Can I rebuild the French vintage bike in time for Anjou Vélo Vintage ?

What happens when you find two broken vintage French bikes — and only one can ride again? Watch as I rebuild this 1960s Automoto using parts from both, just in time for the Anjou Vélo Vintage event.

I was about to rebuild a rusty old French Automoto bike… until I stumbled on its twin online for just €20. Could I take the best parts from two forgotten bikes and turn them into something special for my daughter?

Follow the full 1960s vintage bike restoration — from seized bolts and stuck tyres to that final chainguard install.

This is a real-time garage build using parts from both bikes — ready just in time for Anjou Vélo Vintage [ @AnjouVeloVintageSaumur ] where my daughter will be riding it.

👀 Love quirky conversions?
➡️ Watch my Monster Gravel Bike Build for Paris–Roubaix: [https://youtu.be/t5LW7OVvFOs]
➡️ Or check out the Origine Trail Bikepacking Setup here: [https://youtu.be/EE7e7qzRWKE]

🔔 Subscribe for more French cycling stories: rebuilds, gravel rides & vintage events.

0:00 Intro
0:15 Dismantling the Automoto vintage bike
5:06 The Automoto Vintage Bike Rebuild
12:51 Final reveal. Ready for the Anjou Velo Vintage Festival in the Loire, France

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#VintageBikeRestoration
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#AutomotoBike

I was about to start to rebuild 
this frame when I found this. But I found a solution. An identical bike found on the 
internet for €20 — and this one rolls. My plan is to use the parts 
from both bikes and build one bike. Okay, this Automoto bike is in a lot better 
condition than the other one. However, it doesn’t have any gears, the wheels are pretty 
short and rusty, the saddle is almost perfect, and it has these great little cases on the back of 
the panier. Not sure if they open up… yeah, there we go. How fantastic is that? It’s like a little 
glasses case or something. Absolutely brilliant. So there you go. This is identical: 
3-speed. There’s no rear mech, so I’ll use the rear mech from the 
other bike. There’s a few little parts missing. The mudguards 
are in much better condition. Let’s get this bike dismantled. Wheels off. Cables unclipped. Chain snapped — clean. Chain guard first — completely seized. Rear brake and mudguards — fairly easy. Rear light and dynamo look modern. Rear mudguard off. Cables removed. Front brake — gentle tap, off it comes. Front mudguard — more bolts to undo. Brake levers — drop straight off. Seat post — nervous moment, but it pops. Steerer bolt — light tap, no luck. Off come the grips. Crank bolts next. Back to the chain guard — various tools, one bolt 
stubborn. Don’t want to damage it. Finally off. Crank arms and chainset off cleanly. Handlebars — more persuasion, gentle taps. Bottom bracket — often a nightmare. 
This one, surprisingly smooth. Drive side — a bit tougher. Added more penetrating oil — fork 
stem and headset — left it to soak. Back at it — cleaning grime. 
Happy with the result. Gave the bike probably its 
first clean in a very long time. If you’re into quirky conversions, check out my Monster Gravel Build 
for Paris Roubaix — it’s a beast. Rear mech — stripped, 
cleaned, greased and rebuilt. Saddle — great condition, quick clean. 
Seat post — regreased and back in. Headset bearings — cleaned and greased. Forks installed — gently does it. Headset on — nice and smooth. Bottom bracket — cleaned, 
regreased and reinstalled. Chainset — polished and back on. Chain guard, brakes and mudguards — cleaned. Front brake and guard — installed. Tightened with a new tool. Gear lever goes on. Rear 
brake — cleaned and rebuilt. Tyres — stuck to the rims. Bit of heat, an hour later they’re off. Chrome’s 
rough but wheels are sound. Cassette — cleaned. Loads of gunk. Handlebars in — gentle tap with a hammer. Brake levers installed. Rear mudguard — 
another stubborn bolt — angle grind time. Cleaned and reattached. Like detailed builds? You might enjoy my Origine Trail Bikepacking setup — built 
from the ground up for adventure. Okay, we are halfway through the build. Next up is to put the tyres on the wheels, put 
the chain on, and do the gearing and brakes. Cables — prepped. Drilled a larger hole to fit the head. Everything’s lined up roughly and tensioned. Mudguards back on — with the PA this time. Two top bolts fixed. New brake pads and grips from AliExpress. New tyres from Decathlon. Wheels — installed. Brakes — aligned. Second 
grip on — gloves this time. Tried the old chain — didn’t work. New chain installed — much better. Rear mech cable — fitted and adjusted. Install the beautiful chainguard. So that’s the rebuild of this 1960s 
Automoto French bike — brought back to life from the best parts 
of two different machines. In just a couple of days, my daughter 
will be riding it at Anjou Vélo Vintage, and I’ll be filming the whole thing. If you’ve got thoughts or tips, 
let me know in the comments. And if you’re into vintage bikes or 
French cycling, there’s more coming soon. Thanks for watching.