Selling a bike that's too good for me
#26
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I knew I'd get busted for that seatpost! Hey, it was the first months of the pandemic, I didn't have a silver post the right size, and couldn't find one anywhere. And I had a roll of black tape, but no red. Also, I never managed to learn much about LeJeunes, or what the original specs of this model might have been, or what model it is, or the year of manufacture. Around 1973-4? In building it up, I relied on semi-educated guesswork, and what I had in my parts bin at the time.
I suppose I could have been clearer in my original post. It's not that the bike is too good for me, really--I consider myself to be a good person with a certain amount of patina--but that I have also been working on downsizing for several years. I've owned as many as eight or nine bikes at one time (which is nothing around here, I realize), but I set myself the goal of whipping the total down to three. I now have a modern touring bike (a ten-year-old Long Haul Trucker 26); a Univega Viva Sport with studded tires for winter use, and a paint-challenged Gitane TDF for the fun of it.
So the LeJeune spot is already filled by the Gitane, and I am happy with that because the Gitane and I have a history, and the LeJeune and I don't. Here's hoping it goes to someone who specifically wants it.
I suppose I could have been clearer in my original post. It's not that the bike is too good for me, really--I consider myself to be a good person with a certain amount of patina--but that I have also been working on downsizing for several years. I've owned as many as eight or nine bikes at one time (which is nothing around here, I realize), but I set myself the goal of whipping the total down to three. I now have a modern touring bike (a ten-year-old Long Haul Trucker 26); a Univega Viva Sport with studded tires for winter use, and a paint-challenged Gitane TDF for the fun of it.
So the LeJeune spot is already filled by the Gitane, and I am happy with that because the Gitane and I have a history, and the LeJeune and I don't. Here's hoping it goes to someone who specifically wants it.
Did Big Chainring share with you all the info he had about the LeJeune? Would be good to know more about it.
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#27
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Haven't seen too many Gitane TdFs that I'd call pristine and too nice to ride. Those things tend to be more on the scruffy and loveable side. Yours probably has plenty of scratches already and you don't have to worry about it. They ride great too.
Did Big Chainring share with you all the info he had about the LeJeune? Would be good to know more about it.
Did Big Chainring share with you all the info he had about the LeJeune? Would be good to know more about it.
If memory serves, the bike came to big chainring via a swap meet, somewhere. I think it was picked up for him by a family member, and that he passed it on to me because it was a little too big. Maybe he'll chime in with more info, if he has any.
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#28
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Just my two cents...Ride the Lejeune. That’s what it wants. To be used. That is it’s purpose de vida.
Ask it if it cares if it gets a few chips and scratches. It will say no.
Ask it if it cares if it gets a few chips and scratches. It will say no.
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#29
Senior Member
I knew I'd get busted for that seatpost! Hey, it was the first months of the pandemic, I didn't have a silver post the right size, and couldn't find one anywhere. And I had a roll of black tape, but no red. Also, I never managed to learn much about LeJeunes, or what the original specs of this model might have been, or what model it is, or the year of manufacture. Around 1973-4? In building it up, I relied on semi-educated guesswork, and what I had in my parts bin at the time.
I suppose I could have been clearer in my original post. It's not that the bike is too good for me, really--I consider myself to be a good person with a certain amount of patina--but that I have also been working on downsizing for several years. I've owned as many as eight or nine bikes at one time (which is nothing around here, I realize), but I set myself the goal of whipping the total down to three. I now have a modern touring bike (a ten-year-old Long Haul Trucker 26); a Univega Viva Sport with studded tires for winter use, and a paint-challenged Gitane TDF for the fun of it.
So the LeJeune spot is already filled by the Gitane, and I am happy with that because the Gitane and I have a history, and the LeJeune and I don't. Here's hoping it goes to someone who specifically wants it.
I suppose I could have been clearer in my original post. It's not that the bike is too good for me, really--I consider myself to be a good person with a certain amount of patina--but that I have also been working on downsizing for several years. I've owned as many as eight or nine bikes at one time (which is nothing around here, I realize), but I set myself the goal of whipping the total down to three. I now have a modern touring bike (a ten-year-old Long Haul Trucker 26); a Univega Viva Sport with studded tires for winter use, and a paint-challenged Gitane TDF for the fun of it.
