Harry P. Posted April 6, 2014 Posted April 6, 2014 I bought a 10-speed Motobecane Mirage way, waaaaaaaay back in the 70s. I still have it, and it's in perfect condition... metallic blue paint–it's really a nice looking bike. I wonder if it has any value as a collectible bike? Anyone into vintage bicycles who might know if the old 10-speed is worth anything?
Harry P. Posted April 6, 2014 Author Posted April 6, 2014 Can you post a pic of it Harry? It's hanging upside down from one of the garage roof trusses... but I found this photo online which is the exact same make and model... even the color is exactly the same...
Casey Posted April 7, 2014 Posted April 7, 2014 http://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage-bicycles-what-s-worth-appraisals-inquiries/762921-vintage-motobecane-mirage-10-speed.html
Erik Smith Posted April 7, 2014 Posted April 7, 2014 eBay had one sold - $365 with free shipping ( :0 ).
Harry P. Posted April 7, 2014 Author Posted April 7, 2014 http://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage-bicycles-what-s-worth-appraisals-inquiries/762921-vintage-motobecane-mirage-10-speed.html Oh well. Guess I'll keep it!
Harry P. Posted April 7, 2014 Author Posted April 7, 2014 I bought the bike at Morrie Mages Sports on LaSalle Street, downtown. Any of you Chicago guys remember that store? From ESPN.com... 620 N. LaSalle. That's all you had to say. It was a Chicago landmark, just as famous as the John Hancock Building and Buckingham Fountain. Seven floors of sports. Plus a basement. Bears gear, Blackhawks gear, Cubs, Bulls, Sox, Sting! There was no place in the country like it. It was more than a shopping experience. Bought out by MC Sports in 1987 and now a Sports Authority with a huge Nike ad on the side of building, the apparel cathedral with the hand prints of all Chicago sports heroes on the front of the store was once a must-see destination for anyone living or visiting the city. You either did one or all three things when you went downtown: Walk down State Street, go to Uno's or Gino's Pizzeria, and buy something from Morrie Mages. And if you missed the last one, your trip to Chicago was incomplete.
High octane Posted April 7, 2014 Posted April 7, 2014 I remember Mages stores Harry and I did eat at Gino's East a number of times back in the late 60's as well. Yep the good old days, and I'm happy to be able to remember a lot of things about them. Life is good!
Modelmartin Posted April 7, 2014 Posted April 7, 2014 The vintage bike world is funny. For road bikes it depends on its Italian-ness. If not Italian it has to have Italian components to have value. I imagine yours has Huret or Simplex components and Mafac brakes. It is considered a 70s bike-boom bike and is not valuable from a cash perspective.My advice is to get a gel road bike seat (not a comfort, cruiser style seat!) and some good riding clothes - shorts with padding and some padded palm cycling gloves and ride it. Just because a bike doesn't have a pedigree does not mean it isn't useful and fun.I ride a ton of miles and it makes me feel like a kid again and keeps me fit.
1930fordpickup Posted April 7, 2014 Posted April 7, 2014 Funny thing the cruisers from the 70's are worth more than the ten speeds of the area . It might be the bike swap meets I have been to but that seems the case. The bike swap meets are coming up fast here. They should have something around you for bike meets and such. Just get it down, clean it up and put a sigh on it while walking around the meet.
Tom Geiger Posted April 7, 2014 Posted April 7, 2014 Harry, I have a Peugeot Tour De France hanging in my garage. It's yellow and I bought it new at Wheeler Dealer in Aberdeen, NJ back in 1973. In the mid 1990s I took it back to same dealer and had it cleaned up for use. Mainly replaced the tires and brake pads that had dried out, oiled everything and adjusted the gears. I rode it a lot that summer, but soon forgot about it again. Now in PA, there are a lot of bike trails and I keep saying I need to drag it out once again. I checked on eBay and found that they're pulling $500 or so in good condition.
gbdolfans Posted April 9, 2014 Posted April 9, 2014 Hi Harry,I had one and sold it on E-Bay about 1 1/2 years ago for $100.It was in very good shape.It seemed that the gearing made it a fast bike. Hope this helps,George
Harry P. Posted April 9, 2014 Author Posted April 9, 2014 If it's worth that little, I'd rather keep it and ride it myself.
