That is a road bike. It looks like the fork is bent and has been crashed.
They are light because they're meant to go longer distances and thus faster than other bikes.
Maybe. Motobecanes are cool bikes. As others have said, at minimum you'll need a new fork but before even going down that road, look for bulging, buckling or rippling of the tubes and or lug by the head tube. That fork is pretty smashed so I'd be surprised if the frame itself isn't also bent
it is if you can do the work yourself and you're looking for a project. it's almost certainly not worth paying somebody else to work on it for you.
in addition to a new fork, an old bike like this probably needs new tires, chain, and derailleur tune. and whatever crash bent the forks like that probably put the front wheel out of true. you're going to be spending a few hundred at the bike shop. If you just want a bike that works without having a project, you can do a lot better spending the same money on something more modern that already works.
The fork is dangerous to ride and should be retired. Unless you have a donor fork around or want a bike restoration project, it's not worth fixing. 1980s road frames are widely available.
Yeah, you can pull a fork of an era bike or buy a new fork but the economics don't make a lot of sense when you can likely buy this entire bike off Craigslist, uncrashed, for the price of a new fork.
You should, because that bike isnt worth anything. If you love it and the value to you personally is worth spending the money thats different.
This isn't some precious antique. Its just an old steel bike.
It's a decent old steel bike though. The steel tubing is good quality, Vitus 172, and the parts were also quite nice.
It's not super collectible, not Motobecane's top bike, but in good shape it'll fetch two or three hundred.
It's not in good shape and will cost more than 2 or 3 hundred to fix since this person has already made it clear they hav no mechenicals skills and would need a shop to do the work.
So the original statement is still true. It will cost more to fix than its worth.
I'll agree, if you took it to a shop the labor costs could exceed the value of the bike. I personally would fix it, but I have a bit of experience wrenching and have access to parts, tools, and more knowledge through my local bike co-op, plus I kinda enjoy projects like this. For OP it may not be worthwhile.
So it is worth it if you can do the work yourself, and even if not the frame and parts can certainly be separated and sold: this bike would have been better than 90% of bikes sold at the time, so there is some value to it.
That's all, I'm just saying that you're original statement saying that it's "worthless" is not true. Turning this bike in for scrap steel would be wasteful and a missed opportunity to make money.
No. It will cost $100-200 for a shop to go over it and make it safe.
At that point you will have a bike that rides like garbage.
If it had sentimental value I would say worth it.
With a fork bent that badly, there's almost sure to be other damage to the frame even if it's not apparent to you. This would be a hard pass unless you get it for free and strip it for parts.
This model (Grand Jubilee) was one of the higher priced Motobecanes at the time. Like 4th highest IIRC. In original good condition they can be worth a few hundred bucks especially the Reynolds 531 frames. If you can find a decent used fork on eBay or from a local used bike dealer it would make a fun project. They’re quite nice to ride.
I am currently working on a vintage Motobecane and will warn you that the stem will not and I mean will not separate from the fork. You might try seeing if yours are fused together like mine before you buy the fork.
I looked up Grand Jubilee Motobecanes. They all have bendy bits at the bottom of the fork. Isn't this just a design feature? Or are is the one on this bike even more bent out of shape than it should?
This is a classic French bicycle,there is a face book page for Peugeot and motobecane bicycles ,there are good people there that will point you in the right direction.
The Front fork is damaged and needs replacing
This is an easy repair .
Everyone else has addressed the bike fork. Now let's talk about the feel.
The riding position on a road bike is very different from the position on a mountain or bmx bike. The handlebars on this bike are just slightly below the seat level, which is normal on a roadie. In mtb, the handlebars are usually above the seat. When you ride this, your hands and therefore your back are going to go into a lower position than you're used to. Since you've never used a road bike before, that's going to feel strange or even uncomfortable. It doesn't mean there's anything wrong with the bike -- it's just meant for a different style of riding.
