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I purchased this 75-80 road bike (my first), for about $80. Being in a bad shape and no decals… I want to restore and enjoy it.

Been trying to ID it several days now in order to start a restoration project and know exactly how to do it.

The frame looks french, components are Mafac Racer, Simplex derailleurs, Millard M M Atom quick release, Normandy hubs, Belleri handle bar, etc.

Here is a link to a forum I'm active and where there a re lots of details and observations about this bike - https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage-bicycles-whats-worth-appraisals/1175248-can-you-help-me-id-ing-bike.html

For now, it appears that this frame belongs to a manufacturer called Liberia of Grenoble. Still, I'm not ruling out others like Motobecane, Gitane or St Etienne.

Can you guys help me ID it?

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    Before you ride that even an inch, neither quick release is properly secured.
    – David Richerby
    Commented Jun 10, 2019 at 23:40
  • 2
    Roughly 1980. Bog standard for that era, though -- there were dozens of manufacturers.
    – Daniel R Hicks
    Commented Jun 11, 2019 at 0:06
  • It appears to me, it was a high-quality build for it's time and restoration could very well be worth the effort.
    – Jeff
    Commented Jun 11, 2019 at 5:59
  • @Daniel R Hicks What is meant by "Bog standard?" Just curious
    – Jeff
    Commented Jun 11, 2019 at 19:10
  • 3
    @Jeff: en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bog-standard
    – Greg Hewgill
    Commented Jun 11, 2019 at 20:49

2 Answers 2

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There were many brands of bikes sold all over the world with the same parts and the same lug work as this bike. I can't find anything distinctive enough to positively identify the brand.

The parts and the forged rear dropout indicate that this bike was not a bottom of the line bike. It has:

  • Stronglight 99 bis crank in a double chain ring configuration
  • Simplex LJ1000 T rear derailleur
  • Simplex SJ6011 shift levers made from 1979 to 1980
  • Simplex SJ A102 front derailleur 1979 to 1989
    I can't see the brakes well enough to tell which Mafac Racer model they are.
    The stamped fork drop out (at least it looks stamped from the angle I can see) does not match the rear drop out which makes me think the fork is not original.

Using Peugeot (link to U.S. Peugeot brochures) as an example (not saying this is a Peugeot) this component list in 1978 would put you at a top of the line PX10LE. The PX10LE in those years had chromed rear stays so a much less than perfect match but it's in the ball park.

Sheldon Brown has some advice on restoring French bicycles along with a list of makers (not that this bike is for sure French.)

Bottom line, it's a wonderful bike no matter what maker had their name on it. It has been long neglected and needs to be carefully restored.

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Denitely French. Extremely nice lug work as well as a complete complement of French mostly high end components. Most probably either Reynolds 531 or Vitus 172 tubing as the manufactures' didn't waste lugs like that on cheap frame tubes. Looking at the length of the chain stays as well as the fork bends (fork does not appear to be original to the bike), it appears to be a sport touring/road racing bike as it has eyelets on the fork ends/drop outs. You got a steal on this bike, take it apart, clean it up, re-lube everything, touch it up and replace the tires, tubes, rim strips, cables and housings, handlebar tape and ride it! These old French high end bikes have a wonderful "continental" ride quality that you won't find anywhere else. One last bit of advise: Change the rear derailleur to an all metal design, a period correct Suntour would be good, as the original Simplex rear derailleurs were made out of delrin and the plastic decomposes with age causing them to snap at the most inopportune times resulting in catastrophic issues.

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