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Motobecane Grand Touring Mixte

Old 01-10-18, 12:36 PM
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Motobecane Grand Touring Mixte

Surprisingly I haven't seen to many recent references to these.

Listed locally and I posted the ad here for all to see, no one bit and then I got thinking. I knew it was way way too small for me, but....

Seems to be pretty much all there and mostly follows the old catalogues, I just hadn't seen any reference to Diacompe brake levers being standard and can't see them replaced if everything else was stock.

- Vitus tubing and still has the stamp
- SR Apex 170mm cranks
- Weinmann Vainqeueur 999 brakes (each still has the little debris catchers they used to sell)
- Diacompe brake levers
- PIVO stem and bars
- Sella Italia Grand Prix seat (genuine suede)
- Drop outs stamped Bipiemme
- Weinmann alloy rims
- Suntour V-GT rear derailleur
- Suntour front derailleur
- Suntour shifters
- Store stamp "The Bicycle Exchange" Cambridge MA which still exists

What was amazing is how much attention it drew. Within a hour of buying it, three men wanted it. Everyone had fond stories of riding Mixte frames and then people were all over it at the Co-op telling me how much they liked it. It's got a weird vibe to it which I think is what caught my eye also. I believe I can make this one shine.


Q1) Stats say it's a 19.5 inch frame and I know the seat post is out too high as it has only 2 inches left in the
frame - just seems an awfully short frame so wondering what height these were intended for. Do they follow
the same sizing as men's bikes or was it one frame for all?

Q2) Can anyone date it?

Q3) Any idea on a value? Bought in a whim and no plans to sell.

Q4) Does anyone know if should have Diacompe levers?
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Old 01-10-18, 12:37 PM
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Ps Does anyone know the type of bar tape it has? Everyone of these I've seen has this tape and I like it!!
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Old 01-10-18, 01:06 PM
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This bike is real nice for a half Mixte not a full on touring bike but very nice sports light touring model. I would put the value at $175-200 as presented and $250 or so nicely cleaned up and ready to ride. As for the bartape it looks to be vintage Velox cello tape it some time pops up on Ebay. If you want a similar classic look the black Bennotto tape is for sale by a couple of seller right now https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...+tape&_sacat=0

Last edited by zukahn1; 01-10-18 at 03:00 PM.
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Old 01-10-18, 02:03 PM
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Thank you!

Zukahn 1 thanks for info on tape. Will buy some.
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Old 01-10-18, 02:08 PM
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Dating

WRK101 - Can you advise info on dating? I vaguely recall that it's not the serial number that is used rather date stamps but can't recall what to look for? If I have the date it will cut down on catalog searching to see how complete it is.
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Old 01-10-18, 02:16 PM
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Dating

WRK101
Do you know how to date this? I vaguely recall there should be stamps with dates or date codes but not what I am looking for.
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Old 01-10-18, 02:17 PM
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Sorry

Double post.
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Old 01-10-18, 04:10 PM
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Serial numbers

Having trouble reading the numbers - seem to be the only place where there is rust.

The serial number appears to be a larger 3 then 445098

Below that serial is a number that is painted over and appears to be 1s 606.

There also appears to be another mark to the left of the 1s 606 (couldn't photo it as too faint) and it appears to ve 6806.

Well above the serial number is another mark, 4n. You can see that one in the very top of the first photo.
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Old 01-10-18, 04:33 PM
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Drop out number

This one is A 56 or A 66 which is stamped over the Bipiemme stamp on the rear drop out. Please note it's only stamped on the non-drive side. No stamp on front drop outs.
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Old 01-10-18, 05:01 PM
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Not sure about the serial numbers but the half mixte frame set with centerpull brakes dates it to the late bewteen 78-82 since Moto didn't start using the half mixte framsetdesign till the late 70's and stopping using centerpulls around 81/82.
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Old 01-10-18, 05:09 PM
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Late seventies, American market version, almost a perfect match for the one in the '78 catalog.

Very nice bike, BTW.
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Old 01-10-18, 09:39 PM
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Thank you all for info.

I will wait for nice weather (spring will come!!!) and then I will carefully clean with a tooth brush and simple green. I think this bike will be really nice. I might change tires as I see it more as a short tourer than a racer so slicks don't seem right.

Still wondering about rider height. 19.5 inches is seriously short....
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Old 01-11-18, 02:22 PM
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Regardless of whether men chose to ride them or not, mixtes in the U.S. market (despite the unisex use implied by the name) were marketed and sized for (short) women. (The expectation was that taller women looking for a bike for sport riding would likely ride a diamond-frame bike.)

A few companies sold mixtes in the U.S. in both 19.5" and 21.5" frame sizes; a much smaller number sold them in frame sizes up to 23" (if I remember correctly).

Mixtes, which almost always had a tall head tube and a short seat tube, can be seen as an earlier manifestation of the newer sloping-top-tube approach to sizing that bike companies introduced a couple of decades ago.

