auchencrow

I just purchased a nice, cheap Motobecane Grand Jubilee, along with a c. '76 Raleigh Super Course. (The owner had been advertising these two bikes with their fancy lugwork for fixie-fodder.)
- I plan to keep them in their original configurations - but I have two questions:

1) The Motobecane has Belgian Weinmann rims laced to Normandy Hubs. I would have expected to see these also on the Raleigh Super Course – but instead the Raleigh has French Mavic rims - with sew-ups! - Do you suppose these wheels were original to the Grand Jubile, or just scavenged from a PX10?

2) The Motobecane has later Suntour Cyclone and Sakae SR “RG”cranks. I think that would put the year at about 1976 – but it has a Reynolds 531 sticker. - Does any one know when Motobecane switched to Vitus tubing?

- Sorry no pics of the SC ( I’m already disassembling it for overhaul) - but here are some pics of the Motobecane Grand Jubile. I didn’t even wipe the grease or spider webs off it, but you can still see that it is in pretty good condition.
(I do also have the original touring pedals and rat traps.)

Bianchigirll 

sorry I can't help with the wheel question but this is a beautiful bike.

auchencrow

Thanks Bianchi girl - and good luck with your move. I hope someone here has experience they canshare with you with moving bikes x-country... I do know that things can really bounce in the back of a semi, so take care!

elcraft

I have a '75 Super Course- it came with 27 x 1 1/4" Weinnman rims laced to Normandy High Flange hubs. I don't believe that Super Courses EVER came with Sew-Ups. I suspect the Wheel sets were exchanged between the two bikes. Check the RetroRaleighs site with their Catalogues for those years; https://www.sheldonbrown.com/retroral...er-course.html

This is almost exactly what my model looks like except for the emerald Green and White paint scheme on mine.

redxj

The ones from CL in Warren. They were a bit too far for me to go after. If they were a little closer I would have been all over them. Does the Super Course have cottered cranks?

fahrrad streber

Check out the catalogs posted here: https://www.velobase.com/Resource_Too...alogScans.aspx.

My guess is a '76. Suntour was an option according to the '76 catalog, it also lists Normandy hubs and isn't specific about rims but the 75 came with weinmanns, and in in '77 the grand touring was made with vitus according to https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...716-Motobecane. Not sure about the cranks, seems like stronglight was stock.

Hope that helps.

Daniel

fahrrad streber

And I forgot to mention; the bike looks amazing! Great find!

treebound 

The lug work on your Jubile is fancier than on the Jubile I recently picked up. Nice catch.

abarth

That's a beautiful G Jubile.

Daniel is right. The Motobecane is a 76. Those wheels should be original to the GJ. The px10 used Normandy Luxe Competition hubs. I am interested to know what the BB threads are. My guess is Swiss.

auchencrow

Hi Elcraft -
Yes I was of that same impression until I saw Abarths' reply. That is, they BOTH would have had Weinmann rims!
PS- Let's see your SC

auchencrow

Hi redxj !
I have to admit that I'm lucky you don't live any closer! The Raleigh has a cotterless Nervar crank.

auchencrow

I think this helps to nail it down as a 76 and likely all original with Suntour and Reynolds 532 - and thanks for the compliment - I am indeed thrilled by this find !

auchencrow

Thanks treebound -and fancier or otherwise, I would love to see some shots of yours as well.

auchencrow

Thank you abarth - you have answered my wheel question, and thus you have dissuaded me from swapping them for the sew-up Mavic wheels currently installed on the Raleigh. Fortunately I have some alloy wheels that would better suit the Super Course.

I cannot answer your question about the BB thread because (1) I have not yet disassembled the bike to repack the bearings yet and (2) I don't have a Swiss thread gage to check it.

PS - I have to wonder, where those Mavic tubulars came from...My guess is that they came off some high-end Pug, but who knows what became of that bike!

treebound 

Found the thread on mine with a few pics:

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...e+grand+jubile

auchencrow

So yours was a thrift store find? Holy cow. . . You know, I've concluded that the less expensive a bike is the greater the thrill of discovery. - After all, anyone can buy an expensive bike (as long as they have a lot of money!).