Lovegasoline

I'd need to locate and get access to the tools to remove the BB. Source tubing. Locate a willing metalworker. Deliver the parts and frame and return to pick it up.
All compounded by suddenly losing 95% of my transportation access.

3alarmer 

https://www.google.com/search?q=bike...4!2i406!4f13.1

Lovegasoline

I once went to a bike Coop workshop last year. A handful of people came with their bikes and were sitting around waiting but whoever was running it never showed ... and no notification of a no show. No one was reachable by phone. Seemed highly disorganized. Burned about 1.25 hour trip up and back. Maybe worth another try, maybe not.
In any case I'd need to lug the bike around the city to and from whatever place the tools are located at (gambling that they have tools for French system bikes), to and from wherever it will be welded. And find whatever other supplies are needed. That sure makes duct tape look appealing.

I'll see what my friend says next Tuesday.
Meanwhile I'm looking on Craigslist.
What about Peugeot? Would some of the gear from my bike fit on an old beat out Peugeot?

3alarmer 

.
...they sell bikes that get donated and rehabbed. Often they sell them cheaply. Probably because it is disorganized.
If they are smart, they're not gonna try to help you mend that frame, if for no other reason than liability.

French stuff usually fits interchangeably on older French bikes, but the whole thing varies from bike to bike, year to year.

Lovegasoline

UPDATE:

On Tuesday I hooked up with the two techs I mentioned. One said the bike was toast (and to follow up txt'd me about a beater he saw for sale on the street today). The other - the one who has experience building bike frames - said it can be fixed. He showed me the pins used to align the frame tubes during brazing. He told me he didn't have the time to do the repair, but he took some pics on his cell and sent them out to his network of frame builders. He was casually confident that someone would be able to do the repair. He said it wasn't a big deal, either the tube can be replaced or a sleeve inserted.

He also told me that this coming Saturday is something called the New York Bike Jumble, a big bike flea market held twice a year:
About ? New York Bike Jumble

I recall hearing about this back around the time I acquired the Motobecane, but I completely forgot about it ... it's located about 2-3 miles from me. He said there'd be plenty of beaters there to chose from at good prices. So if I have the time I'll head over there.

On Wednesday the friend above who's built frames said one of the frame guys got back to him that he could schedule the frame repair in 2.5 weeks. I haven't spoke with the guy yet about pricing ...

Lovegasoline

... the bikeforums posting email notification seems to have had some gaps(?) ... I missed a few posts from the page 4. The bamboo bike looks interesting and bomber ... and the 10 year old frame repair appears solid.

ExpertTools

The bottom line is that it never was an ideal city bike. The streets of NYC are horrible, not much can last forever. But to give you better odds...look at what NYC bike messengers ride. While some nuts ride single speed fixed gear bikes with no brakes, most use fairly light aluminum framed hard tail mountain bikes with front suspension, and non-knobby tires. Many add a suspension seatpost. Actually the Citibikes are pretty nice to ride; much lighter than they look. But a key feature of the Citibike is the fairly broad tires that help absorb the bumps, along with a robust aluminum frame. But a nice hardtail can be quite a bit lighter than a Citibike, and give you some suspension to deal with the bumps, and more gears as well. Time to look for something new.

Johnny Mullet

If that were my bike and it was comfortable and sentimental to me, I would mig weld it and keep riding. I could easily weld that up, add some matching paint, and trust it again.

Lovegasoline

I had a free Citibike membership for a year, it ended a couple weeks ago, 2-3 days after my bike frame broke. Citibikes are heavy sluggish tanks. They aren't much fun to ride. If I've been hitting the Citibike thing hard for a few days, it's always a relief and joy to have my bike under me because it's so much lighter, faster, and nimbler ... and that's saying allot because the Motobecane Grand Tourer is by any measure a relatively heavy, slow, unresponsive steel bike. The newest batch of Citibikes - the ones with the blue basket on the front - shift a lot smoother than the older beat out bikes (some of which have a lag time of 10 or more seconds between when you shift and when the gears actually decide to move) but they're still relatively uninteresting rigs to ride. They are heavy unpleasant tanks but their virtue is their convenience and that they roll over anything and they can take a dumb beating, including going off curbs and slamming them into their docks. The convenience factor in piecing together a meandering and uncertain itinerary combining subway, foot, and bike is a watershed moment in moving around the city without the millstone moments that a normal bike can present.