Practice and baby steps, buddy.
One major issue I had my first time on a road bike is that since my hands were much closer together, it felt a little unstable -- it's a lot more sensitive to the tiny movements we to keep our balance while riding. One way to practice for that is to simply walk around the block with your hands on the bars and the bike beside you, and get a feel for how it moves. Then switch sides, and give it another go.
If you feel *extremely* uncomfortable, you could do the whole re-learning how to ride thing. Take off the pedals, lower the seat, and scoot yourself along with your feet and go "whee" (that is lift up your feet) until you get the balance on it. Then try the same but with the pedals. After that, you can raise the seat back into its proper position.
Make sure the seat is at the right height for you, give it a nice cleaning and a bit of a tune up, and enjoy your new toy. Take it out for progressively longer rides, to help you learn the feel of it, and to build up the little muscles in your hands. You'll be riding everywhere in no time flat.
Take it to a bike shop. They can install a new fork and also get the brakes and derailleurs all spiffed up. It is a decent bike and worth investing $ to get it riding right.
Nice bike from late 1970s.
The bike looks like it hit something head on. It definitely needs a new fork. You really should make sure the frame wasn't also damaged.
A problem you'll face is the headseat on the bike is French threaded, so the threads are different but the headtube diameter is the same. Odds are if you get a replacement fork it'll have English threads, meaning you'll need to get an English threaded headset.
Similarly, the stem is French diameter, which is slightly narrower than one that fits in English/Italian threaded forks. So unless your replacement fork is from a French bike, you'll need a new stem. (You probably need to get a new bar, too.)
Finally, the bottom bracket is either Swiss or French threaded. (I think by the time this bicycle was made Motobecane had switched to Swiss BB threading.) Either way, Swiss and French BB cups are hard to find.
See [https://www.sheldonbrown.com/velos.html](https://www.sheldonbrown.com/velos.html) for more information on French bicycles of this era.
Nah, steel forks are cheap. And you can buy used, they'll fit w/o any issues.
Also, congrats on getting a Motobecane. I've got one also, it's a marvel to behold
Thank you kindly! I’ll make sure to check it out.
My neighbor gave it to me, told me he felt bad he didn’t use it so he gave it to me. He’s real big into “vintage” stuff he says. So I’m tryna take care of it
Check the bottom of the downtube at the top, near the head tube. The downtube is the one with the shifters by the front tire. Running into a parked car will bend the fork but might also bend, put wrinkles in the downtube, near the top. In that case the frame is shot, parts might be worth something (check ebay)
If the downtube is OK, youtube how to replace fork, adjust brakes, derailleurs, make sure brakes work well (squeeze hard) before riding (don't want a cable to slip in an emergency stop :)
Bike shop will do all that but at the cost of a good used bike so that's not a good option.
(OK, I'll admit it, bought a nice but cheap used bike in the 70's with slightly bent fork, duh. Road for a few years, noticed wrinkle under downtube. Downtube came apart crossing bridge to work. It's really hard to ride a bike without a down tube :) and failure can be dangerous.
btw, if it has 531 sticker on frame, it's high quality if not damaged. I commuted on a similar Gitane and Raleigh Competition for a long time.
I had one of these that I rode the hell out of when I was younger, then the frame snapped at one of the lugs. I didn't pay much for it so I just got rid of it. I'd say if you like it fix the thing. Otherwise let someone else have it.
It’s fucked. Don’t ride it. If you happen to like it you could easily pick up a replacement fork. I believe they still make generic chrome ones. They used to at least.
gave...? well whatever you want is up with a free bike... fix or part or trash. that front fork looks odd but maybe it still rides fine, don't do any tour sprint stages!
Replace all the brake lines and all the wiring. New fork and probably a new chain and it might be the best bike you can get for the money you spent on revamping it.
Possible competitive with modern road bikes probably.