So the LeJeune spot is already filled by the Gitane, and I am happy with that because the Gitane and I have a history, and the LeJeune and I don't. Here's hoping it goes to someone who specifically wants it.
the Lejeune second owner did not baby the chrome, I ditched that at a respray. I have an earlier and a later bike plus one I bought just for color and color break matching.
an example with good chrome is rare.
#30
I completely restored an 80's Sannino. Pro paint, the works. Rode it twice and was terrified that I'd scratch it. Sold it.
#31
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it's actually too bad that we get trapped like this. I can understand if the bike (car, airplane, whatever) was truly a museum piece, like [MENTION=566038]Portlandjim[/MENTION]'s unridden black Singer, or a Confente built for Jonathan Boyer to ride the tour, then maybe just display it or sell it on. But things like that are more in the class of museum pieces than they are bikes.
[MENTION=114373]northbend[/MENTION] very generously let me ride that Hobbs around the block and what a hoot that was ! Thank you Matt !
I guess the point is that they are "just bikes".
I was talking to a guy at Pebble Beach some years ago who had a Porsche 917 restored by Canepa, hard to say what a car like that is worth but $15-20 million is not out of the question. Anyway, after he got a few laps on it, fresh out of paint, he got the nose right up behind another car on the track, a foot or two away. "Why" I asked. To get some stone chips and rubber streaks on the nose, because that is the way the car was when it was raced for real back in the day.
I liked that.
/markp
[MENTION=114373]northbend[/MENTION] very generously let me ride that Hobbs around the block and what a hoot that was ! Thank you Matt !
I guess the point is that they are "just bikes".
I was talking to a guy at Pebble Beach some years ago who had a Porsche 917 restored by Canepa, hard to say what a car like that is worth but $15-20 million is not out of the question. Anyway, after he got a few laps on it, fresh out of paint, he got the nose right up behind another car on the track, a foot or two away. "Why" I asked. To get some stone chips and rubber streaks on the nose, because that is the way the car was when it was raced for real back in the day.
I liked that.
/markp
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#32
The dropped
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it's actually too bad that we get trapped like this. I can understand if the bike (car, airplane, whatever) was truly a museum piece, like [MENTION=566038]Portlandjim[/MENTION]'s unridden black Singer, or a Confente built for Jonathan Boyer to ride the tour, then maybe just display it or sell it on. But things like that are more in the class of museum pieces than they are bikes.
[MENTION=114373]northbend[/MENTION] very generously let me ride that Hobbs around the block and what a hoot that was ! Thank you Matt !
I guess the point is that they are "just bikes".
I was talking to a guy at Pebble Beach some years ago who had a Porsche 917 restored by Canepa, hard to say what a car like that is worth but $15-20 million is not out of the question. Anyway, after he got a few laps on it, fresh out of paint, he got the nose right up behind another car on the track, a foot or two away. "Why" I asked. To get some stone chips and rubber streaks on the nose, because that is the way the car was when it was raced for real back in the day.
I liked that.
/markp
[MENTION=114373]northbend[/MENTION] very generously let me ride that Hobbs around the block and what a hoot that was ! Thank you Matt !
I guess the point is that they are "just bikes".
I was talking to a guy at Pebble Beach some years ago who had a Porsche 917 restored by Canepa, hard to say what a car like that is worth but $15-20 million is not out of the question. Anyway, after he got a few laps on it, fresh out of paint, he got the nose right up behind another car on the track, a foot or two away. "Why" I asked. To get some stone chips and rubber streaks on the nose, because that is the way the car was when it was raced for real back in the day.
I liked that.
/markp
#33
The dropped
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Bikes: Pake C'Mute Touring/Commuter Build, 1989 Kona Cinder Cone, 1995 Trek 5200, 1973 Raleigh Super Course FG, 1969 Raleigh Superbe: 1960/61 Montgomery Ward Hawthorne "thrift" 3 speed, by Hercules (sold), 1966 Schwinn Deluxe Racer (sold)
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I knew I'd get busted for that seatpost! Hey, it was the first months of the pandemic, I didn't have a silver post the right size, and couldn't find one anywhere. And I had a roll of black tape, but no red. Also, I never managed to learn much about LeJeunes, or what the original specs of this model might have been, or what model it is, or the year of manufacture. Around 1973-4? In building it up, I relied on semi-educated guesswork, and what I had in my parts bin at the time.
