Originally Posted by
T-Mar
For its era, the P19 would have sat around the transition from entry level to mid-range. The downsides are the Carbolite 103 (hi-tensile) frame, French threads, metric tubing and components, and 27" wheels. The upside is that almost all the componets are aluminum, resulting in a reasonably light bicycle. The Simplex SX610T was a decent derailleur. Nothing great but not poor.
For a fair comparison, we'd need to known the exact vintage of your Miyata 310 but I'd rate the Miyata higher. Typically, Miyata exhibited noticeably better workmanship. Even the oldest verison of the 310 featured a CrMo main triangle. The Suntour and Shimano systems tended to shift better. Early 310 were about the same weight as the P19 but later ones were lighter. Finally, you don't have to deal with the idiosyncrasies of the early 1980s French bicycle industry.
The Miyata 310 seems to be a 1981 model produced in early 1982. Compared to the Peugeot the components are definitely better, including Suntour Arx derailleurs. The only thing I like better about the Peugeot is the frame. The geometry is more comfortable than the Miyata and the ride quality is nicer. Also maybe because it's straight gauge I don't feel road vibrations as much on the Peugeot. The Miyata can give a very bumpy ride on badly paved city streets. Also, for some reason the Miyata is less balanced--kind of like a sword that is out of balance. The handlebars, stem, headset altogether seem heavier than the Peugeot's, making it slightly more likely to tip over to one side.