Collin2424

There's nothing more exciting than thinking you found a deal on an amazing bike. There's nothing worse than finding out you just paid a grand for a mass-produced piece of trash. I hope this is somewhere in between, but closer to the former.

So I went to look at a bike today and decided not to buy it. The seller asked "well, what are you looking for?" I said "something around 58cm, vintage, high-end and a good project." He opened his garage door and my eyes glazed over. He had probably a hundred vintage bikes in there. Neither he nor I had time to pick through, but I saw a frame and fork that caught my attention. He said $80, I said $40, and I brought it home for $60. So, on to the frame...

It's been re-painted. This sucks. It's a nice paint job and I'll keep it like this, but there is NOTHING on this frame that may identify it as far as a brand. The only thing I see on both the frame and the fork are "Brev Campagnolo" on the dropouts. So, the form and frame match for the most part. That's a good start, right? It can't be a complete junker if it's got Campy dropouts up front and in back. It's also got the rear wheel adjustment screws (whatever those are called). As for the serial number, I've included a picture of it. The serial reads "301." Gee, not much help is it? All these factors are adding to the mystery of this frame and I can't help but be a tad excited. Also, the lugs are all semi heart-shaped as you can see in the pictures. I've seen that somewhere, but I'm too much of a vintage newbie to know where. I'm not expecting a De Rosa or a Colnago or anything, but if I could deem this a semi-worthy Italian frameset, I'd be ecstatic.

Oh, almost forgot...it's got a crankset. It's a Stronglite crankset. Is this a French bike? If it is, BBM is going to kill me. I promised him (and myself) I'd never buy another. But, it is what it is and the bottom bracket feels nice. So really, that's ALL I know of this frame. The seller knows even less about it than I do. So, without further adieu, here she is...



















Cheers,

-Collin-

Chombi

I see something unique/unusual, at least to me on the lower drive side seat stay. It looks like a brazed on guide for the RD cable casing. Haven't seen that before, but could give a clue to someone on the origins of the frameset. The Stronglight crank might not mean anything, anyone could put a Stronglight crank on any frame. Horizontal long slot rear dropouts and brazed on derailleur cable guides on top of the BB shell seems to say pre-80's frame. Funny how the front fork does not have any fender eyelets as the rear dropouts do. Could be a replacement fork on that frame.

Chombi

DRietz

Collin. Curious local minds want to know. Who is the mystery hoarder?

Young Version

Add me to this list, assuming you're one of the local minds.

Collin2424

Check out the braze-on cable guides along the bottom of the top tube as well. I've never seen that either. In fact, I can't really even figure out where the housings/cables are going to go if/when I build it up! By the way, isn't it fairly common to have braze-on eyelets on the rear and not on the front? Two of my other bikes are like this. Would you say this is higher or lower end?

His name is Ken and he's "not into the whole internet thing." He said this was one of the very few times he's listed something on Craigslist. Weird, eh? Shoot me a message if you want his contact details. I don't think he's mind, or I'll at least point you to his ad and you guys can get to talking. He's got a lot of cool stuff

-Collin-

DRietz

Good guy!

Beautiful frame, by the way. I really like the looks of it. And $60. Gar, you guys get all of the deals!

unterhausen

details are very French. It seems very likely that it had braze ons added. Usual questions are seat post size, bb threads, tubing size.

Chombi

What looks unusual about the stuff under the top tube is, the type of cable stops used are what you usually find as rear derailleur cable casing stops used on the drive side chainstays of most bikes. Bare brake cable routing under the top tube isn't that unusual though, some bikes in the 70's and some early 80's bike sported that. The front stop has a guide added on because it will help retain the rear brake cable housing from the brake lever on that first stop as you turn the handlebars while riding. The rear does not have the guide because the movement isn't so big back there with the caliper.
"unterhausen" must be correct about some of these braze-ons being custom add ons by a previous owner, as they seem to be unusual.
Hving eyelets on both front and rear of bikes is more of the norm, but there could have been some, including this one built to customer specs. This could be an older custom or special limited edition frame as the low number stamped on the BB seems to suggest too.
I wonder what tubing its made of. What seatpost diameter does it take? any idea what threadings it has??
Nice scalloped seat stay lower ends (instead of domed ends) plus the nice lug cutouts and very clean brazing job also suggest a higher end frame.

