End of an age, French steel in the 80's

A beautiful machine I need to take some proper pictures of, my '80 Motobecane "Super Touring" France, much to the supporters of British and Italian bikes denial, dominated much of the American bicycle market. Seemingly millions of Peugeot's, Motobecanes's Gitane's, Merciers's and countless others poured in in the 60's and 70's. By the 80's though the handwriting was on the wall, cheaper, but still amazingly high quality bikes from Japan, and progressively more decent machines from Taiwan began to fill the market. All too soon, the old names faded from our national eye.

I was lucky I guess, in a way, I had a Peugeot P8 I won in a bike-a-thon when I was 8, so after I was tall enough to ride it, I got to spend part of my childhood on a steel french 10 speed, just as the golden age of the Road bike was coming to a close.

Now, I spend my very limited bicycle budget trying to recapture a past I only touched in the tiniest way, from the back rooms of bike shops, or the vast wasteland of e-bay I have gathered up a few old machines I play with. Such as the Motobecane shown above, and yes, I have replaced the seat and shortened the cables. The Motobecane "Grand Touring" had a reputation well earned as a competent road machine in the day touring style, brazed up from Vitus 172 tubes, double butted, and a close match to Reynolds 531 it rolled on throughout the 1970's. But in 1979 or '80 The grand old name was transferred to a new machine, similar in shape and intent. But made from the somewhat heavier Vitus "888". An economical decision I'm sure, but leaving a sad gap in the Motobecane line up.

This filled soon after by the rebirth of the "Grand Touring", if not in name, the most certainly in spirt under the guise of the "Super Touring" complete with it's heart and sole, the Underapriciated Vitus 172 Tubeset, and clad in nearly bulletproof Suntour equipment. It would roll on for a while longer before Motobecane faded from the American market.

My Super Touring was a happy accident on e-bay. I was close enough to avoid the $100 shipping charge! So the old war horse came home for $65! New tires and replacement wheel finished a refurb that included new paint and home made decals. Not to mention a few months of cleaning, painting, tinkering and wrenching.