Another Mystery French bike, not a Peugeot help!
11-09-08, 10:25 AM
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Another Mystery French bike, not a Peugeot help!
I'm not so sure what this bike is. The LBS helped me remove a stuck pedal and gutted the bottom bracket. It is a Campy bottom bracket. Threads are 35x1, that would indicate french I think...They said it was Italian but the bottom bracket spindle was 68MM...its got to be french.
The frame was repainted rather poorly. I'm pondering stripping all down or carefully sanding to see if I can find any decals. It has a Zeus bottom bracket cable clamp. I'm not sure if Zeus made french threaded frames. Its likely got campy drop outs. I can barely make out the letters on the drop.
The fork is interesting with very long pointy work. The components attached to it were all Campy. The rear derailleur was stamped 71. I'm guessing the brakes are of the same vintage. The crankset did not have a diamond or number stamped on to it.
https://img126.imageshack.us/my.php?image=0002410dp2.jpg
https://img75.imageshack.us/my.php?image=0002417bv6.jpg
https://img184.imageshack.us/my.php?image=0002418td3.jpg
The frame was repainted rather poorly. I'm pondering stripping all down or carefully sanding to see if I can find any decals. It has a Zeus bottom bracket cable clamp. I'm not sure if Zeus made french threaded frames. Its likely got campy drop outs. I can barely make out the letters on the drop.
The fork is interesting with very long pointy work. The components attached to it were all Campy. The rear derailleur was stamped 71. I'm guessing the brakes are of the same vintage. The crankset did not have a diamond or number stamped on to it.
https://img126.imageshack.us/my.php?image=0002410dp2.jpg
https://img75.imageshack.us/my.php?image=0002417bv6.jpg
https://img184.imageshack.us/my.php?image=0002418td3.jpg
11-09-08, 10:34 AM
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Let's see photos of the whole frame, seat stay cap treatment, brake bridge treatment, BB area. Seems a nicely done frame from what I see in photos provided.
11-09-08, 10:56 AM
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Heres a few more. I don't think it is a Motobecane. There is no serial number anywhere. It appears that the tubing is very thick where it joins the seatstay and then gets a little bitter thinner toward the bottom.
https://img444.imageshack.us/my.php?image=0002413rz7.jpg
https://img513.imageshack.us/my.php?image=0002419mi2.jpg
https://img444.imageshack.us/my.php?image=0002413rz7.jpg
https://img513.imageshack.us/my.php?image=0002419mi2.jpg
11-09-08, 11:13 AM
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Prugnats.
-Kurt
-Kurt
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11-09-08, 11:21 AM
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very interesting mix of features: it appears to have a rifled steering column: tell-tale for Columbus. If so, and the lugs do look sort of like Prugnats, but with looong points, coupled with the wrap-over seat stays and reinforcing tangs on the fork blades...I'm stumped. I doubt any Zeus would have Campy DOs or fork ends (they'd use their own), and there's no doubt of the FR BB shell, right? What size seatpost?
11-09-08, 11:31 AM
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I believe the lower Prugnat head lug on my '78 Guerciotti has the same long nozzle cut on it, but the length of it is camouflaged by the large cutout that sits in that area.
-Kurt
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11-09-08, 12:07 PM
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I dont know if the headset is french threaded or not. It is a Campy headset. The eyelets on the fork appear to be the same as the eyelets on the rear of the frame. I was questioning the fork being original or not and I think it is. Its not Columbus. I wish I could find out what it is. I think I am going to strip all the parts and sell the frame for amount. Its too bad there is no way to ID the frame.
If the frame was a rare french frame I'd keep it for the sake of personal pride. I think it ought to be a 650B conversion.
If the frame was a rare french frame I'd keep it for the sake of personal pride. I think it ought to be a 650B conversion.
11-09-08, 12:17 PM
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Remove the locknut for the headset. The threading should be on the inside.
11-09-08, 01:00 PM
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I would be inclined to say it is a Lejeune, but in all the photos I have of Lejeunes, the seat stays do not wrap that far around.
11-09-08, 03:13 PM
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Definitely Prugnat lugs, Nervex fork crown. Keep in mind that "French" threading is really metric threading and that the Swedes, Spanish, and Germans also sometimes used it, depending on the maker. I would think that the seat stay treatment combined with the lugs and threading would identify it fairly well. But I personally don't know what it is. 
Karl
Karl
