WGB 

Just sold my last complete spare bike and now looking for an easy project.

Assuming it's still there, per ad,
CA$50"Vintage 1970s Le Jeune 10 speed road bike. Needs some work but great for a collector or cycling enthusiast looking for a project". Looks like a simple boom bike but the brakes with suicide levers could be aftermarket. Worth rebuilding, probably not but just asking out of boredom....Paging @bertinjim....

juvela

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Brake levers -

anodizing on pivot pin appears orangish in photo which would mean "Schwinn Approved"

Typical kitting for an A08 type machine of the circa 1970 time:

Atom hubs

Universel chainset

Lyotard model Nr. 36 pedals

Gourgaud headset

Huret 700 Luxe front mech with Allvit rear

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front rim appears to have been replaced with alloy whilst rear remains steel

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Perhaps we should have some input from our favourite aircraft carrier @CV-6...

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bertinjim 

"....now looking for an easy project." Uh, oh. Cottered cranks? Check. Unique French Metric threaded parts? Check. Unique freewheel remover configuration? Check. After market Weinmann 144 levers instead of Mafacs? Check. Wrong Mafac hoods on levers? Check. French dimension 21.85 mm stem? Check. At least all the parts are there and I can lend you the French tools. Really, there has got to be at least $50 worth of fun there.

WGB 

Its up North a bit but I have to go visit family near by and as I said I need a project. I have access to a cotter press and might be able to borrow tools or maybe make do with what I have. I do have a set of Universal levers sitting around gathering dust

Not sure I wouldn't regret it. I swore off French threaded bikes after the two Gitanes because of the headaches and I know there will be better choices popping up over the winter but still....

bikemig 

Better choices than old French bikes . . . .

I don't think so.

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...nch-bikes.html

bertinjim 

WGB-

Keep the Weinmanns, remove the turkey levers, saw off the extension to the brake pivot, install Dia-Compe rubber hoods and done. (They used Weinmann levers for a long time because Mafac refused to make "safety" extension levers so quite a legit OEM installation.) Got to be nearly $50 worth of fun right there!

WGB 

I'll see it to more morning. Will post if I take it

Bianchigirll 

Nice bell

WGB 

Just an update

I grabbed it and it appears the bike had been stored for "many years" inside by its original owner. New owner seems to have put it outside in the rain for the past few months before listing it for sale. Original levers (probably Mafac) were thrown out and replaced with Dia-Compe ones with suicide levers because they were "safer".

Reasonable condition for the frame with rust just starting. I will clean and polish the frame and decide what path forward.

The components are in far better shape than the frame. There is slight scraping on underside of the RD which is Huret Svelto. FD is Sachs might be a 700? Brakes are Mafac Racers (I have a spare set of levers but no hoods as of yet). Cranks are Universels (cotters popped out) and cotters undamaged. Bar is unmarked though stem is Pivo. I left the wrap on as it seems cleanable and maybe savable. haven't even touched the wheelset or freewheel but tires are tight as a drum. Pedals might be Lyotard but have no markings that I noticed.

As you can see they might be worth a better build.

I happen to have a PX-10 frame within arms reach....... luckily it's too small for me.










Ps @Bianchigirll it does have a nice bell!!

juvela

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Thanks for the update.

Excellent work there!

In case it is of interest, Freres Huret offered natural rubber covers for these shift levers -




Will you be building new wheels for the project or do you have some on hand you intend to employ in order to get rid of les jantes d'acier?

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bertinjim 

WGB -

Looks to be cleaning up nicely! I have a set of black, full cover Mafac brake hoods if you need them. Rustines makes shift lever cover replacements: Protecteur de levier Campagnolo - Rustines

repechage

Looks very well detailed.
I suggest as it has been outside for a while is to back off the front derailleur adjuster screws a bit- like 2.5 turns each and oil the pivots, then work the lubricant into the mechanism by pushing it through it's range a number of times.
These work well but can get stiff just at the limits, by flexing the unit beyond its range, it makes the shifting smoother after it is adjusted back in.

juvela

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The bicycle's front mech is Huret model 700. It launched in 1966 and served as companion for various Luxe and Svelto gear ensembles. The Sachs name not appropriate here as bicycle predates Sachs acquisition of Huret by roughly eight years.




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Frame -

headlugs: BOCAMA pattern 110/I

seatlug: BOCAMA pattern T

fork crown: BOCAMA welded

bottom bracket shell: Gargatte

dropouts: NERVEX Ref. 1037

pump pegs: NERVEX Ref. 845

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WGB 

Will you be building new wheels for the project or do you have some on hand you intend to employ in order to get rid of les jantes d'acier?

