1970's LeJuene Help?

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Zeeto, you just opened a can of worms that I thought was put to bed about six months ago. If you search the Bike Cafe you will find several hundred reasons why you can't compare the wannabe "Schwinns" that they sell at Wally World with a real bicycle.

Sorry 'bout that, didn't realize it was such a sore subject with the afficinados.

I was advised that a Cannondale that lists for nearly a grand wasn't substantially beter than a bike from Target. Did I miss something, are bikes at Target beter than bikes from Wal-Mart?

Or Is it the fact that an old, respected name has been Wal-Mart-ed that hurts?
A bike that we all aspired to own at one time?

If so, I understand. I'm 52 and when I was a kid a Schwinn was so much better than a Huffy or the dreaded Sears/department store bike. How could some parents be so clueless?

Been fun talking guys, keep it up.

Joe

Zeeto, you just opened a can of worms that I thought was put to bed about six months ago. If you search the Bike Cafe you will find several hundred reasons why you can't compare the wannabe "Schwinns" that they sell at Wally World with a real bicycle.A can of worms, indeed!

Well, perhaps I should have qualified my remark to a greater extent AND said that if a person knows what they are doing and don't need to have their hand held by the LBS sales person, a $200 Schwinn/whatever won't be that much less of a bike (if s/he can get one with a frame that is the correct size) than a $900 LBS bike -- figure the bike from TARGET/WalMart/wherever will weigh closer to 30 lbs, but will certainly function as well if tuned/adjusted properly ... and, the LBS bike will be in the 22 (?) lbs. range BUT will function no better & will function worse if NOT tuned properly.

The quality of the welds on the "Wally World" bike may not be as nice, but the welds on a $900+ bike aren't as nice as the welds on a MOOTS.

Presuming the frame fits on the "Wally World" bike (and, that MAY NOT occur on a bike when bought from an LBS), the components can be replaced for a few hundred Dollars with much better components than the $900 bike probably comes with (SORA? Tiagra?) ... and, for a couple of hundred more one can often buy a much nicer set wheels than the $900 bike probably comes with -- it seems as though NASHBAR (for example) always has had MAVIC Open Pro on Shimano hub (sometimes Ultegra?) wheelsets for less than $200 ... maybe that something in the past, but there are certainly comparable deals available out there.

Basically, in my mind, the components on a $900 bike are certainly good-enough ... mainly because they will probably be Shimano, and I think that almost ALL Shimano components are good regardless of where they fall in the range of components ... but, IMO, the ROAD components really don't become "nice" until you get to the 105/(LX for MTBs) level ... and, that generally doesn't occur unit the retail price of an LBS bike is in the $1100+ range ... at least, that's my impression.

REGARDLESS, for "casual riding" the components on the "Wally World" bike will probably suffice for most people (again, presuming they are properly adjusted/tuned).

FWIW. At this point in time, I'd recommend (and, personally prefer to buy) a bike through mail order OR "used" ...

By the way, the LeJeune 531 frame I referenced above just sold for $280 on eBay.

It's a frame and a seat post, decals much more beat up than mine and more paint chips too.

It's got a black front fork though, different style. Different material?

So what you're saying is:

GET THE DAMN BIKE FITTED......and almost anything is rideable.

Did I miss something, are bikes at Target beter than bikes from Wal-Mart?
No difference, per se.

Or Is it the fact that an old, respected name has been Wal-Mart-ed that hurts?
A bike that we all aspired to own at one time?

If so, I understand. I'm 52 and when I was a kid a Schwinn was so much better than a Huffy or the dreaded Sears/department store bike. How could some parents be so clueless?
I presume you're kidding about how much better the pre-1970 Schwinns were than the rest of the "balloon" tire bikes ...

In 1968, when I was 13, we thought the Schwinns were light years better.
What the heck did we know, anyway?

Just like some kids think Nikes are the best, Adidas Gazelles were the best track shoes happening in 1972. White leather with black stripes or blue suede with white stripes.
Pumas were for people who wanted to be different.

They were probably the same shoe, just like bikes weren't probably all that different, at least a bike that a 13 yr. old kid from the 'burbs would aspire to.

We knew the difference between the Varsity and Continental though.
Thinner, lighter frame, cooler colors, about $20 in price, and tons of recognition at the baseball field when you pulled up in on a Continental.

By the way, the LeJeune 531 frame I referenced above just sold for $280 on eBay.

It's a frame and a seat post, decals much more beat up than mine and more paint chips too.

It's got a black front fork though, different style. Different material?

