What year is my bike?
05-28-20, 11:24 AM
#1
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What year is my bike?
I have a vintage Motobecane Mirage. I have no idea how to tell what year it was manufactured. There's a "73" stamped on the top tube - does that mean it was made in 1973?
05-28-20, 11:29 AM
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the 73 marking you found is from the lug manufacturer and refers to the angle in degrees between the socket for the head tube and the one for the top tube
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the 73 marking you found is from the lug manufacturer and refers to the angle in degrees between the socket for the head tube and the one for the top tube
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05-28-20, 12:14 PM
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One more good post and you can then show us pics of your bike.
05-28-20, 01:01 PM
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The combination of a steel, cottered crankset and SunTour VGT rear derailleur would suggest a 1974 or 1975 model. I'm surprised that when the city bike conversion was performed, they went to down tube shift levers. Picture assist...
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05-28-20, 01:31 PM
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I had a Motobecane Nomad from the same era as your Mirage. It had Huret derailleurs and cottered crank. I'm thinking your derailleurs and shifters may have been replaced with Suntour
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05-28-20, 01:49 PM
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...cycle's rear mech OEM...shift levers & front mech a replacement
front mech model did not exist at time of cycle's manufacture
1974 U.S. market catalogue page -
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...cycle's rear mech OEM...shift levers & front mech a replacement
front mech model did not exist at time of cycle's manufacture
1974 U.S. market catalogue page -
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Last edited by juvela; 05-28-20 at 01:55 PM. Reason: add image
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