek420]

According to my LBS it was not easy fitting new, standard parts to French threaded bike. Somehow he did it. I hear there was a lot of swearing involved.

Our frames look much alike, components on yours even with the rust are in better shape. You are in for a treat when she's finished.

[Trek420]

One of my favorite things about this bike. Doesn't anyone use real headbadges anymore?

[Cindyloo]

I love the badge! I was wondering about being able to find parts for it should something need to be replaced. DH was saying something about that if the rear hub ever went bad that it would have to be changed into a fixed gear anyway. I'm not sure he knows what he's talking about but stranger things have happened!

[Trek420]

He does I'd keep him if I were you. That's a flip-flop hub on mine.

[DebW]

The rear hub on this uses 120 mm spacing. Current road bikes use 130 mm spacing, so a modern freehub won't fit unless you want to have the frame spread. A fixie/flip-flop hub can be adjusted with spacers to fit a variety of frame widths.

[rij73]

Awesome! Very nice bike you got there... Before you do anything, though, level that saddle! I got pain just from looking at it tilted up like that!