Guinessisgoodforyou
rBotM Winner
1979 Motobecane randonneur in original condition. The owners words below are a very accurate assesment, well worth reading. Translation below.
A bike that dates to 1979. I must admit I was seduced by its near-new appearance. The Huret speedo marks 49 km! it may have been dismantled, but it's a clue all the same. Also as a childhood memory because I remember one of my parents' neighbours had the same bike and I thought it was very handsome.
It's a mass-produced touring bike, but well made. It was only sold for three years, in 1979, 1980 and 1981. After that, there were still touring bikes in the Motobécane range, but the switch to the MBK name sounded the death knell for the species.
Having recovered it partially stripped down, I hastened to add all the little gems that were missing and that make it so charming:
The two torches, on the front I couldn't find a Wonder in good enough condition, on the back the Wonder Milor mini torch and its 3-volt battery, a model I hadn't had the pleasure of holding in my hand since the late 70s. The little chrome bracket that holds this torch was nowhere to be found, so I had to improvise a fixing using brake hose clips. As it is, it holds, but it's not very aesthetic.
The Huret odometer, which ruins the fluidity of the hub with its passive resistance, but gives access to essential information: how many km have I covered today?
A pannier that's probably too small, but one that confirms the bike's place in the long-distance category.
The advertising at the time also emphasised safety, offering puncture-proof inner tubes and tyres with reflective strips, which were clearly not commonplace at the time. Cyclists were known to be cautious and forward-thinking, so this was another way of attracting potential customers. A special sticker was also produced, which the buyer could proudly take home with him.
Once the Christmas tree was decorated, I took a step back in time and told myself that in those days people knew how to treat themselves with simple things. It wasn't essential to have the best groupset, the best frame, the most powerful brakes, in short the best all-round bike you could wish for!
In fact, I think this bike is an excellent example of a successful marketing analysis. I don't use the word marketing in the pejorative sense that it is often given, but in its literal sense: the analysis of a market, and the knowledge of the buyers and the product with a view to offering a successful product.
The target group: impecunious cyclotourists or aspiring cyclotourists, in both cases unable to call on the services of a craftsman.
Analysis of buyers' motivations: to get as close as possible to the specifications of a randonneuse Fédérale, but without the price tag: notions of belonging to a category and seeking good value for money. To have a bike that is well suited to its intended use: the notion of seeking performance through features identified as absolutely necessary for the intended use.
So here's how the folks at Motobécane come up with their copy:
Let's start at the very beginning: the machine designation. Numbers have an important role to play in identifying a range level C3T obviously refers to the C3 racing model offered by the company at the same time. The C31 is a ‘medium plus’, with a 3-tube frame and good peripherals, the C41 is a 9-tube in Reynolds 531 10-speed, and the C5 is a 9-tube in Columbus SL 12-speed: so, from the outset, this puts the newcomer in a clearly identified position: ‘no nonsense’ but ‘no folly’ either.
This bike is made from Vitus 888, with a thickness of 7/10ths for the 3 frame tubes, and slightly thicker for the others. It's not particularly light, weighing in at 13kg5 for a frame size of 53.5 like this one.
The rear derailleur is a customised eco-series Huret with a long chainstay (Cage? GIGFY) it's reliable, durable, neither particularly good-looking nor particularly light, nor particularly fast in use, but it does the job.
The hubs are Normandy, with large flanges and a level of quality that's a hair above the rest. There were better hubs on the market, but it's fair to say that the problem has been addressed.
It's a triple chainring but you can't choose the gear ratios, the range offered is a compromise (max 7.15 m min 2.60 m), it's a logical range but not suited to the steepest gradients. Fitted as standard with 25 mm tyres, in accordance with the standards in force at the time.
Battery lighting is another special feature of this bike. In the manufacturer's eyes, this has the great merit of simplifying assembly, as there are no more wires to be more or less skilfully routed between the dynamo and the two lights, but it's an illusion for the user. The efficiency of such lighting is notoriously inadequate, because with filament bulbs you already couldn't see much at 6 volts, and here it's 4.5 volts at the front and 3 volts at the rear. Suffice to say that the usefulness of these accessories is purely symbolic, especially compared to the weight of alkaline batteries at the time, but here we are: at the time, the same thing was available from the leading manufacturers of touring bikes, albeit in addition to dynamo lighting. The Motobécane advert does have the nerve to emphasise the safety achieved by the fact that the light is on even when the bike is stationary. This is a potential argument for safety-conscious users such as cyclists, who at the time had to share the road with motorists who were not very cooperative.