What's great about the Motobecane is with the rack and Ortlieb back roller plus panniers (and often with a backpack as well) it could haul 38-40lbs of cargo door-to-door (which includes an 8lb 1980s vintage St. Pierre lock that I've had for about 30 years and is totally bomber!) and the rest in groceries. It got me from around for 7 years without ever being stolen or vandalized (the only time it's been messed with in 7 years is someone left the air out of a tire once when it was parked in a place that my intuition told me was sketchy ... but I had to leave it). Amazing! And it's got a sprung Brooks seat on it to boot.

My recollection of bike messengers is fixies or lean nondescript road bikes.

cny-bikeman

Absolutely absurd idea. Let's take your videos first. In neither of those videos is the tape confronted with multiple angled and curved surfaces, nor the concentrated, periodic stress that occurs at a bottom bracket. In neither case is stretching of the tape a factor, nor is it measured. Yes, duct tape is strong, but it is also elastic to some degree. As for nylon rope, it also stretches, though admittedly to a very minor degree, and in any case has no relationship to duct tape wrapped around a BB, and neither does your initial feelings about trusting rope. Finally, the stress on the BB is not merely up and down, but also side to side and torsional, so the idea of holding the BB up against the seat tube is ludicrous.

You say you don't have time to go around checking bikes, but you do seem to have time to make multiple posts on how to avoid a new bike and to find duct tape videos. Find a shop that sells used bikes, or screen ads for the best looking 2 or 3 bikes and check them out.

3alarmer 

...no. The one I have and ride here is not what you describe, and has much more the feel of a sport tourer.

But if you got a Huffy, you could get @Johnny Mullet to weld it for you, so there's that to think about too.

Lovegasoline

Nylon rope can be made to be static or dynamic, the dynamic type such as used to catch the fall of live loads in climbing, is very elastic - which absorbs the impact forces during a fall and keeps humans from snapping in half - but it's very strong and practically never snaps itself unless in such applications unless it's cut (for ex. by contact with a sharp edge). Static rope is dramatically less elastic.

I have no issue with the elasticity of duct tape ... nor with an elastic bike frame. My concern for a quick & dirty repair didn't place rigidity as paramount. My concern was that the frame holds together to permit the bike to ride from point A to point B with a controlled failure, or at least a warning before catastrophic failure (the latter meaning the bike can no longer roll in a straight line with my weight of 135 on it). The bike's tube is completely severed, nonetheless the frame still functions. I was riding it with a broken tube for an indeterminate time period. Theoretically, I have no issue with a flexible frame and in practice I only have an issue with a flexible frame if it fails to ride and/or injures the rider. In fact, a frame designed with flexible connections at all frame joints (imagine a NASA designed frame with flexibility built into the joints) would not be an issue as long as it rode with a degree of control and with warning before catastrophic failure.

A roll of duct tape is very strong: tearing, ripping, cutting, or shearing it would require huge forces. The idea of a swaged cable was to keep frame tubes from completely detaching from one another.

Yes, I've had the time to look and post online (Craigslist, bikeforum, & duct tape videos). That's interstitial activity. Making contact with, scheduling, traveling to, meeting with, dealing with the inevitable Craigslist flake quotient, and inspecting bikes is a much more time demanding process.

I'm not interested in buying a used bike from a bike shop.

Lovegasoline

I'm speaking relatively/comparatively ... I see guys here in the city on nimble BMX bikes like Mexican jumping beans, lightweight fixies, and aggressive riding in extreme traffic conditions. The Motobecane Grand Tourer is heavy and not especially nimble for negotiating the fast moving and unexpected flow that is NYC streets: thick traffic, obstacles, people, and varying road conditions. But it gets the job done (without being thief bait) and it's faster, lighter, and more nimble than a Citibike .... which is a durable sluggish tank.

cny-bikeman

If you want to blithely ride around with a bike in that condition then go ahead. Don't justify it by pretending that duct tape will give you some measure of safety. You asked for advice and opinions, but seem unwilling to give up your duct tape solution. You asked about checking with friends who might have welding/metalwork knowledge at the beginning - why not just do so instead of asking us if you should do so?

3alarmer 

.
...maybe those guys you see jumping around in traffic are just younger, fitter, more skillful riders ?

Lovegasoline

That very well could be and it goes without saying there are many riders younger, fitter, and more skilled than myself ....
....and then there's the issue of the machine.

Perhaps the next winner of the Tour De France will win it on a bone stock Citibike; and they should be able to if youth, fitness (including doping), and skill are the only metrics.