Chombi

mkeller234

Could the long Campy drop outs and single set of bottle bosses point to an early 70's frame?

Citoyen du Monde

You can almost be certain that it is a French frame. The way the brazing is scalloped around the drop-outs is typical of French frames. The little loop where you pass the rear derailleur cable on the rear drop-out is also typical of a small number of French builders. The fork crown is also reminiscent of a number of French manufacturers. You can confirm by measuring the tube diameters and check threading of BB.

Picchio Special

I'm betting it's a Lejeune. The details appear to be correct.

EjustE

Great deal and it looks french, but the fork is bent.

SJX426 

Is the fork bent or just looks that way from not having a head set to keep the steerer aligned with the head?

Picchio Special

Man, I wish the bent fork police would take a break.

CV-6 

I agree. The seat caps, the details at the rear drop. I would like to see the brake bridge. Very similar to a CdM frame.

cudak888 

Point #1: I question the originality of that fork to this frame. What happened to the fender eyelets?

I can't tell that well from here, but it looks like a modern crown. If it has continental oval blades, I'd be even more inclined to suspect a replacement.

I wish the bent fork police wasn't comprised of people who don't know anything about bent forks, and simply learned to parrot it from others.

That said, there is no reason why anyone should be ignorant about it; bent forks are important. Hence, there shall be a class on how to spot bent forks, beginning right now. We shall start with the first, absolutely paramount rule that bent-fork beginner spotters must remember at all times. It reads as follows:

Golden Rule #1: No headset? Shut up.

-Kurt

Picchio Special

Good observation, Kurt - the crown was one detail I wasn't sure of. I would expect to see a crown with curved points on either side rather than that forked deal that's on there. But then I haven't seen every model of Lejeune, so I didn't rule anything in or out in that regard.

cycle_maven

Well said! Albeit a little harsh, but well said!

KonAaron Snake 

As a bent fork novice, I am looking forward to the rest of the lessons.

SJX426 

I almost bought a SLX Bianchi frame set with fork until I noticed a deformation on the back inside surface of a fork leg. I could not quite understand how it was formed. Then I looked at the front inside of the opposite fork leg, another dent. Some one used an object to hold the fork in place while they twisted the stem out of the steerer tube! Celeste is a difficult color to see dents when it is not well waxed!

Didn't mean to hyjack the thread on what looks like a great frame set. How about some pic examples of a Lejeune for comparison?

BTW: is this french fork bent?

cudak888 

No, it isn't.

Now let me try without the bifocals.

Golden Rule #2: If the crown isn't centered, then the result is void.
Golden Rule #3: Never determine, via a photograph, that the blade on one side is bent by comparing it to the other side in the same photograph. Linear perspective will skew what you see.
Golden Rule #4: If a fork crown and/or crown race does not appear to be parallel with the lower head-tube race, you must examine closer. The steerer tube (single tube that runs up from the fork crown) may be bent.

That's it for BNTF1000, Introduction to Bent Forks I. Please sign up for BNTF1001 for Introduction to Bent Forks II.

-Kurt

Picchio Special

Dude, there's no headset! You just broke your own Golden Rule #1!

cudak888 

I just knew I was walking into a Monty Python skit...

-Kurt

SJX426 

That is great news!!!
Can you help me understand why I can't steer this thing?


One pic of a Lejeune?

The BB looks like a Stronglight as well. Is it French or Swiss threads?

love2pedal.com

Sorry, but all that I can think about when I saw your pictures was that my wife would go apesh#t if I put a dirty chainring like yours on the carpet.