schiri

A friend had this in her garage for 30+ years.

Tires are shot but the frame and wheels appear to be straight.

Some rust but it mechanically it's functional.

Just curious as to what it will take $-wise to get it back on the road.

Also, any estimate of its value (if any)?


TIA

oddjob2

You have a Motobecane Mirage in a Mixte style frame. Current St. Louis craigslist offerings for bike boom era Mixtes include a Raleigh and Peugeot, both available in the $150-$175 range. Both look to be in great condition. You need 27 x 1 1/4 tires, $10 each (get whitewalls, no extra cost), probably some brake and gear cables (a Bell set at Wallyworld is $5.00, a new used saddle, as a minimum. Tubes may or may not be good. If you want to make it look new, polish the aluminum bits, steel wool the rust off, and wash and wax the frame. The chain may need a cleaning and lube, although you can also get a new Bell chain at Wallyworld for less than $10.00.

As is, the bike is probably worth $50-$75 tops in your market. Here in the east, a fully reconditioned (including all 4 bearing groups) Motobecane Mirage that sparkles is worth from $250-$295. Below is a Mirage I recently delivered to a fellow who rode it home to lower Manhattan via the George Washington Bridge.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-H...0/DSC_0520.JPG

bibliobob

Well, it's a lower end frame with steel wheels and steel cottered cranks. As much as I love Motobecanes, that bike isn't the best project that you could undertake. It likely needs new grease, bearings, brake and derailleur cables, new tires, new saddle and tape, new brake pads, and a full overhaul. If you can do the work yourself, it might be worths it (though it will never be a great bike). If you can't do it yourself, I'd pass.

In Chicago, that bike would sell as is for about $75-125. Fully rebuilt, it would sell for $175-200. If you do the work yourself, you'd spend 8 hrs. and $50 to get it back on the road. If you pay a shop to do it, it will cost about $250.

Prices in MO are likely to be a good bit cheaper (both maintenance and resale value).

In my book, it's not a smart project to take on. But, your costs, priorities, and benefits may be different!

Best of luck in any event.

schiri

Thanks for the responses. Quite helpful.

So this bike was meant for short trips around town right and not for any longer distances of say 20- 30 miles ?

It does feel a bit heavy.

oddjob2

20-30 miles, it depends on fitness level and terrain, but its doable. In Denmark, when I was a teen, I rode a single speed clunker 24-30km to work occasionally, but rode the bus home in the afternoon. In Beijing, I rode the POS below 5 miles each way without incident.

schiri

Well it's for my girlfriend, who is reasonably fit, to ride in this event:
https://www.bebikeclub.com/tourdedonut/

Surely the aged Motobecane will be an easier ride than it would be if she had to use her Trac Mountain Track 800 !

wrk101

Only if you put a fair amount of work into it: bearings, grease, tires, tubes, cables, cable housings, brake pads, rebuild pedals, and maybe a new chain and freewheel. Add to that list the bike is 1970s french, which means obsolete, out of production parts. And a cottered crank. How much of this list you do is up to you, me, I do it all, as I want everything function well.

Is it fixable? Absolutely! Is it an easy project? No. And its one few if any bike shops will have some of the unique parts for. Note, tires, chain, bearings, cables are all standard parts. French had unique bottom brackets, headsets, pedals, and a couple of other parts. As long as that stuff is servicable, no problem. Its when it is worn out, then the parts are either hard to come by, or 5X regular, standard sized parts. I keep a box full of oddball french stuff, accumulated off of donor french bikes. Even handlebar clamp size is unique.

For the price of the rehab (or less if you have to pay someone to do the work), you should be able to find a nice rigid frame MTB, add slick tires, and you are ready to go. Just get a high end one. The high end ones (from the late 80s/early90s) tend to sell for $25 to $50 more. For that difference, everything is better: MUCH better wheels and components, lighter frame, better brakes, better everything really.

Its easy to get upside value wise on a vintage bike, even one that is free. Its all about who does the work, and where the parts come from. Most of the bikes I buy would be scrapped at the local bike shop (repair exceeds finished value), but given my low hourly rate (zero), and my pile of low cost parts, putting them back together is a fun and somewhat profitable exercise. As a first project, I recommend finding a bike co-op in your area, to provide the tools and expertise (and probably parts too), and to start with something with more standard part sizing. Any of the Japanese bikes from the 1980s used standard sized stuff, parts are plentiful and relatively cheap. Example: new Shimano UN26 cartridge bb: $10. New french sized cartridge bb: $50.

Having grown up around bikes in the 1970s, this bike is cool, but entry level. Entry level back then was low, really low. Cottered crank, steel rims, high ten steel frame, etc. Entry level bikes, even the Walmart stuff, tend to have better features now (I do not recommend Walmart bikes!) But with a proper service, you could have a sweet, vintage bike.

I bought a Motobecane mixte just like yours, for $5 at a garage sale. I bought it solely for the french parts, to use on other projects.

oddjob2

Well, if I recall correctly Southern Illinois is flatter than a billiard table. That Motobecane will be faster than a MTB bike and a stylish ride for your GF if you put your heart and elbow grease into it.