I too like to ride aggressively in traffic, especially when I'm time pressured and/or want some adrenaline.
That's why I like the Motobecane vs. the Citibike, because I can be much more aggressive and agile in traffic; otherwise it wouldn't matter and I'd just casually cruise.


Many BMX'ers are especially agile on the street proper, as well it's boundaries ... and with whatever is in their way. I'm actually tempted at times to give it whirl because it looks so rad and fun, but I've already got my sport as well as full plate. If I commit to another sport it will be paragliding.

ExpertTools

I grew up riding in the city, including time working as a bike messenger. The bike lanes have made traffic so bad that riding in traffic is much tougher. The bike lanes have made it easier for the "casual cyclist", but impossible for someone who wants to keep a decent pace. I used a bike similar to yours when I worked as a messenger, BTW. I had a fixed gear bike as well, but always had at least one brake on it. I get what you say about the Citibikes, but to me, they feel a lot lighter and swifter than I expected; far superior to the old English three speeds.


But I still maintain that a high end, but older hardtail would be a great city bike. I have a Litespeed like that now, with all XTR and 26" 28mm high pressure tires, a modern suspension fork, and a sprung seatpost; it's an ideal setup for very bumpy roads. Even with the suspension, it's probably lighter than your Motorbacane. Trek and others make similar bikes now, generally in the range of about $1,000, (not XTR, but similar weight and style). They are the "aggressive" hybrids. I paid about $600 for my Litespeed used, but just recently bought a Steven's bike with similar style at a Pawn shop in Florida for $300. Steven's called that a "Trekking style" bicycle; but they don't sell in the US at all. That one was a 700c with suspension fork and aluminum frame. Sells in Germany for about $1,200. If I were you, I'd take a look on Craig's List to see what you can find. Funny how, in Florida, there are tons of Pawn shops and they all have bikes, and you can sometimes find some gems.


If you don't get a bike with either some sort of suspension, or fairly wide tires, NYC will eventually destroy anything. I broke an "A Line" Raleigh 3-sp frame riding in the city...and that's tough to do, (they did give me a free frame though). But I rode very hard back then. As you get older, you also get much less tolerant of bumpy roads. If you prefer a road bike, the Specialized Roubaix I think would be the ideal bike, but the front "Future Shock" suspension just came out...so minimum $2,000 with very few used options. But the older Roubaixs are plentiful and still had some shock absorbing capabilities. The new front headset shock set up really is a step forward though. I ride a lot of bumpy bike trails up in Westchester, so I have been hoping to get a Roubaix at some point.

Lovegasoline

ExpertTools,
If you get the time post a pic or link to the type(s) of bike you're describing.
I'm open minded to bike configurations, but for the most part I've been looking at unsuspended steel beater road bikes.
I'm going to try to hit the Bike Jumble (big NYC bike flea market) tomorrow and may find a cheap steel beater there.

For someone like me, owning a Roubaix in NYC (other than for use on purely sporting specific outings) would be shear madness. Besides it being so far outside my budget, I'd be living perpetually stressed out because I'd never be able to lock it out of my eyesight (defeating its purpose for usage as a daily ride), and when it eventually gets stolen - which it will - I'd be right back to where I am now looking for reliable, affordable, and hopefully fun ride that doesn't attract undo attention to itself.

I've done a test ride on a Specialized Roubaix 5 or 6(?) years ago ago and it's a great bike. At the time I was thinking to get another bike for pleasure and sport use... but these days I think if I add another bike it would be a full-on touring bike along the lines of a Surly LHT.

ExpertTools

Here's a photo of my Steven's, and the Litespeed:

CliffordK

This kind of thread has me a bit worried.

I still put quite a few miles on my old Colnago (although no longer my only bike). Often working hard, towing, carrying cargo, century rides & mini-tours, etc. And I mash and do standing hill climbs. I suppose over its lifetime, it probably hasn't been that many miles... likely less than 100K miles in nearly a half century.

But, when does one reach the fatigue limit of steel? I don't relish the idea of that one last ride when one goes from a well used vintage bike to a piece of scrap metal.

I doubt I'll ever sell the Colnago, but I also would hate to sell a well used vintage bike, only to have it disintegrate on the buyer a few weeks later, and try to figure out who is to blame.

3alarmer 

...the groceries ought to be pretty easy to carry home that way. It's all downhill.

So just to make certain I wasn't missing something because I hadn't ridden it for a while (it has fenders, so does not get used in the rainless summers here), I got out the Motobecane GT for this morning's Tour de Almond Croissant.

