1970's LeJuene Help?

zeeto

Here's a Reynolds/LeJeune frame on eBay, current bid is $150.

http://www.cyclingforums.com/newrep...ote=1&p=3712510

Item number 220196417814 if the link doesn't work.

alfeng

I think that if you actually plan on cycling beyond the next few months that you will regret selling your LeJeune ... because (by my reckoning) you probably won't be able to get an equivalent quality bike for under $1500 unless you get really lucky (yes, THAT can happen -- someone was just asking about a sweet deal on a TREK 5200 w/ Ultegra components for $1000 -- he's hesitating for unknown reasons).

As odd as this may sound, I recommend that for "casual riding" you go to TARGET (or, equivalent) and buy a $150 bike ... ride whatever you get through this Spring & Summer, and then decide ...

HMMmm. Of course, if you were planning on sharing whatever proceeds exceeds $500 with 'me' then I heartily suggest you put that puppy up for sale ASAP -- kidding!

zeeto

If I get more than $500, I'll buy you a drink or two. Of course, that's in
Columbus, OH.
So you recommend a higher Reserve price?
I have a 5-7 year old Trek mountain bike, hate it. Need to get back to a racer or nothing.
Probably sell both for one decent bike like last years Cannondale for $649 (no one likes that?) or buy that sweet, used, Sunfire subwoofer.

What, no audiophiles in here?
One obcession at a time?

alfeng

I'm certainly NOT the arbiter of what your LeJeune is worth, BUT I don't think you should sell it for less than $500.
Oh, your TREK MTB can be the interim platform for your "casual riding" bike ... just change the tires to "slicks" OR, if you are ambitious, you can put 700c wheels + ROAD tires on it ...

If you are really ambitious, you can use your TREK MTB frame, alone, as the basis for hanging all the rest of whatever components you want to use on it (see attachment). The pic is of a hardtail (but, you could certainly use a frame with a suspension) + carbon fiber fork + 700c wheels + various road components. If you choose quality parts, you can just move the majority of them over to a ROAD frame if you are incline to in the future.

What do you "hate" about your MTB?

BTW/IMO. That $649 for last year's Cannondale isn't worth the premium over whatever you get at TARGET as far as utility for you ... it would be akin to a Schwinn VARSITY from the 70s (not that there was anything necessarily wrong with that ... ). You know, at BOTH ends of the price spectrum, the difference isn't very great along the bell-curve -- look at how tight the price range was back in the 70s. The sweet spot (most bang for your buck) for a bike from an LBS is probably in the $1300-to-$2300 range.

Basically, any sub-$1000 retail-at-an-LBS bike will get you the equivalent of a low(est) end European bike from the 70s as far as components, fit & finish, not that there is anything wrong with that ... but, is that what you really want?

Attached Thumbnails

 

zeeto

Alrighty then, a $500 reserve it is. Since this isn't a bike you can comparision shop easily, I may as well go for the big bucks or nothing at all.

Hate might be strong, I just don't like the feel of the heavier bike, straight handlebars, big tires, etc. I grew up on Schwinn Continental, a bright yellow Concorde, and a couple Peugeots, all racing bikes with drop bars.
To me that's the feel I remember, soooo, I don't like the MTB very well.

Surprising, a list price of $929 doesn't get you substantiually more than one of those Wal-Mart Schwinns I hear they're selling now.

kdelong

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.

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zeeto

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

alfeng

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" ...

zeeto

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.

alfeng

No difference, per se.
I presume you're kidding about how much better the pre-1970 Schwinns were than the rest of the "balloon" tire bikes ...

zeeto

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.

alfeng

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.

zeeto

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

kdelong

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.

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.

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