1983 La Redoute-Motobecane C7 ( named Prolight in US)

[gridno27]

here another lighweight project of a replica of 80s - this project is based on a Duralinox Vitus 979 ... this was the origin description
in the Motobecane katalogue of mid of 80s.

refer to the grey-blue anodized Vitus 979, which not really ideal for a mid 80s KAS or VARTA Cafe de Columbia and the fact that it used
components, which had been used by the Equipe La Redoute-Motobecane has been total different from my other project - I will rebuild
a replica of such a lightweigt version of La Redoute-Motobecane Team bike ...


First step to organize the corresponded decals, which I found in UK


here see the first pics after La Redoute-Motobecane decal set replacement on the Duralinox Vitus 979 frame set incl. BB and headset
both come frome Stronglight ...at least in origin


headset a classic Stronglight A9 in BSA in 25,4
bottom braket a Spidel labeled Stronglight 651 Competition cardrigde - it wasn't easy to find a French version in 35x1 and 118 mm axle,
so I had to accept a minor quality, esp. the bearing shell on the driveside hasn't been in nice condition - perhabs some has one to change


and here the other components for the project consist of

- Cinelli handle bar Campione de Mondo - perhabs I will change in a wider one
- Cinelli 1A - change to a Cinelli 1R eventually, which has been used in 80s mostly
- bar tape "benetto like" in green from Shiny - the green hasn't met the green decals on the top tube but I like it - alternatvely I think about a classic
benotto in white
- Selle San Marco Concor Super Corsa saddle
- pair of Weinmann Carrera 400 #185 brake caliper found in great conditions
- pair of Weinmann Carrera 400 #185, version without WEINMANN lettering ... will be changed later into
- pair of Spidel labeled Maillard pedals with Christophe cages
- Stronglight type 107 crank set with 53/42 chainring in 170 mm
- Motobecane labeled Simplex SLJ 6600 rear mech
- Simplex SLJ (not Motobecane labeled - I still looking for one) front mech
- pair of Simplex friction shifters
- 6-speed Regina freewheel 12-21z
and for now a polished (in visible area only) Kalloy seat post in 25.0 mm from the stock - I am still looking for a Simplex/Stronglight

here more close up of the components


the next step will be to find a Motobecane Headbadge and other parts ...

 

[foz]

very nice, I really like the colour!

 

[gridno27]

on Wednesday the day before Christmas I got a parvel from 63'Velo with one of a
nice plastic Motobecane headbadge - see the pics


further my search for the missing cable guide under the BB shell was successful - I found 2 different cable guide
the classic, which known from the Vitus 979 and a more stable version


I take the more stable version cable guide


and here 2 pics with the installed Spidel labeled Stronglight 651 Competition cardridge bottom bracket - it isn't a really nice piece

 

[Jumphigher]

Re:

Project is looking great. What do you estimate the bike might weigh once finished? I would think it'll be a pretty light racer..

 

[gridno27]

Ok @Jumphigher - depends on the wheelset - I intend a pair of Maillard 700 with MAVICs GP4 1st Gen (red diamond) and estamite for less than 9 kgs

In the meantime I have further progress with the build - First, I prepared to mount the brakes including the handlebar, which has been wrapped with a beautiful green "benotto-like" bar tape. It's not authentic for the LeRedoute-Motobecane Teambike, they used stupid white ribbons but I think it's fantastic to the grey-blue frame set. How do you think about - has something? French flag finishing tape is still missing too.
(here pics of parts to be assembled in detail)


Refer to mount the brake there was a problem at the rear brake bridge. The seller I have not taken out the old sleeve nut and an allan key cannot be fixed in the sleeve nut. So I screwed a long screw through the sleeve nut and tried to drive out the sleeve nut with light blows with the hammer - unfortunately it did not move forward but if you screwed in the screw in all the way, you could turn the sleeve nut with the screw. Also with stronger and stronger blows it did not move forward.
So what to do I imagine? Drilling a rotating sleeve nut in a frame of Aluminum to be difficult and risky. So I had to build a kind of puller with the long screw of a soket wrench, another nut and a thick strong washer. By holding the screw and turning the nut in the opposite direction, I managed to get the sleeve nut out and I was abel to mount the rear brake with new sleeve nut.