I suppose I could have been clearer in my original post. It's not that the bike is too good for me, really--I consider myself to be a good person with a certain amount of patina--but that I have also been working on downsizing for several years. I've owned as many as eight or nine bikes at one time (which is nothing around here, I realize), but I set myself the goal of whipping the total down to three. I now have a modern touring bike (a ten-year-old Long Haul Trucker 26); a Univega Viva Sport with studded tires for winter use, and a paint-challenged Gitane TDF for the fun of it.
So the LeJeune spot is already filled by the Gitane, and I am happy with that because the Gitane and I have a history, and the LeJeune and I don't. Here's hoping it goes to someone who specifically wants it.
I suppose I could have been clearer in my original post. It's not that the bike is too good for me, really--I consider myself to be a good person with a certain amount of patina--but that I have also been working on downsizing for several years. I've owned as many as eight or nine bikes at one time (which is nothing around here, I realize), but I set myself the goal of whipping the total down to three. I now have a modern touring bike (a ten-year-old Long Haul Trucker 26); a Univega Viva Sport with studded tires for winter use, and a paint-challenged Gitane TDF for the fun of it.
So the LeJeune spot is already filled by the Gitane, and I am happy with that because the Gitane and I have a history, and the LeJeune and I don't. Here's hoping it goes to someone who specifically wants it.
I've sold on bikes that I enjoyed restoring and riding, and seeing how the new owners were excited for the chance to have my bike was a different but just as precious kind of joy.
#34
Newbie
selling a bike too valuable.
I find myself riding my 2nd tier, maybe 3rd tier, bikes the most.
It may be that my primary surface is a gravel/dirt rail trail, but my two Peugeot UO9's are the first choice.
They cost $20 and free, but 700x38 Gravel Kings fit perfectly. And my son gave me two pair of the tires with minimal wear from his fancy Specialized Diverge.
Indestructible and cheap like me. And my excuse is built in when I get dropped.
It may be that my primary surface is a gravel/dirt rail trail, but my two Peugeot UO9's are the first choice.
They cost $20 and free, but 700x38 Gravel Kings fit perfectly. And my son gave me two pair of the tires with minimal wear from his fancy Specialized Diverge.
Indestructible and cheap like me. And my excuse is built in when I get dropped.
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#35
Senior Member
turns out many were repainted fully or in part before delivery as the finish was not expected to be acceptable.
#36
Senior Member
it's actually too bad that we get trapped like this. I can understand if the bike (car, airplane, whatever) was truly a museum piece, like [MENTION=566038]Portlandjim[/MENTION]'s unridden black Singer, or a Confente built for Jonathan Boyer to ride the tour, then maybe just display it or sell it on. But things like that are more in the class of museum pieces than they are bikes.
[MENTION=114373]northbend[/MENTION] very generously let me ride that Hobbs around the block and what a hoot that was ! Thank you Matt !
I guess the point is that they are "just bikes".
I was talking to a guy at Pebble Beach some years ago who had a Porsche 917 restored by Canepa, hard to say what a car like that is worth but $15-20 million is not out of the question. Anyway, after he got a few laps on it, fresh out of paint, he got the nose right up behind another car on the track, a foot or two away. "Why" I asked. To get some stone chips and rubber streaks on the nose, because that is the way the car was when it was raced for real back in the day.
I liked that.
/markp
[MENTION=114373]northbend[/MENTION] very generously let me ride that Hobbs around the block and what a hoot that was ! Thank you Matt !
I guess the point is that they are "just bikes".
I was talking to a guy at Pebble Beach some years ago who had a Porsche 917 restored by Canepa, hard to say what a car like that is worth but $15-20 million is not out of the question. Anyway, after he got a few laps on it, fresh out of paint, he got the nose right up behind another car on the track, a foot or two away. "Why" I asked. To get some stone chips and rubber streaks on the nose, because that is the way the car was when it was raced for real back in the day.
I liked that.