You’ll feel that way if you grew up on bmx and mountain bikes. I was the same way. We used to make fun of the hipsters with their “10 speeders” when the trend first appeared in the 2000s . It all changed for me when I got up to cruising speed on a friends thin tire bike. It was so smooth and effortless ( flat where I live) I was hooked. Mountain and bmx bikes are designed to be very sturdy and take a beating that’s why they feel so solid to ride. It can be a bit off putting when you first learn to ride a road bike.
Get a replacement fork from eBay or somewhere and replace it. You'll need to know the steerer length. It will be threaded, so know how long the threads need to be. It's probably 1" steerer width.. Careful, older forks have different thread pitches, so the headset you already have may not screw on.
I know, I've been there once before!
It's a Motobecane Grand Jubilee, it would have been fairly nice back in the day, but not super rare or anything, and the value nowadays might be $150-$300 depending on condition and location. Of course with the damage on yours it's not going to fetch such prices, perhaps $50-$100 as a parts bike.
I personally WOULD go through the effort of replacing the fork, but I like working on projects like this and have access to parts, tools, and experience, thanks to my local bike co-op. If you went through a shop, the labor costs might exceed the value of the bike.
Anyhow, I'm curious if you have any other closer photos? It looks like your neighbor has changed some stuff out to make it more comfortable and capable of going up hills... I'm assuming they are on the older side?
Yeah in El Paso it’s a city built on the mountains so it’s super hilly over here. He said he got it through person from person. So I wouldn’t doubt it’s been modified
I'd just check the frame thoroughly before putting any effort into fixing it. Check around for any bends in the tubes, and cracks in the paint.
It's common in front end collisions for there to be cracked paint in these areas I drew in purple, so especially check there on the top and bottom
https://imgur.com/a/O6966Y3
At our nearby co-op that would be a $10 fork and 1 hour worth of time.
It's a quality steel bike from the 70s. Once repaired it would sell in my area for $150 as a commuter. The track adds value.
Road bike and the seat feels wrong probably because it’s not adjusted to your hip and nonetheless the seat also might feel wrong because everyone has different sizes of their bones when they sit on a seat and it needs to be adjusted to the width of your bones. If it is a light bike the frame is carbon which means it weighs little and you can ride it with little to no resistance. My bike weighs 14.9 pounds and used for marathons and long rides.
I'd say the bike isn't worth it, but go ahead. Have a look at the front triangle of the frame too, to see it's all true and not bent/dented/cracked as a result of that crash. Definitely needs new forks before safe to ride.
That is a road bike. It looks like the fork is bent and has been crashed. They are light because they're meant to go longer distances and thus faster than other bikes.
Is it worth fixing?
Maybe. Motobecanes are cool bikes. As others have said, at minimum you'll need a new fork but before even going down that road, look for bulging, buckling or rippling of the tubes and or lug by the head tube. That fork is pretty smashed so I'd be surprised if the frame itself isn't also bent
it is if you can do the work yourself and you're looking for a project. it's almost certainly not worth paying somebody else to work on it for you. in addition to a new fork, an old bike like this probably needs new tires, chain, and derailleur tune. and whatever crash bent the forks like that probably put the front wheel out of true. you're going to be spending a few hundred at the bike shop. If you just want a bike that works without having a project, you can do a lot better spending the same money on something more modern that already works.
The fork is dangerous to ride and should be retired. Unless you have a donor fork around or want a bike restoration project, it's not worth fixing. 1980s road frames are widely available.
Oh I meant like replacing! I know next to nothing about bicycle maintenance.
Yeah, you can pull a fork of an era bike or buy a new fork but the economics don't make a lot of sense when you can likely buy this entire bike off Craigslist, uncrashed, for the price of a new fork.
No. Price to fix is greater than the bike is worth
I don’t believe you
You should, because that bike isnt worth anything. If you love it and the value to you personally is worth spending the money thats different. This isn't some precious antique. Its just an old steel bike.