So what you're saying is:

GET THE DAMN BIKE FITTED......and almost anything is rideable.Yes, I guess that's what I'm saying -- that, if you're 6' tall, the 60cm frame isn't too large for you (based on the dimensions you cited, before) ... and, you probably just have to tweak the fit by using a shorter stem ...

BTW. I would guess that if you were to "order" a new Rivendell, they would recommend a 60cm frame for you.

You were right on about the value also, give yourself a pat on the back.

Rivendell site looks good, ( Legolas) a Hobbit theme?

Again, no reaction to the mention of the Sunfire subwoofer. Does no one here listen to music anymore? You guys need to spend more time inside, listening to music and staring at the album cover. That much fresh air and exercise can't be healthy

All this talk about a subwoofer?! Have you ever tried to fit a subwoofer on a bike? Have you ever tried to pedal with a generator hooked to your bike that was big enough to power a high end sound system? Have you ever worried that someone was going to rip off your sound system from your bike? Sound systems and bikes just don't mix:D.

Actually I am not an audiophile. I have slight hearing loss in my right ear from my time in the military. I do enjoy listening to what I consider to be good music, Bach to Lamb Of God(anything except hip-hop or rap), but the highest end sound system that I have is a $600.00, 15 year old Pioneer rack system. It does sound quite a bit better than my grandmother's Victrola and it is good enough for me. Most of my music listening, though, is done in my truck with Ford's 2002 premium six-CD changer system. I do have a cheap Philips boom box in my workshop for when I am working alone. Most of all though, I enjoy listening to the singing of my bicycle tires on pavement and all of the other sounds associated with a mid-summers early morning ride in Adams and Brown Counties. Preble County is pretty nice too. Is there any good riding up in Franklin County and the surrounding area?

If you're really wanting to talk music and sound systems, I am sure that Mr. Google can help you find those forums. You can also search the Bike Cafe section. There was a thread about people's music choices. Or you can start another thread yourself on the subject. You'll probably want to post that thread in the Bike Cafe though, unless you want to talk about the devices that people listen to while they are riding. I guess that these could be considered Cycling Equipment.

I did not realize that a LeJuene was a high end bike. I had never heard of it until you posted this thread. I figured that it was just another of the bikes that were showing up in the 70's as some manufacturers started switching to frames made in the far east, example: Raliegh and Rampar. Good luck with the eBay sale. I would be tempted to bid on it but it is a little too large for me.

Hi there,

Sweet haul by the Buckeyes yesterday, now if Terrelle Pryor signs we're set for awhile.

As for trails in Franklin County, I haven't done much serious riding here, or anywhere for some time. That's why the bike has sat for years.

The audio fixation is one I've had for years, almost as long as the bike one. Used to build Bose 901 speakers from scratch in the 70's, bought the drivers for $3 each from the factory as over stocks.
I'd never listen to music on a bike, do people really do iPods and ride on city streets?

I wasn't offended by your opening comments as to the value, I knew it was a desirable bike, just in the right beholders eyes. Now to find one of them or fix it up and ride.

Picked up a set of metric allen wrenches as I was advised the seat post bibder is a 5mm or 6mm.

I knew this bike was different and hope they make a 7mm, as the 6mm was too small and the 8mm was too big.

Another trip to Auto Zone!

Yep, there is a 7mm Allen Wrench. Go to Harbour Freight Tools. You can pick up a whole set, 1mm - 12mm, for less than $10.00.

Just scanning the thread, and I would agree that what you have is probably worth $500 or more... but the price you get will probably be less. An unfortunate fact of life.

As far as putting a reserve on it, for vintage bikes this usually keeps bidders away. If you want to hold onto it, then fine, but I would lean toward either letting the market decide or putting a starting bid on it at the price you are willing to accept...

There is some risk to selling without reserve, but frankly we are at a point in the year where some people are looking for bikes so if it were my bike, I think I would take the risk...

And since it is my size, let us know when you put it on the bay. ;)

Picked up a set of metric allen wrenches as I was advised the seat post bibder is a 5mm or 6mm.
Oops!
I knew this bike was different and hope they make a 7mm, as the 6mm was too small and the 8mm was too big.Yes, let me confirm that there is indeed such an animal -- I have one that I've only used on Campagnolo's stupidly-sized self-extracting bolt ... the 7mm self-extracting bolt & the atypical 135BCD chainrings were two products designed during Campagnolo's BAD DESIGN period (i.e., from the late-80s to the mid-90s) when someone in Vicenza must have been using NUMEROLOGY to spec & design their components!

