Roypercy

Hey all:

I've been a French bike lover since I bought my Motobecane Grand Sprint in 1979. In recent years I went from an '82 Mirage Sport (a very nice, if somewhat heavy, rider) to an '81 Grand Jubliee, full Vitus 172, a bike I loved. I put thousands of miles on the GJ before the frame broke at the bottom bracket in a way that was unfixable.

I was interested in something with sportier geometry, so I picked up a 1987 Schwinn Super Sport, which I've been riding for a year or so. Now, it's a great bike: Columbus frame, Shimano indexed shifting, everything works great and it's much faster and lighter than my Moto was. But somehow the bike doesn't grab me. Maybe it's psychological, but what isn't? The Columbus Tenax frame is light, sure, but I find it stiffer than I'm used to and I'm not crazy about the ride.

Somebody nearby is selling an 81 or 82 Jubilee Sport in what looks like great condition. Vitus 172 main triangle, Vitus 888 fork. It's calling out to me! Unfortunately since I moved last year into an apartment building (no more garage, no extra storage space) owning more than one bike is not an option.

I know the Schwinn is an objectively better bike, about a pound lighter than the Moto. But maybe the romance of having another French bike is more important to me. Does anybody by chance have experience with both bikes? I'm just wondering what the difference in the ride would be like.

What do I do here?

jethin

Get the Moto. I’ll accept the Schwinn in payment for the solid advice.

BFisher

Hard to say. You might get varying opinions on ride quality between the two. Why not take the Motobecane for a test spin right after a ride on the SS?

Compare ride, fit, aesthetic - pick the one that makes you smile.

Phoenix800

The first nice bike I bought was a 1981 Motobecane Jubilee Sport. I was just starting high school and it was and amazing improvement over the department store bikes I was used to. I wish I still had it. The bike rode nice and was sporty enough for me to use in my first half-dozen bike races. I replaced it with a Holdsworth Nuovo Record frameset and a Campy Super Record reduced groupset. The Jubilee Sport couldn't touch the Holdsworth in a race but it was a better choice for just about everything else. I can't comment on the Schwinn.

TenGrainBread 

I don't think your preference is odd at all.

I've owned quite a few Schwinns from various eras. I had an '88 Paramount with Columbus SLX tubing for a few years. More recently I had an early 70s Sports Tourer. Comparing the two on paper, it's a no-brainer which one should be better - the Paramount, with its double-butted Columbus tubing sitting at 22 pounds, vs. the Sports Tourer, with straight-gauge chromoly tubing sitting at about 26 pounds. But for me the ride of the Sports Tourer was infinitely better. The Paramount felt very stiff and wasn't very comfortable. The Sports Tourer was plush, and when I was riding it I felt like I was sitting in it, not on top of it. The difference came down to spec and fit. I had 25mm tires on the Paramount and 35mm tires on the Sports Tourer, which probably affects the "stiffness" feel a lot more than the tubing. Also, the Sports Tourer was a little larger, and I felt that made it feel a lot better to ride. Plus, I love the 70s look more than the 80s look, which I'm sure made me more emotionally attached to the Sports Tourer.

Perhaps your Moto had 1 1/4" tires on it, vs. skinnier tires on the Super Sport, making it soak up some of the road buzz and giving a bit more traction? Are the sizes of the bikes different? Do you prefer the more "classic" look of the Moto to the Super Sport?

mechanicmatt

Nothing wrong with trying another Moto, they won't show up so often. That Tenax tubing was known for being stiffer than say a Trek with True Temper or Reynolds 501 or 531 tubing.

Hudson308 

This is what it boils down to. There are certainly differences in geometry/handling, but in the end you can't cram big rubber under the Super Sport, unless you convert to 650b. That kinda defeats the strengths you list for the SS.

mechanicmatt

Oh and as everyone else is saying, geometry is everything. Geometry that fits you and your riding style will feel loads better than just having something because it is light.

Roypercy

Hi Ten:

All great questions. The Moto Grand Jubilee had 27" wheels as opposed to the 700c on the Schwinn. The frame size was the same. I ran 1" Panaracers on the Moto for a while, but found them a little jittery and switched out to 1 1/8" Continentals . I'm running Vredestein Comp Race on the Schwinn, and I like the way they handle but definitely a skinny tire. Because of the slightly smaller wheels the Schwinn is slightly "smaller", and the difference in geometry means the head tube is shorter. I actually like that about the Schwinn. The Jubilee Sport I'm considering has a similar "race" geometry as opposed to the Grand Jubilee, which had a longer wheelbase and was more of a touring bike.

Definitely a sentimental factor for me is that the 87 Schwinn is almost too "modern" for my tastes, I was most heavily into cycling around the time the Jubilee Sport came out. The paint scheme is similar to my first "real" bike. And like you, I find the Columbus Schwinn really stiff; my Vitus 172 Grand Jubilee had a much more "plush", responsive ride. I'm thinking maybe the Jubilee Sport would be a combination of racier frame with more comfort.

ramones71 

Problem solved

Roypercy

Um, yeah, no. Not in a New York apartment... At least not in mine. I wish, though!

Insidious C. 

Only room for one bike? Consider it a blessing! I like Moto's myself and currently own three. Good luck. Be patient and find the exact right bike for you.

SurferRosa

The op wants a light and lively bike, similar to his full Vitus 172 GJ, but with sportier geometry. There are plenty of bikes to fit the bill that are made with full Columbus SL, 531c, or similar (like my '82 Miyata 912).

Senrab62 

Hard to say. I'm a sucker for Schwinn tenax bikes, have owned 5 including a SS and still have two in my stable.

Focus on fit and ride. The suggestion to ride the SS directly prior to test riding the bike in question is sage advice.

Good luck!

noobinsf 

Can you put up with having two bikes in your space temporarily while you figure out which one to keep? You may find out that the French characteristics you cherished don't float your boat anymore, in which case you can sell the Moto. Or the Moto may remind you why you loved your previous one, and out goes the Schwinn. It may be worth the short inconvenience to appease your curiosity, and a difficult-but-informed decision might be easier to live with than letting something get away.

Classtime 

If you can't easily substitute 700c wheels in the Jubilee Sport, I would wait for a Moto that will make it easy for you. (Or wait a little longer for one that has 700c as original equipment.) With only one bike, you shouldn't hobble yourself with 27 inch tires. And you like the classic look so long reach Tektros are out of the question.

smontanaro 

Buy the Super Sport and also by my Motobecane Grand Jubilé. You'll have both a Schwinn and a Moto and can then make the direct comparison.

I have a Super Sport which is my current winter rider. I like it just fine. The Moto is also fine, but between my Super Sport and my Volare it's definitely the expendable touring bike.

Roypercy

Thanks, I already own the Super Sport. My quandary is whether to buy a Jubilee Sport (a racier bike than the Grand Jubilee). I still want a quicker bike, although I loved the Grand Jubile I owned, I want something with sportier geometry.

due ruote 

If I could have just one bike, it would have to take 28mm tires at a minimum, with fenders. And no p-clips. Ymmv.
As you seem to be lukewarm on the SS, it doesn’t strike me as risky to change to the Moto. If you ride it for a while and it’s not quite the one, find another.
Finally, 1# difference isn’t much, and could easily go away with a wheel/tire upgrade.