Check out my Motobecane Mirage, and tell me about it
08-20-08, 12:46 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Check out my Motobecane Mirage, and tell me about it
Hi All,
I recently acquired this sweet Motobecane Mirage from the thrift store for $9. The decals have been taken off, but I can tell that it said mirage (pic 2, sorry about focus). Does the script give any indication of year? The shifters appear to be upgraded (pic 7), so I guess other things could be upgraded too.
The saddle pictured is not the one it came with. The plastic frame on the saddle it came with was breaking, so I swapped it with one I had laying around. I've put on new tires, tubes, and rim tape. I plan on taking some steel wool to the spokes and crank. I don't know what to do about the rust on the chrome part of the fork. Any ideas? It rides very nicely, but I think I need to get a spoke wrench and true the rear wheel. What else should I pay attention to?
I eventually would like to upgrade to cotterless cranks, How do I tell if my BB is Swiss threaded or ISO? If it is Swiss, where can I get a spindle to work with my existing parts and cotterless cranks? Thanks in advance.
I recently acquired this sweet Motobecane Mirage from the thrift store for $9. The decals have been taken off, but I can tell that it said mirage (pic 2, sorry about focus). Does the script give any indication of year? The shifters appear to be upgraded (pic 7), so I guess other things could be upgraded too.
The saddle pictured is not the one it came with. The plastic frame on the saddle it came with was breaking, so I swapped it with one I had laying around. I've put on new tires, tubes, and rim tape. I plan on taking some steel wool to the spokes and crank. I don't know what to do about the rust on the chrome part of the fork. Any ideas? It rides very nicely, but I think I need to get a spoke wrench and true the rear wheel. What else should I pay attention to?
I eventually would like to upgrade to cotterless cranks, How do I tell if my BB is Swiss threaded or ISO? If it is Swiss, where can I get a spindle to work with my existing parts and cotterless cranks? Thanks in advance.
08-20-08, 01:13 PM
#4
Senior Member
It's true that bike would make a very nice FG, but it would also serve you well as an everyday rider or commuter with multiple gears. My guess is it's way too old to be anything other than French threaded.
08-20-08, 02:05 PM
#6
Fire Beats Plague
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Looks like my 73 Mirage, aside from some different components. Got me through 300 miles of commuting before I bought my Lotus.
I too am looking for a way to ditch the cottered cranks, and possibly convert to a fixie...
I too am looking for a way to ditch the cottered cranks, and possibly convert to a fixie...
08-20-08, 02:26 PM
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I thought about it after I posted, and realized it was possibly pre-1974. The round headbadge was a 50th anniversary commemorative, but I've seen at least one 1973 Motobecane with that earlier style headbadge, so it seems that the 50th anniversary commemorative came out either sometime later in 1973, or else in the 1974 model year.
OP, you can figure out the year by checking the date codes on your components; the Component Dates page at Vintage Trek will help you decode the date codes.
I'm just taking a guess, but I think that Shimano RD on the OP's bike is a replacement for a SunTour RD.
OP, you can figure out the year by checking the date codes on your components; the Component Dates page at Vintage Trek will help you decode the date codes.
I'm just taking a guess, but I think that Shimano RD on the OP's bike is a replacement for a SunTour RD.
Last edited by Blue Order; 08-20-08 at 02:29 PM.
08-20-08, 03:19 PM
#8
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Thread Starter
eagleb, yes it looks just like yours except for the headbadge. Those decals on the fork look like the shadows left on mine. Does yours have steel rims? I was thinking mine were upgraded.
Blue Order, It looks like I should be able to check the date codes on my FD, hubs, and brake levers. I'll try that tonight.
Blue Order, It looks like I should be able to check the date codes on my FD, hubs, and brake levers. I'll try that tonight.
08-20-08, 04:21 PM
#9
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definitely steel rims, with the sweet embossed texture that give a nice whirring sound when slowing down.
the bike is stock from the day my dad bought it. Still has his Oregon State license on it.
the bike is stock from the day my dad bought it. Still has his Oregon State license on it.
08-20-08, 04:35 PM
#10
Si se Puede!!!....Ahuevo!
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You could just change the spindle and keep the rest of the BB parts. I've done it with a Peugeot PH8 and a no name bike. I might have an extra spindle you can have. PM me.
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Ese dicho que me han dicho que tú has dicho que yo he dicho, ese dicho no lo he dicho, porque si lo hubiera dicho, ese dicho estaría bien dicho por haberlo dicho yo.
Ese dicho que me han dicho que tú has dicho que yo he dicho, ese dicho no lo he dicho, porque si lo hubiera dicho, ese dicho estaría bien dicho por haberlo dicho yo.
08-20-08, 04:43 PM
#11
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Thread Starter
Yes, this is what I was thinking about. Here is the info from Sheldon's site:
Since French bottom brackets are normally the usual 68 mm width, British/I.S.O. bottom bracket axles will sometimes work.
French bottom bracket cups usually have thinner walls than Japanese ones, so the bearing ridges on the spindles are farther apart. If you use a standard Japanese spindle, the adjustable cup won't be able to screw in far enough to snug up the bearings, or if it does, it will sink into the bottom bracket shell so that you won't be able to install the lockring.
The good news is that a Japanese spindle made for an Italian size (70 mm) bottom bracket will usually fit! In the Sugino marking system, these are the spindles that are marked with a "5" code. Spindles for 68 mm bbs have codes beginning with 3. This trick often makes it possible to upgrade an older bike from cotterd to cotterless cranks at a reasonable cost.
French bottom bracket cups usually have thinner walls than Japanese ones, so the bearing ridges on the spindles are farther apart. If you use a standard Japanese spindle, the adjustable cup won't be able to screw in far enough to snug up the bearings, or if it does, it will sink into the bottom bracket shell so that you won't be able to install the lockring.
The good news is that a Japanese spindle made for an Italian size (70 mm) bottom bracket will usually fit! In the Sugino marking system, these are the spindles that are marked with a "5" code. Spindles for 68 mm bbs have codes beginning with 3. This trick often makes it possible to upgrade an older bike from cotterd to cotterless cranks at a reasonable cost.