/markp
I doubt any owner would want to return one of the bikes bike as to original.
#37
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All my bikes are too good for me. Hell my girlfriend is too good for me. I just thought it meant I was lucky.
#39
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Perhaps "too good" is not quite the right phrase, but more, "not quite matching the intended use". I modify my bikes to suit my own use - leather saddle, retro LED lights, new saddle bag, new brake pads, replace cables as needed, new tires, etc. I make concessions to getting the bike on the road and into a safe and ride-ready state. I've sold a couple bikes that were basically mint and original down to the perishable parts because I thought it inappropriate to start modifying for my own use. In those cases, the buyers were people who collected old bikes and wanted a really pristine and original example of something. It was in deference to the originality of the bikes. But these were rare exceptions. Almost all of my bikes are pretty humble riders where it's perfectly OK to change cables or tires, or put in LED lightbulbs, etc.
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#40
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Perhaps "too good" is not quite the right phrase, but more, "not quite matching the intended use". I modify my bikes to suit my own use - leather saddle, retro LED lights, new saddle bag, new brake pads, replace cables as needed, new tires, etc. I make concessions to getting the bike on the road and into a safe and ride-ready state. I've sold a couple bikes that were basically mint and original down to the perishable parts because I thought it inappropriate to start modifying for my own use. In those cases, the buyers were people who collected old bikes and wanted a really pristine and original example of something. It was in deference to the originality of the bikes. But these were rare exceptions. Almost all of my bikes are pretty humble riders where it's perfectly OK to change cables or tires, or put in LED lightbulbs, etc.
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#41
If I own it, I ride it
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#42
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Kind of relevant to this thread - a friend had a 289 Cobra he bought in the early 80s and he loved driving that car. The values started escalating and about 10 years ago he sold it since it had become so valuable that he was no longer comfortable driving it. The joy behind the wheel was gone.
If the discomfort outweighs the joy, time to let go.
My 2 cents…
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#43
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It is, Joe. And yes, the Singer was such a well balanced bike and it made you feel all pretty inside when riding it :-)
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#44
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I get the sentiment. I had a 1954 Hetchin's Magnum Opus fall in my lap in a trade for a considerably less valuable (yet full of sentiment for the guy who suggested the trade) bicycle. It certainly was nicely made, but it was so ostentatious that I felt self-conscious every time I rode it. Granted, I don't mind some attention when I'm out for a ride, but it overwhelmed me. Yes, I know it was all inside my head, but I feel better now that it has a new home with someone who presumably doesn't have that same issue.
That Le Jeune is lovely. Fortunately, it is also about 20 sizes too large for me. Whatever the reason, if you feel it appropriate to pass a bike on, let it go. Don't do it rashly, lest you regret it later, but if it's time, it's time.
That Le Jeune is lovely. Fortunately, it is also about 20 sizes too large for me. Whatever the reason, if you feel it appropriate to pass a bike on, let it go. Don't do it rashly, lest you regret it later, but if it's time, it's time.
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#45
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Follow your muse, Jon. If it's any comfort I'm delighted with the PX10 you sold me, and I was just fiddling with it. It's next up for a ride this weekend.
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Curator/Team Mechanic: 2016 Dawes Streetfighter, 1984 Lotus Eclair, 1975 Motobecane Jubile Mixte, 1974 Raleigh Sports, 1973 Free Spirit Ted Williams, 1972 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Philips Sport
#46
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Sure, I once ditched a beautiful, wonderful deRosa Professional because I didn't want to change out the Croce d'Aune gruppo to something that would work better for me. But I was never afraid of beating it up.
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● 1971 Grandis SL ● 1972 Lambert Grand Prix frankenbike ● 1972 Raleigh Super Course fixie ● 1973 Nishiki Semi-Pro ● 1979 Motobecane Grand Jubile ●1980 Apollo "Legnano" ● 1984 Peugeot Vagabond ● 1985 Shogun Prairie Breaker ● 1986 Merckx Super Corsa ● 1987 Schwinn Tempo ● 1988 Schwinn Voyageur ● 1989 Bottechia Team ADR replica ● 1990 Cannondale ST600 ● 1993 Technium RT600 ● 1996 Kona Lava Dome ●