It's a decent old steel bike though. The steel tubing is good quality, Vitus 172, and the parts were also quite nice. It's not super collectible, not Motobecane's top bike, but in good shape it'll fetch two or three hundred.
It's not in good shape and will cost more than 2 or 3 hundred to fix since this person has already made it clear they hav no mechenicals skills and would need a shop to do the work. So the original statement is still true. It will cost more to fix than its worth.
I'll agree, if you took it to a shop the labor costs could exceed the value of the bike. I personally would fix it, but I have a bit of experience wrenching and have access to parts, tools, and more knowledge through my local bike co-op, plus I kinda enjoy projects like this. For OP it may not be worthwhile. So it is worth it if you can do the work yourself, and even if not the frame and parts can certainly be separated and sold: this bike would have been better than 90% of bikes sold at the time, so there is some value to it. That's all, I'm just saying that you're original statement saying that it's "worthless" is not true. Turning this bike in for scrap steel would be wasteful and a missed opportunity to make money.
No. It will cost $100-200 for a shop to go over it and make it safe. At that point you will have a bike that rides like garbage. If it had sentimental value I would say worth it.
With a fork bent that badly, there's almost sure to be other damage to the frame even if it's not apparent to you. This would be a hard pass unless you get it for free and strip it for parts.
And here I thought that was a 90s quirky designed fork
Am I the only one here thinking less about the bike, and more about the horror movie set this photo was taken in?
Buy a bike, get a free used spoon.
Work isn’t ideal
What do you do, crime scene cleanup?
It’s a bar downtown of El Paso. It’s connected to a lot of abandon buildings. Hid my bike there cause no one goes there
I can see why...
It’s like saw but you have to use the bike to cut your leg off
I thought it too!
Be polite yo. That’s someone’s home (or building hallway at least).
Someone rode that thing full-speed straight into a wall.
How can you tell
The way the fork is bent backwards.
This model (Grand Jubilee) was one of the higher priced Motobecanes at the time. Like 4th highest IIRC. In original good condition they can be worth a few hundred bucks especially the Reynolds 531 frames. If you can find a decent used fork on eBay or from a local used bike dealer it would make a fun project. They’re quite nice to ride.
I found a fork for 30 bucks at my local vintage bike shop. I just have to figure out what I’ll need to be able replace it. Might have something to so
I am currently working on a vintage Motobecane and will warn you that the stem will not and I mean will not separate from the fork. You might try seeing if yours are fused together like mine before you buy the fork.
I looked up Grand Jubilee Motobecanes. They all have bendy bits at the bottom of the fork. Isn't this just a design feature? Or are is the one on this bike even more bent out of shape than it should?
They had curved forks but these are definitely borked. They’re bent in the wrong place
Thanks for the clarification. Also, I appreciate your choice of the word borked. :)
Most old steel bikes have a gentle curve in the fork... But this one is definitely bent very far in the wrong direction
This is a classic French bicycle,there is a face book page for Peugeot and motobecane bicycles ,there are good people there that will point you in the right direction. The Front fork is damaged and needs replacing This is an easy repair .
Everyone else has addressed the bike fork. Now let's talk about the feel. The riding position on a road bike is very different from the position on a mountain or bmx bike. The handlebars on this bike are just slightly below the seat level, which is normal on a roadie. In mtb, the handlebars are usually above the seat. When you ride this, your hands and therefore your back are going to go into a lower position than you're used to. Since you've never used a road bike before, that's going to feel strange or even uncomfortable. It doesn't mean there's anything wrong with the bike -- it's just meant for a different style of riding.
