Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2005 22:40:40 +0100 From: Reitz-GmbH@t-online.de (Thomas Reitz) To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Subject: [CR]Please help me identify this Frame
Hello everybody.
I need some help.
Please look at this frame :
http://www.arcor.de/
The seat lug :
http://www.arcor.de/
The bottom bracket :
http://www.arcor.de/
There are no graphics or decals on the frame, at the right fork blade Is a Reynolds 531 decal, on the left blade is a Campagnolo decal. The fork is chromed, the frame is gold metallic, no chrome at all. The seat tube has a cream white segment. The threading of the bottom bracket is French, 35x1. Long Campagnolo dropouts with the little hole over the derailleur hanger. I have seen this seat lug, and this seat stay work before, but I cant remember On which manufacturer. The bottom bracket is stamped with RGF, in an ovalised circle.
I have received this frame with a terrible story: This was the bike from Rudi Altig (or one of his team members, which was ridden through the Tour de France. The person who gave this frame to me don't remember in which year. The team left a few bikes in France, for = Young riders !! I can't believe that. But this was the story.=20
Could this be the bike from the Margnat-Paloma team?
Does everybody seen such a frame in the past? Unfortunately this frame has a little crack in the chain stay.
I don't reach Rudi in the moment. I could ask him, but this was such a terrible story, I don't want that he thinks I am totally crazy now, So please have a look. Thank You very much.
Thomas Reitz
Wiesbaden / Germany
Hello Thomas: That seat cluster looks very LeJeune - ish to me. The BB is a Gargatte - very widely used back then (RGF = R. Gargatte et Freres). The top LeJeune model was the "Championnat du Monde." No chrome, usually red paint.
LeJeunes usually have a second braze-on for the rear derailleur cable housing loop on the chainstay where it joins the rear dropout (very cool IMO). Also, the stay joints look like a "fishmouth" where they meet the dropouts (also very cool...).
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Greg Parker
Ann Arbor, Michigan