Lownslow Posted April 9, 2014 Posted April 9, 2014 you can find a neckbeard stupid enough to give you 1000$ with the right wheel swap
Tom Geiger Posted April 11, 2014 Posted April 11, 2014 Here I am on Christmas Day 1969 in Pirmasens, Germany with my brand new Raleigh Chopper. Back then I wanted a Schwinn Orange Krate or the Sears version. My parents said I had to wait until we got to Germany to get a bike. So we went to the PX and they had these neat Euro spec Raleigh Choppers! I wanted one and true to their word, my parents ponied up the $$ for it as my Christmas present. What makes it a Euro bike is the center hub of the front wheel is a generator. With bikes being considered transportation in Europe, standards were that they had to have generator run lights front and rear, as well as rear reflector and the ones that became customary everywhere eventually on the pedals. This specific Chopper got stolen in Germany, and it was replaced with a yellow one, that did get shipped back to the USA with us. Once back in the states in 1972, I learned that the spyder bike craze was over (who knew?!) and everyone had 10 speeds. I didn't get a new bike for another year when I got the Peugeot Tour De France 10 speed in 1973 with $200 of my lawn mowing money. My sister had the girls version of the Chopper (low bar) in red with a white seat. I thought these two bikes were safely stored in the back of my father's garage (you couldn't see that far back so I didn't doubt they were there!) until I went to retrieve them as an adult. Then my father admitted that he gave them away years ago! Argh! My father never parted with anything! The one thing HAD to be my beloved bike? I do still have the Peugeot. I have wanted to replace the Chopper so I keep an eye out. They are quite popular, especially in Europe. There is a whole aftermarket and you can buy nearly every part new. Today a bare frame goes for $100, and I've seen battered survivors in the $300-500 range. Minty clean ones are near $1000. One of these days!
Modelmartin Posted April 11, 2014 Posted April 11, 2014 You were lucky, Tom! I wanted a Sting-Ray or facsimile real bad but my parents thought they were silly so my hand me down girls 20 inch bike with sting ray style bars was all I got! They did let me get a cross bar brazed on so it would be a boy's bike! To add more angst to my juvenile situation my best friend at the time had a paper route so he could afford a Schwinn Apple Krate! AAAAaaarggghhh!
Tom Geiger Posted April 12, 2014 Posted April 12, 2014 Argh Andy! If you only learned to pour resin a few years earlier! My parents did buy me the orange Chopper, but when it got stolen it was up to me to replace it. It wasn't my fault it was stolen, it was parked in our building basement where it was supposed to be. The kid upstairs forgot to lock the door. He was made to say "sorry" and he was off the hook. I saved the $65 (yea I remember exactly how much!) by washing cars and mowing lawns a dollar at a time. I had saved the money and had given it to my father for safe keeping. The military PX wasn't that good and only had various things sporadically. Not seasonal or with any rhyme or reason. Stuff just showed up when it did. So I would walk past the PX on my way home from school every darn day and look for bikes. The day that my Chopper was there, I told the staff that it was "MY BIKE" and I'd be right back with the cash. I ran all the way to my father's office. He drove me back and we got the bike.
mikevillena Posted April 16, 2014 Posted April 16, 2014 (edited) I bought the bike at Morrie Mages Sports on LaSalle Street, downtown. Any of you Chicago guys remember that store? From ESPN.com... 620 N. LaSalle. That's all you had to say. It was a Chicago landmark, just as famous as the John Hancock Building and Buckingham Fountain. Seven floors of sports. Plus a basement. Bears gear, Blackhawks gear, Cubs, Bulls, Sox, Sting! There was no place in the country like it. It was more than a shopping experience. Bought out by MC Sports in 1987 and now a Sports Authority with a huge Nike ad on the side of building, the apparel cathedral with the hand prints of all Chicago sports heroes on the front of the store was once a must-see destination for anyone living or visiting the city. You either did one or all three things when you went downtown: Walk down State Street, go to Uno's or Gino's Pizzeria, and buy something from Morrie Mages. And if you missed the last one, your trip to Chicago was incomplete. Hi Harry, I sure do remember Mages....all three (or was it four?) floors. Bought my first cross crountry skis and bindings there. I used to wrench on bicycles back in the late 70's for Cycle Smithy on Clark St. I've seen plenty of Motobecanes along with Peugeots and some of the first Cannondale aluminum bikes. Gosh, there used to be thirty or more bikeshops in Chicago back then... Kozy's, On the Route, Oscar Watzyn's, Belmont Schwinn, Sportif, Buckingham, Turin, Park West Schwinn, etc... If you guys ever get nostalgic, check out the vintage bikes at Cycle Smithy 2468 1/2 N. Clark St. Owner is Mark Mattei who's something of a heavyweight among vintage bike collectors. I've worked on a few of his pieces including a couple of Bowden Spacelanders BTW, he has an absolutely jaw dropping collection of promos and car kits. Oh and a top notch slot car collection. Edited April 16, 2014 by mikevillena
Harry P. Posted April 16, 2014 Author Posted April 16, 2014 Hi Harry, I sure do remember Mages....all three (or was it four?) floors. I think it was more like 6 or 7, if I remember correctly.
mikevillena Posted April 16, 2014 Posted April 16, 2014 I think it was more like 6 or 7, if I remember correctly. Doh! I should have used a respirator when spraying lacquers
Harry P. Posted April 16, 2014 Author Posted April 16, 2014 Doh! I should have used a respirator when spraying lacquers
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