BOC-> Motobecane Grand Record City Bike Build
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BOC-> Motobecane Grand Record City Bike Build
Ever built a whole bike from a single part, that you maybe got from the Box o’ Crap? I took a pair of Bausch and Muller dyno lights from the Bo’C a round or two ago (thanks to whoever donated them!), and was inspired to build a dyno-powered city bike. When a cheap Grand Record frame showed up on CL, I decided to make it happen.
~1973 Motobecane Grand Record frame/fork - craigslist, (not drewed!)
Shutter Dynamics dyno hub, chain, tires, and SA bar-end shifter are new
Sturmey Archer AW 3-speed hub - thanks to BF member #tiredhands
Seat, brake levers, front rack, chainring, rims are all from the Velo Orange Garage sale which I go to every year.
Everything else is from my parts stash. I think the 70’s plastic bar tape also came from the Bo’C.
I think it turned out pretty great. The guidonnet brake levers work surprisingly well. It’s my first dyno, and my first IGH build, so I’m still tuning the gearing, and getting used to the AW 3-speed ratio. 46/19 seems a little tall for the hills around here, and between the dyno, IGH, and fat Paselas, there's a little bit of accumulated resistance. Since the pics, I’ve swapped in a TA 44t front, but haven't ridden that ratio yet. I may also add a decaleur bag mount and tweak the headlight mount, but otherwise, I think it's good to go.
~1973 Motobecane Grand Record frame/fork - craigslist, (not drewed!)
Shutter Dynamics dyno hub, chain, tires, and SA bar-end shifter are new
Sturmey Archer AW 3-speed hub - thanks to BF member #tiredhands
Seat, brake levers, front rack, chainring, rims are all from the Velo Orange Garage sale which I go to every year.
Everything else is from my parts stash. I think the 70’s plastic bar tape also came from the Bo’C.
I think it turned out pretty great. The guidonnet brake levers work surprisingly well. It’s my first dyno, and my first IGH build, so I’m still tuning the gearing, and getting used to the AW 3-speed ratio. 46/19 seems a little tall for the hills around here, and between the dyno, IGH, and fat Paselas, there's a little bit of accumulated resistance. Since the pics, I’ve swapped in a TA 44t front, but haven't ridden that ratio yet. I may also add a decaleur bag mount and tweak the headlight mount, but otherwise, I think it's good to go.
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#2
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Seriously nice build. I have an early 70s Motobecane GR with somewhat of a beat paint job (it has the "crackling" which some early Motos were prone too) and I've been toying with the idea of turning it into a commuter.
#3
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Do it. There's an amazing amount of tire clearance on these 70's "racing" frames. The Pasela 35s just fit, and it's the Weinmann caliper hanging down that limits an even bigger tire, and not the brake bridge, fork, or chain stays.
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Agreed about the tire clearance on 70s "racing" bikes. My Moto fits 27 x 1 and 1/4 tires with plenty of space for fenders. I have an early 70s Fuji Finest that can fit 32c tires and fenders. I have 70s era Libertas and a Mercier 300 in the build queue; both can comfortably take 32c tires.
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Wow, beautiful! Very clean. As a Moto GR owner myself, I know the good feeling!
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Nice! I like that bar tape.
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Awesome looking build! Great job.
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I've got a bunch of parts from the BoC that I've gathered over several rounds, and they're slowly taking shape into a vision of a bike. In my case I've kind of decided on an old Nishiki frame that I picked up as a parts donor for a Clunker 100 challenge a few years back. It's the slowest developing project I've ever worked on. The frame is sitting behind me right now, stripped to the bare metal waiting for paint. It's been like that for about six months. The parts are on a shelf next to it.
Your build came out very nice. I love those old Motobecanes.
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#10
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That's nothin! I have a Vespa GS160 project that was painted about 15 years ago, and has been veeeerrrryyy slowly being built up since. Another decade, and it will be rideable.
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Love it!
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1987 Mercian Pro, 1985 Shogun 500, 197? Falcon San Remo, 1972 Peugeot PX-10, 1972 Schwinn Paramount P13-9, 1971 Peugeot PX-10, 1971 Raleigh International, 1970 Raleigh Professional Mark I
Curator/Team Mechanic: 2016 Dawes Streetfighter, 1984 Lotus Eclair, 1975 Motobecane Jubile Mixte, 1974 Raleigh Sports, 1973 Free Spirit Ted Williams, 1972 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Philips Sport
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Nice! I like that bar tape.
That tape looks like right for the restore of an older bike. What is it?
That tape looks like right for the restore of an older bike. What is it?
#13
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That is a very classy bike, and a beautiful frame for a cheap CL find. My only nit is I might have opted to sacrifice a bit of tire volume to leave room for fenders, if only so I would ride it more often. But maybe you are from hardier stock.
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I had the 35mm tires on hand (were too big for a previous build.) I may well go the fender route with maybe 28s, and I have VO fenders in stock. But I must say, the ride with the fat tires on lousy city streets is pretty plush.
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Great looking build! That Moto paint combination and headbadge is classic.
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jeirvine-
How effective is the LED based B+M Lumotec? Does it use a dual wire system or a single wire with grounding through the frame?
How effective is the LED based B+M Lumotec? Does it use a dual wire system or a single wire with grounding through the frame?
#18
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Very nice build! I’m sold on dyno-hubs. As the keeper of 3 1970s Motobecanes, I can attest to their frame quality, comfort
and durability. The GR is wonderful - great find - and I love pairing it with the Sturmey-Archer IGH. I bolted my B+M headlight to the VO rack using an R clamp and star washer from a fender set. Works pretty well, but I also had to use a leather washer to put a pad between the light and the rack.
and durability. The GR is wonderful - great find - and I love pairing it with the Sturmey-Archer IGH. I bolted my B+M headlight to the VO rack using an R clamp and star washer from a fender set. Works pretty well, but I also had to use a leather washer to put a pad between the light and the rack.
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Dual wire. Was pretty simple to wire up. The standlight in the tail-light is really handy, and works great. This particular entry-level headlight is pretty basic - enough to be seen, but not enough for twilight or night riding. I'll probably upgrade at some point.
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The man who dies with the most toys…is dead. - Rootboy
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