I went into town this afternoon to run errands and this cool old touring bike followed me home. It’s an early 80s (81 or 82) Motobecane Grand Jubile. For $50 I think it was a pretty good deal. Apparently it got used quite a bit in the 80s but has been parked for the last 35 years. It’s a pretty decent bike. It came equipped with Shimano 600 derailleurs and cranks. The rear wheel and derailleur have been swapped so the originals probably wore out. The downtube shifters have been swapped for Suntour bar end shifters, which I like. From my research these weigh around 23 lbs. Frame and fork are made of Vitus 172 tubing. It was well cared for. Despite having been parked for decades it’s still in really good condition. And it rides really well too. The only thing I’ve done so far is to lower the seat a smidge. Plans are for a sympathetic restoration. The original paint is gorgeous, I love the frame and fork lugs. So a deep clean, new tires, cables and brake pads and probably new bar tape & a shorter stem. Maybe a Brooks if I hate the Avocet. I’m pretty stoked on this one. Can’t wait to put in some miles.
