MikeJeezy

Hi, I generally only mess around with BMX bikes and don't have a lot of experience with these, but I grabbed it because it looked vintage and cool. 1970? I've cleaned it up a bit since these pictures. From my research it looks like it's all original, and just needs tires and a derailleur wheel. The rims are straight and they have "Normandy" stamped on the hub. Mafac Racer brakes.

I could get it rideable for around 80 bucks probably, but would only do it sell it. So just wondering what its value would be and if it's worth investing in or just selling as is.

bikemig 

I'm not familiar with franche comte bikes but I likely would have bought it as well for the coolness factor if the price was right. You can sell the water bottle cage separately from the bike. It is a TA steel cage and has some value on its own. If you were local to me, I'd likely buy it for a Mercier I'm rebuilding.

You're right to be skeptical of rebuilding it. Older French bikes are cool in a vintage sort of way but they have their oddities and can be a bit of a PITA to rehab. The bike looks to be in good shape except for the missing headbadge. It looks to have the remnant of a tubing sticker on the seat tube. Can you make out what it says?

You have two options, get it road worthy and sell it for whatever the market price is or sell it to someone else for hopefully more than you paid for it. If you rehab it, the work is not too hard but the front derailleur is likely toast (or may well become toast once you try to adjust it as the simplex delrin front derailleurs tend to break) and the shifters after 50 years are likely to shift poorly. The rear derailleur should be OK.

These are very helpful pics but a pic of the drive side really helps as well.

MikeJeezy

Thank you for your reply. Here are some other pics. I have the wheels off because I started cleaning it a bit. The seat post tube sticker was not readable.

zukahn1 

Would say $150-200 nicely fixed up ready to ride and maybe $100 as is. So figuring parts and labor it is a break even or even losing money to fix this one up. While nice riding this is a lower model 620 with Hi-ten frame steel wheels crank set and lesser French parts.

juvela

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Very fine job with the photos!

Your dating on the button - it is somewhere between 1971 and 1973.

The cycle's Simplex Prestige gear mechs may carry a date marking:




model appears to be a Nr. 620

here is a manufacturer illustration for the model 620 of 1973



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bikemig 

Nice job with the pics. I like this bike. If it fits you, you might want to fix it up and ride it.

In rideable shape, this bike is worth around $80 at least in my mid sized city in the Midwest. I'm getting ready to sell a Peugeot UO series bike from the late 70s with a little nicer parts (better shifters and a cotterless crank). The bike has been fixed up and I'd be happy to get $100 for it. Your bike could be worth more if you find a buyer willing to pay a premium because they want an old European bike with some nice chrome. For $150-$200, my market is drowning in better quality bikes with chrome moly frames and alloy wheels. At $100, there are plenty of bikes available locally that have nicer parts than this does.

MikeJeezy

Thank you for all for the advice and information