Help? 1970's lejeune

zeeto

Hi,
Hope this is appropriate for this forum, I'm a newbie and copuld use an opinion or two.

Got my old Lejeune out of the airconditioned, finished basement where it has sat for 20+ yrs. Want to sell it and maybe start over, it's a little uncomfortable for me. Not a problem when I was younger but.... we won't talk about age.

Stats:
Reynolds 531 frame and forks
Rigidia Aluminum rims
Mafac Competition brakes
Stronglight crank
Simplex derailleurs
Pivo handlebars

Center to center 23.5"
Top tube 23"
27 x1.25 tires

All original except tires and possibly the Christophe clips and straps. Not sure. Cable casings are originals, lejeune red and not cracked. One paint chip, very few scratches. No rust except some surface rust on the unpainted parts of the forks. I imagine the proper product would take it off without much if any pitting.

Is there a market for this bike? Price estimates please? I'd like to know what the pros think before I put it on eBay. Hell, maybe I'll fix it up and ride it again!

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kdelong

There really is not much of a market for 5+ year old bikes. There may be a collector or someone who wants that particular bike that will pay well for it, but the general public wants a more modern bike. From the photos and description, I would say that you may get $50 - $75 on eBay.

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ohiobiker

list it on craigs list for 100.00 dollars and see what happens. Or, change it to a single speed or a fixie and list it for 150.00. It wil sell.

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zeeto

It's worth more as a single speed?

ohiobiker

in recent months I've seen a huge demand for single speed bikes. I have sold several converted roadies for twice what I got for (basically) the same bike. I strip the bike, clean everything and chop and flip the bars. add new bar tape and a BMX free wheel and put it up. The other benifit is you can sell the left over components on an auction site and get even more. I noticed the simplex, mafac and stronglight stuff on the bike. The crank alone will fetch 50.00-75.00. I've sold the same type over seas many times and I'm no expert, I just do it to pay for my own hobbies

I can almost guarantee you I will find 2 or 3 decent bikes similar to the one you have at yard sales this spring and I wont pay more than 35.00 for any of them. Depending on what they have I will either convert them to single speed or part them out on an auction site and and make between 125.00 and 150.00 on each bike and thats after shipping, fees and new parts.

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zeeto

It seems so defeating to the purpose of this bike to strip it and sell the parts.
Of course, I was the one who rode it and the experiences of doing that belong to me alone. Easier to ship a crankset than a whole bike I guess.

Chop and flip the bars?

I assume you're talking about the handlebars?

Post a picture of one of your creations please, I'm curious what the finished ride looks like.

oldbobcat

You might be right, but what a shame. These old French racers are fine rides and a piece of bike boom history, too.

Somewhere, though, there must be someone restoring a Peugeot PX10 or Gitane Tour de France who would swoon over that Stronglight 93 crank.

zeeto

Never dreamt the Stronglight crank would be the item that got the interest and comments.

I assumed. the Reynolds frame or the aluminum rims were the hot items.

Live and learn, still not sure what to do.

Probably throw it on eBay with a $250 Reserve/Make offer saleand see what happens. If I don't get that much maybe I'll part it out, even though the thought of that still doesn't feel right.

ohiobiker

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/ this is one of my favorite sites.There are more than a few ideas to choose from.

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zeeto

Thanks for the site, some good looking stuff.

Not my bag and I don't have the expertise to do that, you wouldn't want to ride it if I did the work!

oldbobcat

Some riders swore
that Stronglight 93s were stronger and stiffer than Campagnolo Record. I used both and they might have been right.

By the lack of clearance under the fork crown it looks like it's wearing 27" clinchers. These were originally made for 700c tubulars. The Normandy hubs were not fancy, but properly maintained they could last forever.

I really like this bike and could understand your not wanting to part it out. I'd make an offer but my garage is already full. I'd clean it up really nice, put it on ebay with a $90 reserve and a two-week listing, and let someone else decide whether to restore it or part it out.