It began, as many such endeavors do these days, with a e-stroll through eBay, searching under "track frame." What I'm always looking for is a classic British-style path racer, basically a fast road fixie with clearance for big tires. They're hard to come by in my size, or at all, and my luck was no better the day this all started.
But I found something else: a very odd bike, sold as a "Motobecane," which was, in fact, a road fixie with clearance for big tires, and fender braze-ons to boot!
Of course it was no more a descendant of the classic French Motobecanes than I am of Richard III, and it was TIG-welded, with a threadless headset and a sloping top tube.
It was also around $225 shipped, with headset! So I sold my Trek, which I'd never felt comfortable on, and ordered up my Pseudobecane.
And I mentioned this to my friends on the iBOB list.
They promptly heaped derision on the poor frame, with one passionate fellow calling it "garbage." (Apparently for 200 bucks he wanted a Vanilla, I don't know....)
I took it as a challenge, and built the silk purse you see in the photo.
Pretty classic looking for a welded sloper with a fat chunky headset and a bunch of used parts, yes?
Just rode it the 38 miles to Buster's in South Pasadena and back. Barely slower than the Bottecchia, a true race bike!
But I found something else: a very odd bike, sold as a "Motobecane," which was, in fact, a road fixie with clearance for big tires, and fender braze-ons to boot!