[CR]Renovating Lejeunes

(Example: Framebuilders:Richard Moon)

From: "Norris Lockley" <Norris.Lockley@btopenworld.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Date: Thu, 16 Sep 2004 00:56:39 +0100
Subject: [CR]Renovating Lejeunes

About twenty years ago I used to retail LEJEUNE cycles tandems and frames. The range was limited but did include kids stuff, city bikes, several tandems, a couple of track bikes and about six road racing bikes.

I never noticed any difference in the actual style of lettering used on the transfers - they were invariably a stylised block letter, always white and always edged in a thin black line. The top-end racing frames were always painted a bright red, not quite Ferrari, but with a very slight hint of cherry in it.

I have recently won an auction for a 56cms LEJEUNE "Champion De France" bike, which like most of the top-end bikes was equipped with Campagnolo record kit, including L/F hubs.. I was lucky to win it for 230 euros and to be able to pick it up in Creteil, not far from the factory. The seller had had it from new. Answering this question for the List has caused me to reflect on my decision that the bike was probably early 80s. Having looked through a couple of Lejeune catalogues for that era I realise that the transfers were different in that the same typ-face was used, but it was printed in black on a white panel, rather like the style used by Colnago in the 70s.

Other lejeune "Sports racing " bikes came in a variety of colours including orange, light blue metallicm lime green metallic, gold, silver etc

A couple of pros who did well for Lejeune are Lucuen Van Impe and Roger Legeay, the latter being the Diecteur Sportif for Credit Agricole.

Norris Lockley

Settle, UK