Motobecane experts - Am I nuts?
#1
Full Member
Thread Starter
Motobecane experts - Am I nuts?
This is close to me, and at the price I'm considering buying it and replacing the fork:
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...8240149557236/
This is clearly an '82 or '83 model with Vitus 172 frame. Anybody have an opinion on whether or not the frame itself would be compromised after a collision bad enough to bung the fork up like that? If I do this thing, what size fork would be a reasonable replacement? Would this have a 1" steerer tube?
Or do I just grit my teeth and walk away?
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...8240149557236/
This is clearly an '82 or '83 model with Vitus 172 frame. Anybody have an opinion on whether or not the frame itself would be compromised after a collision bad enough to bung the fork up like that? If I do this thing, what size fork would be a reasonable replacement? Would this have a 1" steerer tube?
Or do I just grit my teeth and walk away?
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Middle Earth (aka IA)
Posts: 20,433
Bikes: A bunch of old bikes and a few new ones
Mentioned: 178 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5887 Post(s)
Liked 3,469 Times
in
2,079 Posts
The good news is that you don't need to run a fork with a French steering column; you can run one with BSC threading and use an English threaded HS.
The bad news is that fork looks bad. Offer them $25 and see if they bite. Maybe you have a frame you can work with, maybe you have $25 worth of parts.
The bad news is that fork looks bad. Offer them $25 and see if they bite. Maybe you have a frame you can work with, maybe you have $25 worth of parts.
Likes For bikemig:
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 2,321
Mentioned: 35 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 767 Post(s)
Liked 1,898 Times
in
889 Posts
That frame could very well be compromised. Only way to know is in person inspection. With a non-French replacement fork, your headset and stem options increase. But again, be wary of any ripples or kinks in the top and down tubes. There are lots of vintage bikes out there without this kind of damage. How much of a project are you looking for?
#4
PM me your cotters
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: ATL
Posts: 3,241
Mentioned: 80 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1137 Post(s)
Liked 588 Times
in
420 Posts
that looks like it took a hell of a front-ender, and I doubt it was just the fork impacted. I'd carefully look at the top tube and down tube at the head tube to check for cracks in the paint, creases or otherwise.
Looks like a 1983 year. I have an 1980 GR also built w/Vitus 172 same as the one linked above. It's light as hell with a couple of minor hardware tweaks, I think that one could be quite similar.
Edit: Two other things to note, the cockpit is rubber-encased simulating leather, you'd need to cut it off to - for example - remove the stem. It's got a decent array of parts, you could easily break-even selling the parts for the ask price if the frame is trashed.
Looks like a 1983 year. I have an 1980 GR also built w/Vitus 172 same as the one linked above. It's light as hell with a couple of minor hardware tweaks, I think that one could be quite similar.
Edit: Two other things to note, the cockpit is rubber-encased simulating leather, you'd need to cut it off to - for example - remove the stem. It's got a decent array of parts, you could easily break-even selling the parts for the ask price if the frame is trashed.
__________________
███████████████
███████████████
Likes For francophile:
#5
señor miembro
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Pac NW
Posts: 6,597
Bikes: '70s - '80s Campagnolo
Mentioned: 92 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3860 Post(s)
Liked 6,450 Times
in
3,190 Posts
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 23,223
Mentioned: 654 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4722 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3,036 Times
in
1,874 Posts
If looks like the paint has cracked and chipped off in the area immediately behind the head lugs.. Almost invariably, this is indicative of bent tubes.
Likes For davester:
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Oakland, CA
Posts: 3,265
Bikes: '82 Univega Competizione, '72 Motobecane Grand Record, '83 Mercian KOM Touring, '85 Univega Alpina Uno, '76 Eisentraut Limited
Mentioned: 57 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1088 Post(s)
Liked 1,205 Times
in
701 Posts
Sorry to pile on, but I agree that what I see is a parts bike. (Nothing wrong with that, btw!)
