tlynch

One owner (me), rode lots and well taken care of from 1984 to 1990. Still has all the stickers that I know of. Garage stored since then, been hanging in my current garage since 2016. In about 1992 I thought about riding it again, so I took it to a reputable bike shop for a full clean and tune up. Then rode it down the street, freaked out about wiping out (LOL) and never rode it again. Mostly because I broke 220lbs.


I am finally ready to admit I'll never ride this again and no one I know wants it.

With the info below, what kind of value can I expect to get in Ohio?

Silver 12-speed with chrome lower front forks, shifters on down tube. No rust, but definitely some scratches, but nothing through the paint.
Bottom bracket still has the original sticker: LEJEUNE FRANCE RC (USA) 04/94
Bottom bracket stamped: MODELE VITUS DEPO?E (there's what looks like a drain hole where the ? is. Might be an S)
Sticker on front of head tube, down tube, seat tube, sides of top tube and one on underside of down tube. Some are scratched.
Top Tube near the Head Tube sticker: Cafe.
Down tube sticker: Logo "L<blue white red flag>", then Silver sticker with black letters "LEJEUNE".
Seat tube sticker: Vertical version of sticker on down tube.
Drop Out bracket is stamped: 1298
Handle cross bar stamped with a "triangle" with ITM inside.
Brake handles: SULKY
Brake derailleurs: Rear is Simplex SX410, front is Simplex with "Brevate Made in France" stamped on the frame side of the cage.
Wheel sticker: MAVIC Made in France Module <<E>> 700 C (original)
Tires are 700x25C 110psi (not the original)
Brake Bridge has CLB logo.
Brake arms stamped with CL 48-55
Wheel clamp arms: Spidel
Toe Clamps: SL 2000
Pedals: Lyotard 82
Rear gear "disk" stamped: PATENTED Huret MADE IN FRANCE
All the joints are clean with no sign of welds.
I will attach a photo after I reach 10 posts...

Thank you for the advice.

CliffordK

@tlynch's Album:
https://www.bikeforums.net/g/user/559825
https://www.bikeforums.net/g/album/26524521



Bikes take better photographs if you pull them down off the ceiling, and then take some closeups of some of the components.

CliffordK

If you can find a sticker that tells the tubing type (Reynolds, Columbus, etc), that would help.

Based on the components I don't think the bike would be super valuable. Can you weigh the bike? Luggage scale?

I'm thinking perhaps somewhere around $300, or perhaps a little more with recent inflation.

tlynch

Yea, it was almost 11pm here when my brain decided I should try to figure all this out. I actually had it off the hooks a number of times, just never took a photo of it leaning against anything. I was trying to be quiet since the wife was just above asleep.

I'll shrink the photos I took and post them after I get ten posts elsewhere.

tlynch

Hmm, where would I find that? The only other sticker than what I wrote about is one that just has some blue numbers. It's on the underside of the down tube. It was covered with dirt and I didn't notice there was actually numbers on it till after I made my original post.

Thank you for the rough estimate.

zukahn1 

I don't see one from the pics normally the tubing sticker is on the seat tube either just above the bottom bracket or just below the seat lug.

repechage

A pretty late bike, lugless construction, possibly contracted out, similar to what MBK and Peugeot were doing for sport bikes at the end.
Interesting for its place in fabrication history. Not really a desired bike for construction style.
cut and folded seat stay caps, definitely series production money saving.
Hopefully the bike has 700c wheels.
Not a goldmine. The market is transportation.

CliffordK

I think someone said that Peugeot used some kind of internal lug on some of their bikes. It is difficult to visualize from the outside, but likely could be seen if one removes the headset, or bottom bracket.

The bike above does have strengthening rings brazed onto the head tube.

tlynch

3rd try...
There's no stickers on the seat tube except for the LEJEUNE. As far as I can remember, there never was.
I've added better photos in my profile's album.
Bike does have 700C wheels.

TugaDude

Forum member CV-6 is an expert on LeJeune bicycles and may be able to comment on this one in particular.

seypat

Stamped dropouts and a claw RD hanger probably means Hi Ten tubing. That may be the reason for no tubing sticker. It looks like entry level similar to a Carbolite Peugeot. Basic transportation. Value most likely similar to a Carbolite Peugeot, whatever those are worth.

TugaDude

The bottom line here I think is this is a bike with limited appeal to any vintage collectors as it is very low-end. Therefore, the value is going to be as a rider, basic transportation, as described by seypat.

The last maintenance was so long ago that it is obsolete at this point. The tires may or may not last, and the buyer will likely need to replace fairly quickly. Tubes probably will be OK, if they were in good shape last time it was ridden. That's based on my experience, this bike may not follow that expectation.

I'd put it on the local Craigslist at $150.00 and be ready to take offers.

T-Mar

It's rare to see a post 1970s Le Jeune. Unfortunately, rare does not always mean valuable. Lugless construction plus stamped dropouts equates to an entry level model. My valuation aligns with TugaDude. $150 max and likely less.

T-Mar

Peugeot used a lugless, internal brazing process, whereby preformed doughnuts of brazing material were placed inside the frames, at a tube joint. Whem heated, the doughnut melted and capillary action drew some of the brazing material through the mitred joint. A large fillet formed on the inside, with a smaller fillet on the outside. The advantage of this system was that the joint quality could be dtermined by visually examining the parameters of the external fillet. With lugs, either external or internal, there's no convenient way to determine joint quality. Peugeot also cliamed that it wasd stronger and lighter than using lugs. Motobecane/MBK used a simlar process which they called Inexternal Brazing. I believe that Gitane also used a similar process.

CliffordK

Around here, nothing other than rusty piles of junk are advertised for less than $200.

Be willing to negotiate with the right buyer, but I'd probably start at around $300, then perhaps drop the price to $200.

repechage

$300 I think is a strong price.