Bicycle Mechanics - upgrading my dad's peugeot (pics)

Hey everyone

I have my dad's old Peugeot City Express which I'd like to upgrade. It's a dorky looking slow bike, but boy does it ride nice (steel, you know). So anyway I'd like to upgrade some parts and was hoping for some advice. I was thinking about changing the crank to a single speed... I only ever change the rear gears occasionally when going up steep hills. I also want to switch to moustache bars and a bar end shifter(s). The wheels are both out of true so I'll get those fixed although I was thinking of upgrading to some better ones. I'll also be changing the petals and seat, but that can wait till last.
So anyway, what do you think? I've never messed with a bike before and although I've been tons of research I'm still a bit confused and would appreciate any advice or info you could give!
Here's some pics (http://www.flickr.com/photos/71654823@N00/sets/72157594179371595/)
thanks much
Christina

i have 2 of thoose bikes and they do ride nice, you have the one made in canada, which are pretty light. i personally would just ride it as is. true the rims and maybe so lower profile tires. but its up to you.

I guess I should also mention that I plan on riding this bike all over the place... commuting, some gravel roads, minimal off-road.

Broomhandlde, I like the setup on your darker blue one. Lower profile tires and fenders seem like a good idea. Maybe I'll leave the rest as is, but I do need different handlebars. I have carpal tunnel and need a variety of hand positions which is why I was thinking moustache. And there's something about bar end shifters that really appeals to me, but I don't know how hard they would be to install.

the lower profil tires make a big difference on road. as for a different handle bar i agree. if you have carpal tunnel, i would get the handle bars more upright. you can always get some ape hangers, and keep your thumb shifters. but if you like bar ends you can go that route as well. nashbar.com has them for 9.95:

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=92&subcategory=1049&brand=&sku=13586&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

Thanks for the link. I was looking for shifters to go with the moustache bar but it seems that most are for ten speed bikes? I think the pugeot is an 18 speed... six in the rear, three in the front = 18, right? Would I have to do major changes for that to work? I suppose I'd also have to get new brake handles.

One more question. If I were to get road bars could I keep the thumb shifters? I'd assume that I could just mount them on the upper part of the bar, but am I wrong?

One more question. If I were to get road bars could I keep the thumb shifters? I'd assume that I could just mount them on the upper part of the bar, but am I wrong?
You could, but I prefer barcons.

well, my Peugeot City Express "made in japan" is a 12 speed, and ist all original. i also have a US Express made in Canada (the teal and white one). that one was a 12 speed as well. but i converted it to a 14 speed. i put road bars on it, and stem shifters.

you may find bar end shifters on ebay.

Frames like yours last for decades. There's no reason not to upgrade that parts you want. Go for it. Pimp your ride! :D

My wife's Orient Express:

http://community.webshots.com/photo/315574737/1315585707068014369QQAdCs

She prefers grip shifters.

here is the transformation of my ride:

http://briandelucia.com/bikes/in%20use/PeugeotCityExpress/cityexpress.html

i left my drive train all original....

I love the Orient Express, Dirtdrop. Black and chrome with the Brooks saddle is fantastic. And the chrome fenders on both yours and Broomhandldes are great. I really love my Peugeot and can't wait to make it great! I've been riding a Trek 7500 FX for the past year... a good bike but with the aluminum frame it just can't beat the Peugeot for ride quality. My friends think I'm nuts for spending money on the City Express, so I'm glad some people agree with me!
My latest idea is to forgoe gears altogether and put a flipflop fixed gear / freewheel hub on. I rarely touch the gears anyway and fixed gear riding seems like the thing to try out these days (the freewheel's if I hate it). Hm we'll see. I'm thinking of taking it down to Massachusettes to Sheldon Brown's place next month. I've been doing tons of research on bikes in general but I still don't think I have the expertise to convert it myself. Someday, though...

yeah, the Orient Express looks in better shape than mine. all my parts are just finds... the fender were off some sears bike i found in a field. and jerry riged to fit. the rims are off a schwinn and the rear is way out of true. the onlything i bought are the tires. and thoose were 10 bucks each on sale!

its basically my everything bike.

Hi again. I've finally decided what I'd like to do with this bike (for now) and was hoping someone could help me start out as I'm a complete newbie at bike workings (although am fairly good at general mechanics). My ultimate goal is to have a more aerodynamic and possibly better looking bike.
What I'd like:

drop bars
new stem
bar end shifters
slicker tires
new brake pads

What do I look for in bar end shifters? I have three gears up front, six in the back...

If anyone has general info that would help me out with these mods it would be great. I'd like to order my parts online and do what I can myself. If anyone thinks any of these tasks are best left to the LBS let me know.

thanks again everyone

They are each fairly easy.

