Help identifying this make of bike please

[cpg]

Hello. Please can someone identify this bike for me based on the photo of top of the seat stay. It has the letter M stamped on it. My initial guess is that could be Motobecane, but I an not entirely sure that it is. It is a steel road bike dating from the early 90's judging by the components. Thank you for your help and suggestions.

[hercule]

I rode a Motobecane (a 2040 Sport - nothing special, but I loved it!) throughout the 80s - it was my first "good" bike (not that there was anything wrong with its predecessor, but riding all day on a Dawes Kingpin isn't as much fun!)

The Motobecane logo had more slanted uprights with "wings" either side. As they were a big company, I suspect they should have gone for the extra tooling to get it right. Though yours looks chromed, and I do recall they did a chromed touring model in the French style of the time.



(From Wikipedia)

[TrekMad]

You'll have to post some more pics of the frame and components to get a realistic.ID

[mattsccm]

Try asking on retrobike as well.

[cpg]

Thank you for the suggestions.
The bike is advertised on Gumtree (nothing to do with me) so the best I can do for additional photos and information is this link to advert:
https://www.gumtree.com/p/bicycles/retro-classic-rare-racer-bike-merida-shimano-105/1133915583

Hercule, I think you correct, if it was a Motobecane they would make sure the logo matched. I a have seen a couple of Italian manufacturers with similar logos but again slightly different so probably not one of those.

[Brucey]

looking at the pics, assuming it isn't a bitsa, the 1051 groupset is late '80s and the frame might be too. The brake levers are mismatched BTW; they look like BL-1055 levers which are meant for DPs not 1051 side pulls, so the brakes perhaps won't be quite as good as they should be. The frame looks Italian to me; around that time a lot of Italian workshops knocked out frames for small manufacturers and 'shop brands' so the 'M' could refer to the builder or the brand.

It looks like a reasonable frame; worth the money for sure (if it is straight, which you can't tell from the camera-phone pictures) but not of the first quality; the rustless (not stainless) spokes, the finish on the fork ends and dropouts is not top notch and the presence of mudguard eyes (welcome though it is) also smacks of a training frame, built to a budget.

I've seen lots of frames like that and it is quite likely built in something like Columbus Aelle tubing; if so, if you go look at it the weight of the thing may surprise you (it could be well over 25lbs with that build) and the seat post size may be 26.8mm or less. Look out for Italian BB threads.

It'd make a good 'ride to work'/ training bike even now, were it not for the chrome; in UK winter use it will suffer terribly if neglected in the slightest way.

cheers

[cpg]

Thanks for all that information Brucey. I dont think I will be buying it, not really a fan of chrome frames but more importantly I would really prefer to have a bit more background on it, I was intrigued to what make the bike is.

[pga]

Once again a bargain comes along and you sit around debating.

[cpg]

Nothing wrong with a good debate.