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!

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[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]

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.

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.

 

[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]

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.

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.

 

[zeeto]

Good suggestions, thanks all.

I was looking for a guesstimate as to the value and I got some decent feedback.

I thought there might be better avenues to advertise or auction a bike, more bike specific, but everyone seems to agree that eBay or Craigslist is the best route to go.

I tend to favor a little higher reserve, too much sentimentality connected to this bike. I guess if I can't get at least $250, I'll fix it and ride it.

 

[David Packard]

so...did you ever sell the lejeune?

 

[zeeto]

Sold it on eBay for $400 or so, sold it to a guy from South Dakota.

I'm glad it went to a guy who is riding it and enjoying the bike, he sent me a picture of him on it.

Guess the $50---$100 estimates were off are, huh?

 

[oldbobcat]

Nice work, zeeto. When I suggested a $90 reserve, that was just to protect yourself in case you got only one bid.Three years ago a lot of people were in the process of losing their jobs. But I never would have guessed $400.

You found the right customer and he found the right bike.

By the way, for any merchandise that may have collectors' value I recommend casting a wider net, learning how to verify customers, pack, and ship, and using eBay. In your local area, your old bike might only be attractive to hipsters looking for something to convert to a fixie. Across the country, you reach collectors and other serious buyers.

 

[zeeto]

I certainly wasn't offended by a Reserve of $90, in fact I think I went with .99 as an opener.

Bidding took off, slowed, then got crazy at the end, as I guess all eBay auctions do.

I think someone who was in this thread may have bid at one point, I remember them commenting on it.

Your comments about eBay are dead on, I've bought car amps from people in Iowa and sold car speakers to someone in California. Even had a guy from Russia bid on an old Alpine car deck I had. Paypal is very safe and eBay/PayPal vets the buyers for you, he was legit.

Had another knee scoped, I'm still in the basement on a spinning bike now that both knees have been done. Took a Giant OCR 2 or 3 in trade from a guy who owed me money on an ad, hope to be able to ride this spring. Best to all of you!