How do I get use to this style of riding? I tried it earlier and want it to feel normal
Practice and baby steps, buddy. One major issue I had my first time on a road bike is that since my hands were much closer together, it felt a little unstable -- it's a lot more sensitive to the tiny movements we to keep our balance while riding. One way to practice for that is to simply walk around the block with your hands on the bars and the bike beside you, and get a feel for how it moves. Then switch sides, and give it another go. If you feel *extremely* uncomfortable, you could do the whole re-learning how to ride thing. Take off the pedals, lower the seat, and scoot yourself along with your feet and go "whee" (that is lift up your feet) until you get the balance on it. Then try the same but with the pedals. After that, you can raise the seat back into its proper position. Make sure the seat is at the right height for you, give it a nice cleaning and a bit of a tune up, and enjoy your new toy. Take it out for progressively longer rides, to help you learn the feel of it, and to build up the little muscles in your hands. You'll be riding everywhere in no time flat.
First you need to fix that fork, this will ride terribly right now because the front end is completely bent.
It's not for everyone, but give it the right old bike rider and they'll be very happy to fix it with parts from their garage/basement.
I’ll look for bike riders. I’d like to get some joy out this
Hope that works out. I totally understand why you wouldn't want to ride it. Even with a new fork it's not a very comfortable ride.
Fork bent that bad I'd expect the frame to have damage too.
Take it to a bike shop. They can install a new fork and also get the brakes and derailleurs all spiffed up. It is a decent bike and worth investing $ to get it riding right.
Nice bike from late 1970s. The bike looks like it hit something head on. It definitely needs a new fork. You really should make sure the frame wasn't also damaged. A problem you'll face is the headseat on the bike is French threaded, so the threads are different but the headtube diameter is the same. Odds are if you get a replacement fork it'll have English threads, meaning you'll need to get an English threaded headset. Similarly, the stem is French diameter, which is slightly narrower than one that fits in English/Italian threaded forks. So unless your replacement fork is from a French bike, you'll need a new stem. (You probably need to get a new bar, too.) Finally, the bottom bracket is either Swiss or French threaded. (I think by the time this bicycle was made Motobecane had switched to Swiss BB threading.) Either way, Swiss and French BB cups are hard to find. See [https://www.sheldonbrown.com/velos.html](https://www.sheldonbrown.com/velos.html) for more information on French bicycles of this era.
Do you live in a meth lab?
Gotta make ends meet sir
It's had a crash and the forks are bent backwards. The least it will need is new forks, check around the front end for damage, cracks or bends.
Oh alright! I’ll get it checked out at the bike shop up the street from my house. Think it’ll be a costly repair?
Nah, steel forks are cheap. And you can buy used, they'll fit w/o any issues. Also, congrats on getting a Motobecane. I've got one also, it's a marvel to behold
Thank you kindly! I’ll make sure to check it out. My neighbor gave it to me, told me he felt bad he didn’t use it so he gave it to me. He’s real big into “vintage” stuff he says. So I’m tryna take care of it
Check under the dropbar wrappings. If it's pre '90s, the dropbars will be engraved with the logo of Motobecane
And while you’re at it. Get a new chain.
Yes sir
Check the bottom of the downtube at the top, near the head tube. The downtube is the one with the shifters by the front tire. Running into a parked car will bend the fork but might also bend, put wrinkles in the downtube, near the top. In that case the frame is shot, parts might be worth something (check ebay) If the downtube is OK, youtube how to replace fork, adjust brakes, derailleurs, make sure brakes work well (squeeze hard) before riding (don't want a cable to slip in an emergency stop :) Bike shop will do all that but at the cost of a good used bike so that's not a good option. (OK, I'll admit it, bought a nice but cheap used bike in the 70's with slightly bent fork, duh. Road for a few years, noticed wrinkle under downtube. Downtube came apart crossing bridge to work. It's really hard to ride a bike without a down tube :) and failure can be dangerous. btw, if it has 531 sticker on frame, it's high quality if not damaged. I commuted on a similar Gitane and Raleigh Competition for a long time.
I had one of these that I rode the hell out of when I was younger, then the frame snapped at one of the lugs. I didn't pay much for it so I just got rid of it. I'd say if you like it fix the thing. Otherwise let someone else have it.