On the subject of touring bikes: at the same time, Motobécane's catalogue included custom frames welded with a small torch at its Pantin factory, which was no longer dedicated to mass production. In particular, there was a very fine machine known as the ‘Super Randonneur’, with all the tubes made from Reynolds 531, and the possibility of customising developments and assembling them à la carte. Miraculously, this dream bike has the same silhouette and colour scheme as the CT3..... Only the position of the derailleur levers reveals the nobility of this top-of-the-range product.
And finally, from a financial point of view, the C3T is a very affordable bike, selling for around 1,500 francs in 1979. I remember very well that my modest 1978 Myriam 3-speed cost my parents 700 francs (who never stopped reminding me of it, every time I dropped it, bent the wheel, twisted the mudguard.... Etc...) despite its tubular heating frame, which is so solid that I still have it. This moderate price means you can splurge without risking squandering the family fortune, which is an added incentive to take the plunge. At the same time, in terms of the category concerned, Peugeot's very top-of-the-range model was the P60YP (the last P standing for prestige, so get your wallet ready..... ), which could be bought for 3556 francs (1976 price). I have no idea what a hand-made tourer was worth in those years.
So, to sum up, this bike is the result of a lot of compromises, but it's never ridiculous in terms of its performance, and it has an attractive appearance. Well, I think it works, the charm still works after 45 years.
The question that comes to mind is: is it a genuine tourer? Almost, say the most demanding. The more indulgent will say, ‘Just barely’.
There's no doubt that, in use, you'd like a better saddle (it's a representative of the hated ‘nylon insert + thin layer of foam under PVC cladding’ species), a development range better suited to climbing, more functional lighting or better wheels. It's worth noting that all this can be resolved very simply, little by little, and that nothing is catastrophic in the basic definition.
On the other hand, you can certainly do the same outings as with a more expensive bike, with just as much pleasure (with the downside being the rear end), and without breaking the bank. All in all, a fine demonstration of the manufacturer's expertise!
A bike that dates to 1979. I must admit I was seduced by its near-new appearance. The Huret speedo marks 49 km! it may have been dismantled, but it's a clue all the same. Also as a childhood memory because I remember one of my parents' neighbours had the same bike and I thought it was very handsome.
It's a mass-produced touring bike, but well made. It was only sold for three years, in 1979, 1980 and 1981. After that, there were still touring bikes in the Motobécane range, but the switch to the MBK name sounded the death knell for the species.
Having recovered it partially stripped down, I hastened to add all the little gems that were missing and that make it so charming:
The two torches, on the front I couldn't find a Wonder in good enough condition, on the back the Wonder Milor mini torch and its 3-volt battery, a model I hadn't had the pleasure of holding in my hand since the late 70s. The little chrome bracket that holds this torch was nowhere to be found, so I had to improvise a fixing using brake hose clips. As it is, it holds, but it's not very aesthetic.
The Huret odometer, which ruins the fluidity of the hub with its passive resistance, but gives access to essential information: how many km have I covered today?
A pannier that's probably too small, but one that confirms the bike's place in the long-distance category.
The advertising at the time also emphasised safety, offering puncture-proof inner tubes and tyres with reflective strips, which were clearly not commonplace at the time. Cyclists were known to be cautious and forward-thinking, so this was another way of attracting potential customers. A special sticker was also produced, which the buyer could proudly take home with him.
Once the Christmas tree was decorated, I took a step back in time and told myself that in those days people knew how to treat themselves with simple things. It wasn't essential to have the best groupset, the best frame, the most powerful brakes, in short the best all-round bike you could wish for!
In fact, I think this bike is an excellent example of a successful marketing analysis. I don't use the word marketing in the pejorative sense that it is often given, but in its literal sense: the analysis of a market, and the knowledge of the buyers and the product with a view to offering a successful product.
The target group: impecunious cyclotourists or aspiring cyclotourists, in both cases unable to call on the services of a craftsman.
