Originally Posted by
Fahrenheit531
Possibly?
I'm all about the 70s bikes and certainly don't want to discourage you on that front. But know this:
1. You're going to need to work on it, or pay someone else to do so. The former is intimidating at first, but not so difficult in a world with bikeforums and youtube. The latter will get expensive quickly.
2. This is a
French 70s bike. Much of the bike will likely be "French-specific," which will limit the availability of replacement parts. As a beginner your life will be much easier if you go with 70s Japanese, or British, or probably just about anything not French. (some might dispute this)
So yes. You can have a ton o' fun on an older bike, and they can certainly make for a cheap, reliable commuter. My daily commuter/around town bike is a '79 Raleigh. But parts will likely need servicing (bearings, grease) or replacing (cables, brake pads) and you'll want to keep this in mind when weighing your options.
I also agree with @
jon c., above:
If it makes you smile, you should (probably)
buy it.
Pretty much all of this. '70s bikes are fun because they're stylish, and European marques have a certain panache that's missing from modern bikes. Maintaining a 40-year old bike isn't all that hard, since bicycles of that era were simpler than modern bikes. Some of them are quite sophisticated, but still simple mechanically.
Biggest thing about a vintage French bike is that French designers and engineers did things a little different from everyone else. Not good or bad, just
French.
A vintage bike, in good condition can make a great casual rider. I have a 1976 Bridgestone that I added as my first 'proper' road bike. It's since been replaced in the lineup by a more modern bike, but it's my go to 'townie / path bike' It doesn't see the miles that the newer bikes do, but it probably gets ridden more frequently.