(here pics of the problem)


Afterwards I installed the front and the prepared handle bar with the Weinmann brake levers and finally the black outher sheaths an the cables for both brakes. I do this at bikes with non-areo brakes always in this stage.

here pics of the frame sets with the a.m. mounted part


now I still need a pair of brown hoods for the levers, if possible WEINMANN origin or other WEINMANN like and a French timely corresponding seat post in diameter 25.0 (e.g. Spidel, Simplex or Stronglight)

 

[Jumphigher]

Glad you got the sleeve nut out. The bike is looking better and better. I really like the green tape too, much better look than white, imo. And the whole bike looks really clean with the bare aluminum rear triangle, such a nice change from the neon colors you so often see.

I'm curious what it will ride like, I've never ridden an aluminum road bike. And although I've ridden carbon bikes my only ride is a cro-mo frame Koga/Miyata I built up starting from a bare frame. Has an aluminum fork I really like - very stiff and light, and I used 9spd Dura Ace throughout, along with lot's carbon parts. I've got it at about 17lbs now.

One day I hope to build or at least ride something similar to your Motobecane.

 

[gridno27]

I have an other Vitus, its a KAS Vitus FKC9, that means it has 9 carbon fiber tubes. It's "My Hommage to the Great Irish" Sean Kelly
Kelly rode such bike within his win of Paris-Nice in 1988 - It has 8.2 kgs incl. MAVIC 1000 SSC components and a pair of MAVIC SSC bleu
here a pic

another Vitus 979 I build in a specification orientated at an 1983 SEM-France-Loire. The basic has been a light blue DuralinoxVitus 979 1st Gen (with classic seatutbe binder). Components are silver version of a MAVIC 6-speed plus a pair of GP4 1st Gen tubulars - It's nearly 8 1/2 kgs
here a pic

 

[Jumphigher]

Wow, that KAS and France Loire are both beauties, too. I can see in your signature you have quite a few beautiful race bikes. Hope you get out to ride them all.

I built up my Koga (1998 steel frame) with mostly modern carbon and alloy components except for using downtube shifters, which is my preference.

 

[gridno27]

Re:

yes of course I ride them - not every day but from from time to time. It's very exciting to try out the respective racing bikes
yourself after building it up.

...but now let us to continue with build of the Motobecane

now after the stem and handlebars as well as the brakes including the brake cables and cables have been installed, the crank, front derailleur and rear derailleur as well as the gear levers plus seat post and saddle have to be installed ...

lets begin with the crankset - a nice Stronglight crank type 107 with chainrings of 53 and 42 teeth. here see the pic of the crank inkl. Maillard/Spidel pedals and Christophe cages.

After winding the crank, before continue with the front derailleur first check the distance between the crank and/or the inner chainring and the clearance to the chain stays. If this ok you can continue ... Oh shit here comes the next problem. Probably because it is an older used crank, it can be pulled too far onto the axis of the Simplex 651 Competiton cartridge bearing. Sometimes that can happen. The axis has exactly the recommended correct length with 119 mm and ISO square. Puh :facepalm: what should I do? A longer axis - but the cartridge isn't easy to open - so I can't reverse the axis too, which is possible when BB was not symmetrical, that means the axis hasn't the same length on both sides.

An other possibility will be to moving the BB with the counter rings - but this isn't possible because the bearing on the right hasn't a counter ring. A new BB with a longer axis or 2 counter rings for adjust it. This means looking for a another rare BB and needs time and have to stop here. But I want to stop, so I tried to work with a spacer - first I have to measure the diameter of the BB. Then looking within www. for such spacers - but then I have an idea - perhabs a spacer of a Shimano gear - Will it have the required size? Yes it has ...

So I mounted a spacer on the right side to move the axis to the right. And after installation it looks not really bad?
...and the distance between chainring aand/or crank to chainstay now is acceptable :mrgreen:

After solving this problem I could install both derailleurs plus shifters, the seatpost and finally the Concor saddle (I am still looking for a nice black Turbo)
without any further problem. After this I took a 6-speed wheel set from an other finished bike to see a nearly finished road bike.
I hadn't installed the shifting cables and the chain... but I couldn't mount a chain, because I still looking for a nice corresponded sedis or a similar one of this period.

But now let see the first nice pics of a beautiful nearly finished road bike.

 

[foz]

Re:

Another stunner! Very nice!