sloar 

Every once in awhile I see one that I have to have. I’m in Florida on vacation and this popped up on Craigslist back home. The price was low enough to chance it so I had a buddy pick it up for me. Looks like a good cleaning and new cables, tires and cloth tape it should be a fun rider.

bikemig 

Personally I don't think there is anything to hate about gaspipe frames and the best ones, IMO, are the French ones. I especially like ones like this with contrasting headtube and/or pinstriping. They're cool in an old school way and more than a little funky. I've had a few pass through my shop but I'd love to find one from the 60s with wingnuts.

The delrin shifters and front derailleur are likely weak points on this bike. The RD tends to be OK. Alloy wheels and crank will improve the ride quality. The brakes are quite good and the hoods look to be in decent shape. So does the saddle. The quality of the headsets and bottom brackets tend to be pretty decent on older French bikes. Parts are not difficult to find.

sloar 

I’m leaving this all original, it will make a nice slow cruiser with the family. I’ve got enough fast bikes. Looks over function on this one.

jdawginsc 

I love my Favorit gas pipe...eventually I will restore/refurbish it.

markk900

Great lugs on that one....nice score.

bikemig 

It wouldn't surprise me if the clamp on that front derailleur is cracked. The downtube shifters are a bit iffy as well. The RD should be fine but the derlin on the shifters and the FD doesn't tend to hold up. Other than that, the parts, other than the consumables, on the bike are likely fine.

Moisture

Whats wrong with gas pipe frames?

cyccommute 

Everything is wrong with “gas pipe” frames. That Juenet isn’t a “gas pipe” framed bike. Gas pipe bikes don’t typically have lugs, much less painted and pinstriped lugs. The aluminum cotter pin crank is also a clue to the higher quality of this bike. Steel cottered cranks are common. Aluminum, not so much. I can also find lots of Franche Comte Jeunet bikes referenced on Google and most of them claim a “Reynolds 531” frame. Not gas pipe.

bikemig 

Gaspipe is commonly used to refer to hi tensile steel AFAIK. This bike looks to be exactly that.

dddd

Looks like the equivalent of a UO8 so likely seamed tubing and with thick enough walls to still be pretty strong for road riding.

Examples from France and Austria have been favorites of mine, this one has a great look to it.

Lower-tier Shimano derailers from the mid-'70's make good replacements for fragile Simplex gear imo.
I cleaned up a Titlist rear derailer recently and found it to shift really well over a 13-28t freewheel, looked good to even on my Bianchi Nuovo Racing beater.

repechage

You know, but check the inserting of the stem into the steerer .... looks marginal

the low tier French bikes often did not get dumbed down geometry, so they ride above their price point.

cyccommute 

Yes, “gas pipe” usually refers to high tensile steel. But “looks” can be deceiving. Just looking at a bicycle won’t tell you what tubing was used to build it. If you pay attention to detail, you can usually see differences that show the bike isn’t made from “gas pipe”. The first clue on this one is the two-tone paint. The second clue is the higher quality Mafac brakes. Third clue is the aluminum cottered crank. Forth clue is what appears to be Mafac brake levers and the lack of suicide levers. This bike may not be the highest quality bike but it’s not “a gas pipe” bike.

bikemig 

Good to know you're agreeing with me and everyone else on this thread starting with the OP who knows what a hi tensile steel French bike is all about @ CC.

sloar 

I won’t know details until Saturday when I get home. It will definitely be taken apart and cleaned. I’ll post better pics once I get it finished.

merziac

Wait for it......

3alarmer 

.
...subscribing.

non-fixie 

Which makes them the benchmark, rather than an anomaly, IMO.

randyjawa 

The OP certainly has a right to his opinion and in choosing what he wants to hate (pretty strong word). In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with "gas pipe" frame bicycles. First of all, there is not a bike on Earth made out of gas pipe. I doubt that many Bike Forum members even know what gas pipe is.

Gas pipe is for moving flammable gas and is darn sturdy stuff. Pick up a piece of black iron pipe (ordinary pipe), or high tensile steel pipe and then pick up a similar sized piece of gas pipe. The gas pipe is twice as heavy, thanks to a much thicker wall. Many, if not most, entry level vintage bicycles are made from high tensile tubes and do sport lugs...


Lower end bikes are, generally, more comfortable to ride for the average, or even skilled, rider. The geometry is more relaxed than that of most higher end higher performance bikes. I do not say that based on what I have read or heard others say. I base that opinion on personal experience. I have found, restored and ridden dozens of high end, exotic tubed, name brand lugged/drops bicycles...


And, I have found, restored and ridden just as many lower end steeds...


Make no mistake, I would not turn my nose up at finding, restoring and riding another high ender but I will no longer be fooled by the hype that surrounds them...


Anyone who hates this bike is, in my mind, being unfair. Ride it and then tell me what a dog it is. You just might reconsider your opinion about less exotic steeds...


All that said, I do respect the opinions of others, even though I might disagree with the other guy's or gal's.

3alarmer 

merziac

@randyjawa

I was going to post earlier that it is a ridiculous misnomer, gas pipe being black steel pipe and cast iron in the early days for natural gas, I get the parity but it is still a stretch imo.

sloar 

Please don’t take what I say too seriously. Gaspipe was just a silly reference and I’ve never met a bike I didn’t like.

bikemig 

Only one person took that seriously . . .



Everyone else understood what you were saying.

merziac

We may be onto something.

BFisher

Proceed with caution. Low end French bikes have an uncanny way of multiplying.

You may find yourself looking around and thinking, "How did I get here? What have I done?"

cyccommute 

I’m not agreeing with you. “Gas pipe” bikes are things like Schwinn Varsity. Heavy cheaply made steel bikes. They don’t have a lot of attention to detail. If the bike doesn’t have an integrated hanger, it’s much more likely to be made of thick high tensile steel. This one is more refined than that.