no67el 

New to me Motobecane Le Champion:



Took it for a 26 mile spin today--- with just-glued Veloflex tubulars.

Bike came with an interesting hodge-podge of parts: Campy NR drivetrain from '71-ish, early Dura-Ace brakes, and what looks like an early Campagnolo Chorus crank. Thought these came with Stronglight cranks and other French bits. Guess this is kind of a French-Italian-Japanese fusion bike.... I made it even more confused by replacing the Campy NR front derailleur (cable fixing bolt was kind of stripped) with a Suntour VX.

But it sure rides nicely.... the handlebars are interesting, some kind of super short-reach, deep drop bar, with the drops sweeping WAY back towards the rider. Plus the weird Spenco gel grips from the 70's--- I keep wanting to take these off to put on some basic Cinelli cork, but somehow I can't bring myself to disrupt the 70's era weirdness of this bike....

Old bikes are fun, and actually go pretty fast....

Camilo

I figure this is classic enough since it originally had downtube shifters and a 1" threaded headset and fork. It's been modified (notice I didn't say upgraded? &#128521 with:
Chris King 1" threadless headset

1" full carbon Columbus Minimal threadless fork

Ti Cyles press fit titanium head tube extender

Sram Force 10 speed shifters and derailleurs

Early 10 speed era Shimano DuraAce brakes and R700 crank

Williams System 30 wheels

Etc... Other recent parts

I've got a set of original decals and a NOS beautiful head tube badge, but going stealth for now.

semroc

Beautiful bikes everyone. Great motebecane champion. Guerciotti. Columbus Aelle tubing, chorus crank, Athena brakes, cinelli bar and stem, suntour perfect freewheel, suntour cyclone rear derailleur. Raced juniors USCF on this in the late eighties. Rides great. Old crusty sew ups.

aluminummonster

First buy since 2016. Picked this up off Craigslist yesterday. In really nice shape, but I had to double-check all the work of the seller, who claimed to have done an overhaul; really nice guy though A couple of hours of tinkering, and she rides like a dream.

​​​​Full Shimano 600 group, though the rear mech was updated to a tri-color.

camjr

I installed the new Brooks B17 saddle and microfiber bar tape on my 1976 Motobecane Grand Touring. I also took the opportunity to install a shorter reach stem. I think the saddle and tape look better than the black saddle and tape on it prior to the switch. Proofide treatment is done, and now I just need to ride and start breaking it in.

@johnoliva1

81 Panasonic DX2000 Campagnolo Record hubs, shifters, derailers, cranks, cages, 165mm Campy crankest, small 5 speed suntour cluster, Shimano 600 brakes, Super Competition rims, Brooks brass badge saddle and Dia Compe levers, mks copper track pedals

Most recent pic with new chrome bar end inserts

Old blue - My nineteen 70 something Panasonic Sport - Vuelta Corsa front wheel, Araya rear wheel, 6 speed shimano freewheel with an 80's Raleigh 2 speed 165mm crankset, Suntour locking levers, SR stem, and reversed bullhorns (need to snip the ends on this one...) Rat traps and MKS cages

BoozyMcliverRot

Finished this Single speed double cog yesterday. Hope this is old enough for here.


Picked the frame up as a trade for some parts. Built with stuff I already had.

Eric F

1977 Nishiki ONP w/ SunTour Superbe

jpfooty11

My 84 Apollo Custom Sport and my wife's 87 Kuwahara Titan, not the nicest bikes, but solid rides, and here for some miles, not just some ornaments! I am planning on a repaint of the Apollo over the winter and some new wheels and maybe drivetrain too. I really like the Apollo but that Kuwahara is a nicer bike all around, even with some paint scuffs and chips.

non-fixie 

Mrs non-fixie wanted to go for a ride, I needed to shake down a new build, so the discussion was short.

There was a fair bit of wind blowing from the west, so west we went. A nice route following rail and highway to The Hague:


Tried the selfie mode of my phone:



COVID-19 lunch, and shedding a tear for not being able to attend Anjou Vélo Vintage this year. The smoked chicken & mayonnaise rolls and Chardonnay were rather nice, though:



The "restaurant":



Halfway the weather deteriorated, the temperature dropped, and suddenly the polo shirt seemed a poor choice:



We had a couple of short ferry trips in the route. I like ferries, as they always add to the sense of occasion:



In Rijpwetering, a statue of Joop Zoetemelk, carefully hidden behind a hedge:



Oh, and the shakedown went quite well.

spacelahana

My 1987 Basso Gap. Repainted by Franklin frame in Ohio. Has Campy record 10 from 2003, Nitto Pearl seatpost, Cinelli XA stem and Cinelli 64 TopErgo handlebars. Campy shamals to round it off. The only gripe I have with it is that i cannot slam the stem any further, the Cinelli stem flares out a little towards the bend. Might change the campy record headset with something with a lower stack height at some point.

velomateo

non-fixie I really enjoyed your post, and the bike looks great

non-fixie 

Thank you! I now realize I actually forgot to say anything about the bike in my post. It is my attempt at a 25" 10kg touring bike build. Don't ask why, but it suddenly seemed an important thing to do.

In the previous picture it is still at 10.37kg. After a few other mods (even lighter derailleurs and shifters, even smaller freewheel, shorter cables) I managed to get it down to exactly 10.00kg yesterday.

Don't mind the maladjusted saddle:

Wildwood

My favorite era of Campy shifters!
Alas, they do wear and my 2 professionally done rebuilds have been less than 100% new feeling.
Even with new chains and steel Veloce cassettes.
But such is life.

Wildwood

..... but - since the title uses the plural “RigS” thought I would show these 2 Puch / AustroDaimlers. Olympian and Vent Noir. Same 531 tubes f+f, with more braze-ons for the VN. I can’t remember drop-outs and fork-ends but my Guess is = different.



Brothers with same frame size, but obviously not twins

near and far

Wow these two look great!
... pretty high frames, two tall riders I imagine

camjr

Nice. There is a guy I often see on my rides around here north of DFW, Texas that rides a similar looking Guerciotti.

camjr

My Motobecane Grand Touring with a fresh Brooks B17, Brooks microfiber bar tape, and a new, shorter reach quill stem from Origin8.

qcpmsame 

camjr Nice bike!

semroc

Great pics non-fixie! Really like the Joop statue. Rode the Rossin today. Super nice riding bike. Maybe I should clean out the 40 year old grease in the headset...... Nah.

semroc

Taking out the Peugeot today.

jbchybridrider 

smontanaro 

I've mentioned this Turin-branded Eisentraut Limited bike elsewhere on the forum before (s/n 75T005, currently built up using parts from the bin), but finally took it out for a quick shakedown run this morning. I think it's a keeper. I plan to switch to a Cyclone GT rear derailleur and a bit wider range freewheel. I'm still mulling over the handlebar. Might also switch to tubular tires.

Edit: I just realized this frame was built while Bruce Gordon was in Albert Eisentraut's shop. Maybe I should refer to it as "an early Bruce Gordon."

akropilot

Shakedown cruise for a new wheelset. The reflection off those wheels makes all kinds of cool patterns on the road while riding. Those are the Archetype polished rims, one concession to period-correct because they're just great rims, wide comfortable, strong. I gave up on riding 21mm clinchers sometime before 1990!

BoozyMcliverRot

Before:




After: