Classic & Vintage - Help identify old Peugeot: 196*? PA/PX-10?

Here's the skinny -

I have a bicycle that was given to me last year that I am looking to refurbish into a touring bicycle for a trek down the west coast. I've yet to expand my knowledge on bicycles, so bear with me if I make a few solid n00b gestures by asking what might seem like silly questions to the rest of you.

First, I need help identifying this bicycle:

http://www.irreality.net/~angel/peugeot/ (http://www.irreality.net/%7Eangel/peugeot/)

Apologies for the substandard photographs, let me know if I should take a few more of specific components that would aid in differentiating between models. I've been able to deduce thus far that it's likely a late 60's model, and either a PA-10 or PX-10. Am I on the right track?

Next, as mentioned above I'm planning more bike journeys and eventually my first real long-haul. I know this may make the collectors out there cringe, but I'm not so concerned with preserving or restoring this model as I am making it a comfortable, reliable ride. I've found a this site:

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/french.html

...to have some nifty tips so far. I'm interested in hearing experiences with replacing old, worn components with more modern ones and how feasible this actually is.

So, lay it on me: what do I have on my hands here?

U have a U0-8...if I were planning a long tour down the coast, I wouldn't use this bike (sorry to be harsh, but you'll appreciate it later). I'd either let this one go, or if you're in love with it, put it aside for now, and find an early-to-mid-'80s Japanese touring bike...you'll still end up sinking some time and $ into making it ready for you and your long tour.

Not harsh at all, just honest. :)

Can you give me reasons why? This also applies even if I put time and money into completely redoing it to be better quality and more reliable? To really simplify things, I'm mostly interested in the durability of the frame as opposed to the model as a whole as it is now.

the thing is, your money would probably be better spent elsewhere, rather than trying to transform this bike into something it's not..
in your neck of the woods i'd imagine there's lots better candidates for the sort of riding you're looking to do, and at good prices too..

the UO8 is a bit of a klunker.. you'd probably end up replacing every bit on it and you'd still have a gaspipe frame underneath it all (with nefarious french threading to boot).. perfectly respectable and serviceable as it is for tooling around town.. but maybe not what you'd want to do a long tour on

Fair enough.

Just for reference, here's a 60s PX10 that was on ebay a couple of weeks ago. Went for $363. I think. Frame looked quite nice!

Angelina,

+1 on Unworthy1 and Coelcanth's reply's

I have to agree on the different Bike point, Your UO-8 IS a nice bike, and a decent example of the breed, But she's also old, made with now non-standard parts and really more of a saturday afternoon ride at this point. Worth keeping, but not a good loaded tourer.

It does have a very high Kewl factor for the Peugeot faithfull though! It would be a disservice to change it that much.

+1 to what Coelcanth said. Let's assume you are going to be doing a typical tour with long hours spent in the saddle and baggage attached to the bike. (maybe you're looking to do more of a "credit card" tour, but even so you'd still have the long hours) The main component is a comfortable frame that fits you and is as light as possible while still being strong enough to take the extra weight of the bags, and it ideally should have the rack mounting braze-on bits for your racks and fenders. Next most important items are: 1. a strong wheelset with good (wide) touring tires, 2. wide-range gearing, i.e. a triple crankset, 3. extra-good brakes like cantilevers, since you will have more weight with that loaded touring rig and it needs to stop. Do a search in this forum for "touring bike" as well as checking out everything that Sheldon might have on the topic...I'd also sniff around on this archive: http://search.bikelist.org/?SearchString=touring
a quick search on the word "touring" came up with 19,000 hits...you'll want to cull a little.

I believe that's an A-08, not a U-08. It's not The best rig for touring, but it can be done. I remember touring with a girlfriend in the '70s. She rode a U-08 and I rode my PX10. They worked fine for us. Her bike was probably better for loaded touring than mine because it had more relaxed geometry. We used the old Blackburn racks that attached to the brake bolts and panniers that were sold as a sew-it-yourself kit.

U have a U0-8...if I were planning a long tour down the coast, I wouldn't use this bike (sorry to be harsh, but you'll appreciate it later). I'd either let this one go, or if you're in love with it, put it aside for now, and find an early-to-mid-'80s Japanese touring bike...you'll still end up sinking some time and $ into making it ready for you and your long tour.
Actually, that might be a lower model than the UO-8, if the wheels are original. UO-8s came with quick-release wheels, not the wingnut setup shown.

DANGER! The bike as shown has the handlebar stem set WAY too high! DO NOT RIDE IT THAT WAY! You should generally have 2 1/2" of stem inside the fork, but my guess you've only got half an inch, or maybe 3/4.

Sheldon "Old And Cheap Is A Bad Combination" Brown

I believe you have a Peugoet AE-8. Painted fork, low-flange hubs, fenders... Checkout the 1984 catalogue on my http://www.retropeugeot.com/ website, and you will see the bike, same color. I would be curious to know if the underside of the bottom bracket has a serial number, if the rims have a date, and if the Peugeot label on the head tube is a decal or a badge (plate). This would be helpful in dating the bike.

Oh yeh, the handlebar wrap only on the drops is also diagnostic of the AE-8.

Oops, see the 1974 catalogue, not the 1984 catalogue. That's what I get for multi-tasking. Back to work.


I believe you have a Peugoet AE-8. Painted fork, low-flange hubs, fenders... Checkout the 1984 catalogue on my http://www.retropeugeot.com/ website, and you will see the bike, same color. I would be curious to know if the underside of the bottom bracket has a serial number, if the rims have a date, and if the Peugeot label on the head tube is a decal or a badge (plate). This would be helpful in dating the bike.

not to solicit here but how tall are you? I have a 1985 Norco Magnum GT hanging in the shed, it will see craigslist in the next month or so, it is a 52cm loaded touring bike and would be ideal for such a trip. We can even customise it to your liking. I live in Vancouver also.

With no chrome on the forks, it is definitely an AO-8 with aftermarket mudguards. (An AE-8 would have had dynamo-powered lights and front and rear racks.)

Greetings,
The 1974 brochure doesn't show or list lights on the AE-8 as it does for the UE-8 and UE-18. It only shows fenders and a rear rack, which is missing on this bike. I do not know enough about Peugeot fenders to tell if on this bike they are after-market. Any chance the rack was removed rather than the fenders added?
Cheers,



With no chrome on the forks, it is definitely an AO-8 with aftermarket mudguards. (An AE-8 would have had dynamo-powered lights and front and rear racks.)

I don' see braze-ons for a rack, so I will defer to JohnE's expertise. An AO-8 with after-market fenders.

I'll jump on the bandwagon here too. You have a cool bike - worth keeping, but not what I'd take for the tour you have planned. I've had positive dealings with cyclotoine through the mail, and he knows his bikes. It would be worth checking out at least - if the bike sounds close to your size.