Barcons are great and should work. The Shimano Dura-Ace barcons(http://bike.shimano.com/media/cycling/techdocs/en/bikecomponents/SL/SI-6J60A_v1_m56577569830536829.pdf) are cheaper than the Campy versions. Harris Cyclery (among others, http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/shifters.html) has them. You should try to get one to match the number of cogs you have. If you can't then, just use them in friction mode.

Make sure your stem and bar are compatible. There are different diameter stems and bars available. If the bar is too small you can get a sleeve to make it fit but they can be a pain to put on and a source of creaks. On the other hand if the stem is too small you are SOL.

Tires are you choice. Not as much selection if the rims are 27".

Check out how your brake pads mount now. The old pads may just slide out, in which case you can replace the pad. Sometimes the shoe and pad are one piece. You just have to find the correct mounting style.

Nothing you want to do is outside of your capabilities.

Good Luck.

Hi.I bought a '86 City Express new,12 speed.Was a Taiwan built one.In 1987 they went to a triple crank index shifting.I broke the rear dropout.They are somewhat overbuilt,depending on the urban blight your going thru.I got the same riveted double crankset.The smoother 26x1.5, 1.4 wide tires should make it nicer on pavement.Chris

Hey Masiman, thanks for the helpful links. This is possibly a silly question, but I'm looking at the three shimano bar-end shifters Harris Cyclery offers... 8, 9 and 10 speed. My Bike has 6 gears in the rear, three in the front. What does that make it? I would assume 18, so how do the 8,9 and 10 relate to that?
I'll also need to switch out my break levers to road bar type ones. Is there anything I should look for in particular?
And finally, my current wheels are 26x1.5. I was thinking of going larger, any benefit?

Thanks once again to all you helpful people!

Anymore when people talk about gearing they are talking about the rear cluster, i.e. how many cogs you have on your rear wheel. In your case, you have 6 speed cluster. The 8, 9 and 10 speed barcons are designed for index shifting on 8, 9 and 10 speed clusters. I think you would be better off buying a 9 or 10 speed barcon. By getting a 9 or 10, you would have the ability to use the barcons on a bike that has 9 or 10 speed cluster. 8 speed is not as prevalent anymore. The 9 or 10 would future proof you a bit. You would need to run the barcon in friction mode as the index spacing (distance between the cogs) would not match your 6 speed cluster spacing. People refer to their front chainrings as doubles or triples. There are a few singles out there but not too many. In the end you have a 6 speed rear cluster with a triple crank, and yes you could call it an 18 speed.

Personal choice on the brake levers. I always liked the Suntour Superbe Pro's but Modolo had some nice ones too. The Shimano line was good also. They are all about the same in the non-shifting brake levers. Don't spend a whole lot on them. You can keep your current brakes but you may find a good deal on a levers and brakes. It looks like they are cantilever brakes on those. V-brakes are very nice if you want to go with those.

As for bigger tires, they are typically more durable and give a plusher ride. They will also likely be slower. Riding conditions you plan on encountering and personal choice for that.

Call up Harris and let them know what you want to do. I have never dealt with them but I am pretty confident you will get someone likely more knowledgeable than me to help you out :)! If you know what you are looking for, you might be able to find something on ebay for cheaper.

Post in the Classic & Vintage forum with your progress.

Good Luck.

1) "It's a dorky looking slow bike"
If the frame is light weight it is worth upgrading. The untrue rims will slow anything down. Some peugeots had mysteriously heavy frames, if yours does maybe you should consider junking it.

You might consider spending money on wheels with low maintenance hubs like phil wood products. I think Harriscyclery.com will competently build a wheel for an extra $40 above parts.

Caution, the bottom bracket of a 70's french bike might not work with the current bottom brackets for sale. Phil wood does sell special french bottom brackets.

2)"I only ever change the rear gears occasionally"
If you want to be radical go with a fixed gear. In general you should not change gears much. The one where the chain is straight is the most efficient. You might consider a rear wheel with an internally geared hub.

You might see if there is a bicycle maintanance course given near you. If you take it you too will be an expert.

my aunt let me have her orient express. i want to restore it, but know nothing about bikes. i'll try to get pictures on here. but if anyone has any thoughts, suggestions, etc...i would appreciate it.

Sorry to hear about the carpal tunnel syndrome. I had a hand operation to attempt to correct a case of ulnar nerve syndrome. In the 15 years since the operation, I've been riding with aero bars installed on all my bikes; without aero bars, I can't ride for more than 15 minutes without hand numbness.

I agree with Broomhandlde and post #2; true the wheels (and install aero bars) and enjoy. If that's your Schwinn track bike in one of your other photos, you could throw a set on that bike, too.

heres my aunts orient express. http://www.flickr.com/photos/josessy/sets/72157594362792357/ .
i kind of want to do what drift drop did but im not exactly sure yet.

and this is a bike that i recently bought. http://www.flickr.com/photos/josessy/sets/72157594362820466/ .it was just a frame, but the guy was nice enough to put parts on it (random ones)
if anyone could help me figure what model/year/or anything about it i would appreciate it.
thanks

any suggestions would be great as well

I recently saw one of these at a pawn shop here in Houston. It was a ladies US Express in black, with 80's style decals, and was cheap. The only thing I found pretty odd, was that it was sold in a store in Inverurie, Scotland. It sure traveled a long way just to end up in a pawn shop in a bad neighborhood halfway across the world. I think it was $30?. Oddly enough near it was a Raleigh Activator. Two very odd bikes to be in one pawn shop. They possibly came in together.,,,,BD

i have 2 of thoose bikes and they do ride nice, you have the one made in canada, which are pretty light. i personally would just ride it as is. true the rims and maybe so lower profile tires. but its up to you.

The first bike looks great. I have a s/s with 26" wheels with drops. I think it is a great look.

I would buy a new bike no offence but the bike is crap

Yeah, you're gonna be around here a long time. Jerk.,,,,BD



Well, maybe I was a bit harsh. Maybe next time if you have nothing nice to say, try not saying anything at all?

well said!

Ohhh, I get it. You meant you had nothing nice to say? Here I thought you were being nice for once.,,,,BD

Btw Who did you call a jerk Just wondering.

well you can change the crank and your bike will look good

You, in case you were wondering, now stop clogging up this thread with your negative attitude. Just because it's not the type of bike you love, it does not make it crap. Change the crank to make a bike look good? That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.,,,,,BD

I like the bike. It looks perfect for commuting and riding around town. I would get new rubber. (tires and pads) The wheels need to be trued or replaced the shop will know. Everything needs to be cleaned and lubed. All the bearings (Headset, Botton Bracket, Hubs and pedals) should be cleaned and repacked with grease. A new chain might shooth the pedaling and shifting. Then ride it. You will know what upgrades you want after some miles. (Bars, shifters saddle, pedals whatever) The rubber and lube is inexpensive, safe and preserves the bike.
Peace
Benton

New cantiler brakes with the same type of pads as found on the V brakes are easier to adjust. If you want to go faster you could fit 26" X 1.25" tires. Aero bars would give another riding position. Get the rear rack leveled. SRAM chain with removable link.

wouldn't 26 x 1.25 be a Schwinn size, and too big for that rim? Maybe not, but I remember having to buy 26x1.25 to fit a Schwinn Collegiate lightweight. If they don't fit, just try some slicks, or slicks with a negative tread. Slicks offroad are like asking for an injury. A good negative tread I have used before is a Serfas drifter. while street riding it rides on a smooth center. Once the tire begins to sink a bit, the tread cutouts give traction. A little pricy, but they also have a kevlar band. I'm sure there are other tires that will fit the bill. MTB knobbies on the street take away a lot of your energy and handling. Kenda karmas are another decent tire I've used. Mostly good for hardpack dirt and gravel type surfaces IMO.,,,,BD

What is the size of the chainring? I would like to change mine to a single 52 tooth. Thanks

It must be downhill everywhere you go, or you have massive thighs? There's one guy in LC who runs a single speed with a 52/16, but he is also one of the the fastest riders in the region.,,,,BD

Got to watch out for those Zombies....

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7164/6716992557_53d90d0dbd.jpg

Oh I knew full well how old the thread was. I decided not to let it skip a beat and continue on like it was fresh.:lol:,,,,BD

So does anyone know what size I need to get? I'll still have 7 gears on the back. Thanks

A good all around gear would be a 48 for a seven speed rear. BUT.... If you're planning to run one gear in front, and seven in back, you will most likely need a chainring with guards on it. If you don't the chain might fall off everytime you get to the upper and lower gears. Or, if your front derailleur is still there, it can act as a guide to keep the chain from falling off. That can have its own problems, as some front derailleurs cannot be "locked out" that far with the bottom limit screw.,,,,BD

Thanks for the info. Per your suggestion, I'll go with a 48t. Does anyone know the size of the chainring? Thanks

I'd suggest starting your own thread, and not working on this bike yourself until you understand enough what you're asking? The size is 48T, although the inner bolt circle will vary. There are a billion different sizes and it needs to match your cranks. You also didn't mention whether or not the rear is internal seven speed, or derailleur? What is the brand and model of bike?,,,,BD