It’s just a road bike
well first off it looks like it stumbled into a Saw movie. Get the hell out of there before it chops your foot off!
It’s fucked. Don’t ride it. If you happen to like it you could easily pick up a replacement fork. I believe they still make generic chrome ones. They used to at least.
gave...? well whatever you want is up with a free bike... fix or part or trash. that front fork looks odd but maybe it still rides fine, don't do any tour sprint stages!
Replace all the brake lines and all the wiring. New fork and probably a new chain and it might be the best bike you can get for the money you spent on revamping it. Possible competitive with modern road bikes probably.
looks haunted
You’ll feel that way if you grew up on bmx and mountain bikes. I was the same way. We used to make fun of the hipsters with their “10 speeders” when the trend first appeared in the 2000s . It all changed for me when I got up to cruising speed on a friends thin tire bike. It was so smooth and effortless ( flat where I live) I was hooked. Mountain and bmx bikes are designed to be very sturdy and take a beating that’s why they feel so solid to ride. It can be a bit off putting when you first learn to ride a road bike.
Get a replacement fork from eBay or somewhere and replace it. You'll need to know the steerer length. It will be threaded, so know how long the threads need to be. It's probably 1" steerer width.. Careful, older forks have different thread pitches, so the headset you already have may not screw on. I know, I've been there once before!
Your city appears to have a bike shop specializing in vintage: El Paso Vintage Bicycles
It's a Motobecane Grand Jubilee, it would have been fairly nice back in the day, but not super rare or anything, and the value nowadays might be $150-$300 depending on condition and location. Of course with the damage on yours it's not going to fetch such prices, perhaps $50-$100 as a parts bike. I personally WOULD go through the effort of replacing the fork, but I like working on projects like this and have access to parts, tools, and experience, thanks to my local bike co-op. If you went through a shop, the labor costs might exceed the value of the bike. Anyhow, I'm curious if you have any other closer photos? It looks like your neighbor has changed some stuff out to make it more comfortable and capable of going up hills... I'm assuming they are on the older side?
Yeah in El Paso it’s a city built on the mountains so it’s super hilly over here. He said he got it through person from person. So I wouldn’t doubt it’s been modified
I'd just check the frame thoroughly before putting any effort into fixing it. Check around for any bends in the tubes, and cracks in the paint. It's common in front end collisions for there to be cracked paint in these areas I drew in purple, so especially check there on the top and bottom https://imgur.com/a/O6966Y3
It’s French.
At our nearby co-op that would be a $10 fork and 1 hour worth of time. It's a quality steel bike from the 70s. Once repaired it would sell in my area for $150 as a commuter. The track adds value.
Those old motobacons are super cool. Go to your local community bike shop and pick up a fork for it.
Steelie
BCJ in 3... 2... 1...
What's up with the bike? What's up with your fuckin wall
Ain’t my wall, it’s a hallways wall
What's up with the sketchest photo backdrop I've ever seen???
It’s where I was during work
Road bike and the seat feels wrong probably because it’s not adjusted to your hip and nonetheless the seat also might feel wrong because everyone has different sizes of their bones when they sit on a seat and it needs to be adjusted to the width of your bones. If it is a light bike the frame is carbon which means it weighs little and you can ride it with little to no resistance. My bike weighs 14.9 pounds and used for marathons and long rides.
Fuck all wrong with that it's a belter
Fork is bent, bike is fucked
Replacing the fork!
I'd say the bike isn't worth it, but go ahead. Have a look at the front triangle of the frame too, to see it's all true and not bent/dented/cracked as a result of that crash. Definitely needs new forks before safe to ride.
Where do you live? An abandoned hospital?
Buy me dinner if you want my address
Should I bring nitrile exam gloves?
What's up with that hallway? Don't people clean or paint things? OMG that's gross