To me, this bike appears to be French-but-not-LeJeune. Then again, the fork looks identical to the one on my LeJeune. Then again, many of these French bikes were made by subcontractors, so perhaps there was one atelier turning out nothing but tandem forks? The headset looks like the Bardon (?) unit that's on almost every old French tandem I've seen. Also, the blue part of the paint job can't be original, can it?
Most importantly, the serial number looks as if it was imprinted by a firm that was serious about this sort of thing. On French tandems from smaller manufacturers, the serial number was clearly an afterthought, if it was on the frame at all. So I have to _guess_ it's a Motobecane. Then again, every Motobecane (or LeJeune or Urago) tandem I've seen had MAFAC cantilever brakes without such beautiful mounting bosses as on this bicycle.
So that probably doesn't help much. I suppose you'll _have_ to
pull the cranks to check the BB threading... (If you've read
this far, just imagine that I've pursed my lips and I'm
shrugging my shoulders in that special French way.)
Best regards,
Fred Rednor - Arlington, Virginia (USA)
> this bike has its current owners stumped... so i took a bunch
> of
> pictures in hopes that someone here might be able to help...
>
> it says "early 80s" to me, *maybe* late 70s.
> oversize tandem headset.
> 531 tubeset.
> ovalized boom/boob/whatever tube.
> back-and-forth purple/red fade paint may or may not be
> original - i
> tend to think it is.
> serial # on stoker bb shell (see pics).
> seatstay caps appear to be cut and squashed (sorry for the
> bad pic -
> my cameras screen cut out about at this point, so i was
> shooting
> somewhat blind.
> double plate fork crown.
> entirely fillet brazed, smallish fillets.
> parts mix - suntour pedals, front der, shifters. weinmann
> centerpulls, ta crankset. huret rear der. specialized tandem
> hubs
> wilh non-drive drum threading.
> brazed-on centerpull bosses.
>
> there are parts that say "british" or "french" to me, but
> something
> overall about it says "american". just a gut feeling, but im
> hardly a
> tandem expert.
>
> i dont know frame sizes, seatpost sizes, or threadings,
> unfortunately, but i could probably find out if need be.
>
> pics at http://www.blackbirdsf.org/
>
> questions? need more pics? just ask, and ill get em as fast
> as i can...
>
> thanks for any help anyone can provide!
>
> i love a bike mystery... :)
>
> -joel
>
>
> --
> joel metz : magpie@blackbirdsf.org :
> http://www.blackbirdsf.org/
> bike messengers worldwide : ifbma :
> http://www.messengers.org/
> portland, oregon
> ==
> i know what innocence looks like - and it wasn't
> there,
> after she got that
> bicycle...
> _______________________________________________
>
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