Steve L.’s 1971 Motobecane Grand Record

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Belatedly continuing our Fancy French theme from a few days ago, Steve L.’s 1971 Motobecane Grand Record.

1971 Motobecane Grand Record

I was in Santa Maria Ca a couple of years ago to meet someone and had a couple of hours to kill while waiting. I had driven around the town checking out the garage sales (the whole town was a garage sale that day) and had driven by the bike a couple of times and thought it was an old Huffy. Anyway, decided to stop and look. Much to my suprise, this is what I found for $15 dollars (which the elderly woman thought was too much). Gave her a twenty and polished it up. All Campy GR gears. Sweet…

Thanks Steve

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  3. Stephen S’s Trek 400
  4. Julie S’s 1973 Dutch-built Raleigh Grand Prix
  5. Rowan R’s 1974 Peugeot UG45CX
  • George

    I’ve seen these really steep headtubes several times – does anyone know why Motobecane made them that steep?

    George, who owns a Grand Record Mixte with a normal headtube

  • http://doohickie.blogspot.com Doohickie

    Short wheelbase = more maneuverable, I think.

  • George

    But here’s the thing – a headtube that steep effectively kills any trail, which makes your handling faster, and removes a lot of the gyroscopic correction that good trail provides. Also, it probably means that productions costs rise since you’re working with a geometry different from other bikes in your line…maybe. In any case, it just seems…weird for a ten-speed, even a 531-built top-of-the-line bike.

  • Albert

    That G.Record is not a 71. Moto didn’t use that head badge until 73. So it is a 73 or later G Record. The frame looks bent.

  • http://OldTenSpeedGallery Wooden Shoe Biker

    Good work the saddle alone is worth about 60 lately on E bay. The head tube is steep indeed, especially compared to my 1973 Raleigh Roadster with rod brakes (3 speed hub sorry) and 44 inch wheelbase . What is it like wrenching around with a French bike?