If you don't maul/mar that binder bolt, you may be able to get quite a lot for it from a Francophile who is restoring his/her bike, or not ... query the CLASSIC RENDEZVOUS people to see if anyone has any interest OR minimally give you some of the "history" behind it. Regardless, I would replace it with a "standard" Campagnolo-type seatpost binder bolt which uses a 5mm Allen wrench.

Why are you in such a rush to lower your saddle when getting a shorter stem is the probable resolution (other than selling the bike to dgregory57) to your perceived "fit" problem?

Well, I thought I could lower the seat myself, easier than replacing the stem. Still haven't decided whether to keep and fix or sell, but thought if I could get a different feel for the bike, maybe it would help me decide.

By the way, went to see the movie Juno tonight with my wife. I could see she was riding an old 10 speed and when she parked it in the rack at school, the bike next to it was a 70's Peugeot.

In the closing scenes it's obviously a red LeJeune she's riding.

Is this a sign?

Well, I thought I could lower the seat myself, easier than replacing the stem. Still haven't decided whether to keep and fix or sell, but thought if I could get a different feel for the bike, maybe it would help me decide.Easier, in theory, but obviously not for you!

Anyway, if a temporary, different riding position is all you are trying to achieve ... then re-set your handlebars to what I refer to as ghetto-style (sorry if that's politcally incorrect for anyone ... "shorthand" phrases are, sometimes ... no offense intended ... for those who don't know what I mean, that simply involves rotating the bars up-and-back about 180º to effectively raise the bars & shorten the reach an extreme amount in both cases ... I've only seen people do THAT to their handlebars in "urban" areas) ... of course, you don't have to rotate them all-the-way! 2/3rds of the way may be enough (NB. you will have to rotate them more-than 90º OTHERWISE YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO USE THE BRAKES as the levers are currently attached!).

Good point, Mr Wizard! Is there anything about a bike you don't know?

The purpose of lowering the seat and perhaps the stem is making the bike more ridable for me, should I keep it.

Whether it's right sized for me or not, it FEELS tall and that is what matters.

Monday, it goes to my LBS and I'll see if they can play with it a bit, determine if this frame could be fitted to me better than it has in the past.

By the way, it was a 7mm allen wrench on the seat post. Thankfully the older guy who owned the shop came in and had a coffee can of old, offsize wrenches in the back of a cabinet. He assumed the post would be froze after 20+ years, nope, it came free as soon as we loosened the bolt.

Having the front tire and tube replaced, back one is fine and holds air. They had to order a 27 x 1.25 gumwall for me.
Had the bottom bracket tightened to remove a little play in the pedals.

As for the frame size, I don't have an inch of clearance when I straddle the top tube with my feet flat on the ground, less than that.

Getting quotes on the stem, bar end shifters, and dual position brakes just in case.

It was mentioned that most bar end shifters are set up for 7-8 gears and wouldn't work for a 5 gear rear cluster. I thought they were friction, without click stops. Why wouldn't this work?

The young guys at the shop are relatively useless, don't have a clue as to what they are doing if it isn't brand new, or much tolerance for explaining something to "an old guy".

Hah! We have all the money, they should wise up a little.

It was mentioned that most bar end shifters are set up for 7-8 gears and wouldn't work for a 5 gear rear cluster. I thought they were friction, without click stops. Why wouldn't this work?
Glad to see the thread's still rolling and you're working on the bike. You really have a the makings of a fine classic rider.

Most bar-end shifters are now click-stop. I'd be a little skeptical about spreading the rear dropouts from 120 to 130 mm for an 8-speed. Going to 126 for 6-speed or 7-speed ultra would be safer and you could use the existing hub. Two web stores that have tons of gear for older technology and should be more helpful than the dweebs at your local shop are www.niagaracycles.com and www.bikepartsusa.com. I used them both for building up a fixie and upgrading my wife's old Ross to 7-speed ultra with indexed shifting.

If you go 7-speed, though, watch out for the spacing of Sun Race freewheels.

Thanks Bobcat. I was a constant rider for years but marriage, a kid, college bills, etc., got in the way.

Correction, I let them get in the way.

Now I have a new vocabulary to learn. We never spoke of dropouts or mm measurements, but we never had these kinds of options either.

So, either go old tech with friction bar end shifters ( if I can find them) or change the back gear cluster to a 7 speed, is that right?

I'll check out those sites later. It's 12:30 eastern time and I'm hitting the sack.

Been to Boulder once, it's freakin' gorgeous.