Yes - the people building frames for LeJeune clearly knew what they were doing. The finish details were sometimes lacking but the geometry was always "right" and the most important aspects of frame construction were never neglected.
I think this actually was one of the advantages of contract production. When we visited, the frames were actually painted at the LeJeune facility. I imagine that inspection was part of the process and frames with incomplete brazing or obviously bad alignement were probably sent back to St. Etienne or wherever...
Where is Norris Lockley? He must know all the details.
Cheers,
Fred Rednor - Arlington, Virginia (USA)
> I also think LeJeunes are special bikes. I've owned two, and
> despite the sometimes iffy paint and decals (like so many
> bikes had back then anyways), they are just "right" in many
> ways, and the workmanship is pretty good, IMO. My current one
> is a circa 1972 CdM (red, of course...) with the trademark
> seat cluster and stay treatments, plus that funky little
> brazed-on loop for the rear derailleur cable housing on the
> seatstay - gotta love that!
>
> Greg "a tout a l'heure" Parker
> Ann Arbor, Michigan
> (where it is still no longer 95 degrees F - yes!)
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