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Old 01-11-18, 02:51 PM
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Originally Posted by zukahn1
This bike is real nice for a half Mixte not a full on touring bike but very nice sports light touring model. I would put the value at $175-200 as presented and $250 or so nicely cleaned up and ready to ride. As for the bartape it looks to be vintage Velox cello tape it some time pops up on Ebay. If you want a similar classic look the black Bennotto tape is for sale by a couple of seller right now https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...+tape&_sacat=0
I have to agree, you're probably somewhere close in retail value.

The Grand Touring is one step below the Grand Jubilee, and not quite as refined, but still a well built bike with lightweight alloy tubing and forged lugs.

Personally I think this is one of those bikes that is undervalued on the used market, and should be worth around $500, but probably would be difficult to sell for more than $200 to $300.
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Old 01-11-18, 05:39 PM
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Thank you again for all the comments

Due to the amazing warm period today I was outside in 14c (57f) weather and started cleaning the bike. Only rust of note seems to be underside of the bottom bracket where serial number was stamped. When I removed the front wheel I discovered I will have to eat my words. There was numbers on the front drop outs. Front right had what looks like 47161 while the left front had only A 66. Whomever chose the stamping patterns for this bike probably designed the Maginot line.

Having said that it seems in amazing condition and I may have to test out that "red hot Toronto bike market" I hear about all the time and see if someone (I'd guess 5'3-5'5) is looking for a fine vintage ride preferably one with a 65cm Paramount and looking to trade.....
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Old 01-11-18, 05:54 PM
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As the catalog indicates, yours is the shorter version of the two sizes available. The average sized man would be OK on the 21". Would make a great bike for a short to average height woman.
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Old 01-11-18, 09:51 PM
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-----

DiaCompe brake levers present for their extensions. Stock item for U.S. market version of bicycle.

-----
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Old 01-12-18, 01:19 AM
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Motobecane doesn’t equal Peugeot in marketability to the masses, so don’t get too greedy. The small size is great for the many petite Asian riders in Toronto. I would initially list the bike for $350, assuming you take much better photos outdoors with a pleasing neutral background. As stated previously, a selling price around $300 would be FMV.

Your paint job matches the 1978 men’s below:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Matching-Pa...UAAOSwwHFZnFTn

Last edited by oddjob2; 01-12-18 at 01:24 AM.
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Old 01-12-18, 02:36 AM
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Originally Posted by oddjob2
Motobecane doesn’t equal Peugeot in marketability to the masses, so don’t get too greedy. The small size is great for the many petite Asian riders in Toronto. I would initially list the bike for $350, assuming you take much better photos outdoors with a pleasing neutral background. As stated previously, a selling price around $300 would be FMV.

Your paint job matches the 1978 men’s below:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Matching-Pa...UAAOSwwHFZnFTn
Perhaps.

I think the Grand Jubilee and Grand Touring Mixte bikes are likely better than most of the Peugeot Mixte bikes that I've seen UO18? UE18? Are there other Peugeot models? Nonetheless, you may be right that the Peugeot gets more name recognition.

Is that CAD or USD? I suppose you're close in CAD, assuming clean, tuned, greased, and with good tires. Maybe, in case someone does keyword searches, write "Better than Peugeot UO8/UO18/UE18"
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Old 01-12-18, 03:49 AM
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Originally Posted by CliffordK
Perhaps.

I think the Grand Jubilee and Grand Touring Mixte bikes are likely better than most of the Peugeot Mixte bikes that I've seen UO18? UE18? Are there other Peugeot models? Nonetheless, you may be right that the Peugeot gets more name recognition.

Is that CAD or USD? I suppose you're close in CAD, assuming clean, tuned, greased, and with good tires. Maybe, in case someone does keyword searches, write "Better than Peugeot UO8/UO18/UE18"
$350 Dollars, not loonies
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Old 01-12-18, 04:23 AM
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Motobecane

My daughter has a non mixte version of this bike. It rides well and is built very well. She also has a mixte version of a grand jubile that came with Campagnolo Record hubs/Mavic wheels that is very nice to ride. I would agree that these are on the upper end of the bike boom scale. Joe
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Old 01-12-18, 10:16 AM
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It doesn't fit me, it's weird looking, the weird stamping system they used to mark the frames seems to offend common sense, I can't help it, I want to keep it.

Something is definitely wrong with me.
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Old 01-12-18, 10:32 AM
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The DC front brakes should have a date stamping and the rear derailleur should date code.

That seat post is too high. Stem likely is too.
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Old 01-12-18, 02:55 PM
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My fault I raised the seat post to give more room when trying to attach to my Park 9 so I could stand outside and work on it till the rain hit.
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Old 01-12-18, 10:16 PM
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Originally Posted by WGB
It doesn't fit me, it's weird looking, the weird stamping system they used to mark the frames seems to offend common sense, I can't help it, I want to keep it.

Something is definitely wrong with me.
I think I speak for many here when I say you are not alone. We all have had bikes "speak" to us. Me? It is the Miyata fixed gear conversion formerly owned by a crit racer who passed away suddenly. If I sell off all of my bikes it will be the last to go.
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