Likes For noobinsf:
#10
señor miembro
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Pac NW
Posts: 6,597
Bikes: '70s - '80s Campagnolo
Mentioned: 92 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3860 Post(s)
Liked 6,450 Times
in
3,190 Posts
In Seattle, at least, it looks like you can do just that ... if the metal bike part is over 3" and you can still close the lid. This is new and recent news to me, as I have always tossed steel bars and the like in the garbage.
Where Does It Go? - Utilities | seattle.gov
Where Does It Go? - Utilities | seattle.gov
#11
Full Member
Thread Starter
Thanks for the responses, all. That's what I was afraid of. Since I moved a couple of years ago and no longer have a garage to store projects and spare parts I think I'll pass.
I had a full Vitus 172 Grand Jubilee from 1981 that suffered a stress fracture of the seat tube at the bottom bracket after several thousand happy miles. I have since heard from several people that post-1980 Vitus 172 frames were overheated in production and prone to breakage. SOunds like it's not worth my time. The search continues!
I had a full Vitus 172 Grand Jubilee from 1981 that suffered a stress fracture of the seat tube at the bottom bracket after several thousand happy miles. I have since heard from several people that post-1980 Vitus 172 frames were overheated in production and prone to breakage. SOunds like it's not worth my time. The search continues!
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 23,223
Mentioned: 654 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4722 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3,036 Times
in
1,874 Posts
In Seattle, at least, it looks like you can do just that ... if the metal bike part is over 3" and you can still close the lid. This is new and recent news to me, as I have always tossed steel bars and the like in the garbage.
Where Does It Go? - Utilities | seattle.gov
Where Does It Go? - Utilities | seattle.gov
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 2,321
Mentioned: 35 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 767 Post(s)
Liked 1,898 Times
in
889 Posts
We have a couple of scrap yards in my area. I once bought two bikes from a guy, one an Atala Grand Prix frame for $20. It had severe front end damage, but easily that much in parts hanging from it. Sold a Campy cable guide off of it for $20, among other things. I actually came out ahead on that one after I took it to the scrap yard.
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Big Apple
Posts: 1,428
Bikes: yes
Mentioned: 17 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 512 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 409 Times
in
176 Posts
The bike and OP are both in Brooklyn. In NYC, you just put the recycling at the curb on the weekly recycling pick-up day and they pick it up. If it's too big to go in a can or bag (like a bike frame or an engine block, or a stove, etc.), just leave it at the curb and they'll pick it up . . . unless the metal scrappers get to it first.
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: San Jose
Posts: 1,025
Bikes: Blur / Ibis Hakka MX / team machince alr2 / topstone 1
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 426 Post(s)
Liked 274 Times
in
201 Posts
I have a root canal from running my brand new road bike into the back of pinto when I was kid. I was looking down adjusting the gears trying to make the noise go away. When looked up I ran into the back of pinto. Flew of my bars right on the hatch. Just my luck.
It would have been a car with a trunk I would not have broken my tooth half off.
Anyways, my frame doubled over. My forks and everything else where fine. My step dad at the time had a welding shop. He straighten the frame and then put a BMX like gusset between the top and bottom tube.
I would think that frame is bent if it bent the fork.
It would have been a car with a trunk I would not have broken my tooth half off.
Anyways, my frame doubled over. My forks and everything else where fine. My step dad at the time had a welding shop. He straighten the frame and then put a BMX like gusset between the top and bottom tube.
I would think that frame is bent if it bent the fork.
#16
Overdoing projects
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Rotterdam, former republic of the Netherlands
Posts: 2,397
Bikes: Batavus Randonneur GL, Gazelle Orange Excellent, Gazelle Super Licht, Gazelle Grand Tourist, Gazelle Lausanne, Gazelle Tandem, Koga-Miyata SilverAce, Koga-Miyata WorldTraveller
Mentioned: 58 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 784 Post(s)
Liked 1,237 Times
in
686 Posts