I am happy to report that it was a great trip, and I was making all the lights, just like I do on my more aggressive stuff like Raleigh Pro's and Italian Faggin's. It's a little slower to accelerate, because I put crappy Forte tyres on it with a max inflation of 95 psi. So a wee tad more of rolling resistance. But otherwise a pleasant, responsive, neutral handling, sport touring bike from butted tubing that has a good review from the frame materials nerds.

If you only weigh 135 pounds, my weight at 220 still exceeds you and 40 pounds of groceries. And my bike did not, nor has it ever, ghost shifted. Including when I intentionally climbed a couple of short ascents to get over a railroad overpass by standing out of the saddle.



So I don't really know what was wrong with your bike, but my instinct is to say that either it was poorly maintained, or set up with crappy tyres and wheels when you got it. Certainly a brake shoe lightly dragging can make a bike feel slow and heavy, as can whatever add on's like racks, a New York quality lock, and an assortment of stuff that sometimes gets added to panniers and never comes out. Anyway, if you can find something that feels quicker and lighter to you and will still do your grocer run without self destructing, you should get it.

Lovegasoline

You have convinced me. Looks like 54-56cm? If so then yes, I will take it.
Please PM me the total shipping costs for the frame to NYC zip 11238.
Thanks a bunch 3 alarmer!



PS: The ghost shifting has been there since I've had it and without carrying any load other than myself. No rubbing of brake shoes. When I got it I put on Panaracers and last year a Bontranger dealio up front when in a quick bind I couldn't locally source a replacement. Not sure of the PSI, but low enough to smooth out the mean streets ride here in NYC and reduce dental bills. Rear rack as in the pic upthread came with the bike, panniers typically only go when I get food, 8lb. lock gets slung over shoulder. I seem to recall bike weight of approx. 135lb. on a bathroom scale. It feels big boned to me, ideally I'd like something smaller, lighter-tighter, and more agile ... something that inspired me to throw it around more. It would also be cool to try fatter tires like Compass (I suppose I have mild aversion to running a front suspension). Dream state ...

Lovegasoline

The idea behind that was to ride extremely mellow, slowly, cautiously, and aware.
To have something like duct tape and a swaged cable(s) to keep things more or less together and to provide some modicum of warning before the form of the bike completely transforms into a loose pile of tubes. If it happened in five minutes so be it. If it lasted a few days, all the better. A couple weeks? I also would begin wearing my helmet which I never do.

I'm not recommending this to anyone, nor would I expect anyone to recommend it to me.
Nonetheless, that doesn't mean it can't work.
Obviously, I'd have to be willing to assume a certain level of risk, such as being thrown from the bike. I've been thrown before. I think of how things are held together in many Southeast Asian countries. Look into the mouth of a sugary tea drinking Nepali or a betel nut chewing Burmese ... those teeth have to chew food and they manage to get the job done. Now imagine those teeth - transmuted by a deity with a broad sense of humor and purpose - into a repaired bike frame.

Lovegasoline

Nice looking bikes, thanks for posting.

They do look rather spendy.
I've considered some sort of quasi hybrid dealio (although I have a resistance to shocks) but the price point seems to favor old worn out steel.

3alarmer 

...it's a 59. Missed it by that much.

The big bargains in stuff that was built to take a beating, but still has a decent construction in terms of tubing and will take fatter tyres are the best of the now obsolescent mountain bikes from the 80's and 90's.

Real mountain bikers don't want them, and some of them were pretty high zoot in terms of frame tubing and components. Some of them even have rack braze-ons. With your requirements and stated objectives, that's what I'd be looking at. Anything that is either non suspension or hardtail with front suspension is now available at fire sale prices in every major Craigslist marketplace in the country. The real MTB guys are all about full suspension and maximum travel.

The best of them compare favorably in bike weight to your Motobecane, and you can buy and run 26x1.5 or even 1.25 inch tyres with smoother tread (not knobbys) for paved usage.

The one thing you need to look out for is that many of them have suspension forks that are worn out and need rebuilt, if you look at the ones with front suspension. Generally a suspension fork is also heavier than the non suspension version. If you go to that Bike Jumble thingy, there will be a bunch of them.

In the meanwhile, if that sounds like a good idea to you, either educate yourself on the best ones and what to look for, or find a personal social resource to go with you who knows and can spot this stuff. I could do it for you, but not from here in California. And the chances of me getting on a plane to NYC are slender.