I have a set of black, full cover Mafac brake hoods if you need them.

Folks, I simply am in a bind here.

The frame has more rust than I thought. These morons left a good bike out to die in the rain. I cleaned it and polished the paint as best as I could and then I waxed it. I might try aluminum foil (if it won't chip the paint any further). It's really too bad because it was a nice frame but unsure if I will build it back up. The parts truly seem better than the frame. Unfortunately, finding a better French frame might be hard.

Wheelset are both Rigida and both are steel (very light rust on front and a bit more on rear). Hubs shone up nicely. Can't read the name on the rims but hubs will have to be cleaned out as front hardly turns.

Freewheel is indeed Atom and marked SGDG. I was in a rush and might have made a mistake but it seems I counted it as a 14/26 so will have to recheck tomorrow. It was also marked "Made in France" so could it be threaded for the North American market?

I forgot to say that while I was visiting with my parents someone reached into my truck and took the winged Maillard wheel quick releases from the front wheel which is unfortunate.


While we are talking about French shifters, does anyone know these ones?? I think they are Sach Huret Lux but not sure.





Ps - And this will break someone's heart, I met a young man today who had a Lejeune he got cheap "it had a name stamped into the seat stays". He cut the frame up to make a cool stool for his garage......

juvela

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This pattern of shift lever launched ~1978 as Huret.

Sachs acquisition of Huret was somewhere between 1979-80.

Beginning 1978 parts are marked with a four digit date code. You may find one on the mounting clamp. The first two digits are the week of the year and the second two are the year.




Here is the earliest version of this set, shown without cutout. From the catalogue of 1978 -



The cutouts on Huret shift levers came in during 1979.

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Frame rust -

How about giving it an OA bath followed by treatment with a FrameSaver type product?

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WGB 

Have almost cleared all rust issues. Not happy with the inside of the headset cups and will try polishing to see if they might be salvaged.

I could ask on mechanics forum but since we're here...

@juvela @bertinjim
A 36mm BB wrench is too small by a hair for the fixed cup. Do I need a 37mm wrench (is there such an animal?)?

Also I'm told Park makes a freewheel tool that will fit an Atom freewheel (I checked on the Bay and they show an FR4). Anyone know if that's correct?

bertinjim 

WGB-

My BB wrenches are sized 36 or 40 - why take out the fixed cup anyway? Just repack with grease and pop the bearings back in. If you must, try and get a great honking adjustable wrench with a flat jaw edge (a tapered jaw edge will slip) and re-seat the adjustable cup and then bolt the adjustable wrench to the fixed cup side using a quick release or a threaded rod and washers. Remember that a French BB is "normal" in its threading directions. Is your Atom freewheel a 2 prong or a 20 toothed splined one? I have a Park FR-2 and you are welcome to borrow it or the Atom splined.

Edit: Just checked the FR-4 on line so it looks like you need the splined Atom remover.

WGB 

@berttinjim

I was going to try and save the fixed cup while I debate the future of this bike. Due to the paint condition it will never be a show bike and so if I try to off-load around here it'll be a $75-90 bike so might keep the group set and just rebuild with some older Shimano/Suntour stuff (if any fit).

I was thinking that , no matter what I have to get the Atom off and so I'll check with the co-op to see if they have the FR-4 (IIRC they do). It still spins well but the Atom hubs were dirty and so I'll have to re-grease if I keep the wheelset.

WGB 

@bertinjim

I was going to try and save the fixed cup while I debate the future of this bike. Due to the paint condition it will never be a show bike and so if I try to off-load around here it'll be a $75-90 bike so might keep the group set and just rebuild with some older Shimano/Suntour stuff (if any fit).

I was thinking that , no matter what I have to get the Atom off and so I'll check with the co-op to see if they have the FR-4 (IIRC they do). It still spins well but the Atom hubs were dirty and so I'll have to re-grease if I keep the wheelset.

Oops! Just saw you have the Atom. We'll have to meet for coffee...

bertinjim 

Coffee sounds like a plan. We can set a time and date.

juvela

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wrt fixed cup removal -

you might wish to consider the acquisition of one of the compression types which work on everything.

they can be employed for both removal and installation.

one american brand i can recall is the kingsbridge.

alternately one can fashion their own instrument based on a large bolt. one forum thread discussing such a device -

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...-cup-tool.html

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