Besides the fact that the Team Champion switched to Columbus at some point - my circa 1978 Team Champion is Columbus, I think they were really completely different frames, although sharing a Motobecane "family resemblance". Note that the Team Champion on eBay has no chrome except the fork crown. This minimal chrome was typical of Campy-equiped "team" models from French manufacturers in the 70's. The top French-equiped, all-531 DB models, like the LeChampion, on the other hand, usuall had half-chromed forks and stays. In the early 70's the LeChampion, designed for Mafac CP's probably had more wheel clearance than the LeChampion designed fpr Campy SP's. And I wouldn't be surprised to find small differeces in lugs, lug finishing and cutouts, fork rake and frame angles. I think the Team Champion and Le Champion were really two completely different bikes, not just the same frame with different components.
Regards,
Jerry Moos Big Spring, TX
Mark Bulgier <Mark@bulgier.net> wrote:
Jack Gabus wrote:
> Somebody explain to me what the difference is between
> the Team Champion and Le Champion besides the
> components when the put them together at the factory?
Well I'll take a swing at it - from memory, not to be considered reliable: Regular Champ had Reynolds tubing through its whole run. It had dropouts with eyelets, longer brake reach, and din't come in Bic orange.
Team had Columbus tubing later (though I see the '74 in the eBay auction was still Reynolds), dropouts were sharpened up (the rounded back edges were ground off leaving them more square), and the stay ends were chisel-shaped rather than Reynolds domes. Perhaps a shorter wheelbase and steeper angles too?
Talking about this auction:
http://ebay.com/
Does anyone think it will get even a single bid with such a high start, and such scraped up condition? The seatpost is too low (and not Campy), saddle and bar angles are ugly, and the stem is raised to an unsafe height - all easily fixed by the buyer, but a shame they weren't fixed by the seller, he'd get more money.
Mark Bulgier
Seattle WA USA