Analysis of buyers' motivations: to get as close as possible to the specifications of a randonneuse Fédérale, but without the price tag: notions of belonging to a category and seeking good value for money. To have a bike that is well suited to its intended use: the notion of seeking performance through features identified as absolutely necessary for the intended use.
So here's how the folks at Motobécane come up with their copy:
Let's start at the very beginning: the machine designation. Numbers have an important role to play in identifying a range level C3T obviously refers to the C3 racing model offered by the company at the same time. The C31 is a ‘medium plus’, with a 3-tube frame and good peripherals, the C41 is a 9-tube in Reynolds 531 10-speed, and the C5 is a 9-tube in Columbus SL 12-speed: so, from the outset, this puts the newcomer in a clearly identified position: ‘no nonsense’ but ‘no folly’ either.
This bike is made from Vitus 888, with a thickness of 7/10ths for the 3 frame tubes, and slightly thicker for the others. It's not particularly light, weighing in at 13kg5 for a frame size of 53.5 like this one.
The rear derailleur is a customised eco-series Huret with a long chainstay (Cage? GIGFY) it's reliable, durable, neither particularly good-looking nor particularly light, nor particularly fast in use, but it does the job.
The hubs are Normandy, with large flanges and a level of quality that's a hair above the rest. There were better hubs on the market, but it's fair to say that the problem has been addressed.
It's a triple chainring but you can't choose the gear ratios, the range offered is a compromise (max 7.15 m min 2.60 m), it's a logical range but not suited to the steepest gradients. Fitted as standard with 25 mm tyres, in accordance with the standards in force at the time.
Battery lighting is another special feature of this bike. In the manufacturer's eyes, this has the great merit of simplifying assembly, as there are no more wires to be more or less skilfully routed between the dynamo and the two lights, but it's an illusion for the user. The efficiency of such lighting is notoriously inadequate, because with filament bulbs you already couldn't see much at 6 volts, and here it's 4.5 volts at the front and 3 volts at the rear. Suffice to say that the usefulness of these accessories is purely symbolic, especially compared to the weight of alkaline batteries at the time, but here we are: at the time, the same thing was available from the leading manufacturers of touring bikes, albeit in addition to dynamo lighting. The Motobécane advert does have the nerve to emphasise the safety achieved by the fact that the light is on even when the bike is stationary. This is a potential argument for safety-conscious users such as cyclists, who at the time had to share the road with motorists who were not very cooperative.
On the subject of touring bikes: at the same time, Motobécane's catalogue included custom frames welded with a small torch at its Pantin factory, which was no longer dedicated to mass production. In particular, there was a very fine machine known as the ‘Super Randonneur’, with all the tubes made from Reynolds 531, and the possibility of customising developments and assembling them à la carte. Miraculously, this dream bike has the same silhouette and colour scheme as the CT3..... Only the position of the derailleur levers reveals the nobility of this top-of-the-range product.
And finally, from a financial point of view, the C3T is a very affordable bike, selling for around 1,500 francs in 1979. I remember very well that my modest 1978 Myriam 3-speed cost my parents 700 francs (who never stopped reminding me of it, every time I dropped it, bent the wheel, twisted the mudguard.... Etc...) despite its tubular heating frame, which is so solid that I still have it. This moderate price means you can splurge without risking squandering the family fortune, which is an added incentive to take the plunge. At the same time, in terms of the category concerned, Peugeot's very top-of-the-range model was the P60YP (the last P standing for prestige, so get your wallet ready..... ), which could be bought for 3556 francs (1976 price). I have no idea what a hand-made tourer was worth in those years.
So, to sum up, this bike is the result of a lot of compromises, but it's never ridiculous in terms of its performance, and it has an attractive appearance. Well, I think it works, the charm still works after 45 years.
The question that comes to mind is: is it a genuine tourer? Almost, say the most demanding. The more indulgent will say, ‘Just barely’.
There's no doubt that, in use, you'd like a better saddle (it's a representative of the hated ‘nylon insert + thin layer of foam under PVC cladding’ species), a development range better suited to climbing, more functional lighting or better wheels. It's worth noting that all this can be resolved very simply, little by little, and that nothing is catastrophic in the basic definition.
On the other hand, you can certainly do the same outings as with a more expensive bike, with just as much pleasure (with the downside being the rear end), and without breaking the bank. All in all, a fine demonstration of the manufacturer's expertise!
