Classic & Vintage - Please help me identify this Peugeot

Hello,
I bought this Peugeot S/N 2293028 for $25 at a garage sale. The name on the bike is "Record du Monde." Any idea what model number and year it might be? Your help is appreciated.
Erik G.
Gilbert, AZ

Mixte frame, very late 60's / very early 70's, good score!!!

Randya is on target. I believe the mixties had slightly different model designations, but yours looks equivalant to the UO8 model. The "record du monde" is sort of an all-purpose Peugeot phrase; it's on nearly every sixties and seventies Peugeot I've seen, from PX's to AOs.

i found this one in front of someone's house awaiting heavy trash pick-up. All she needed was tires and a good bath. I'm guessing the bike was ridden less than 100 miles. Gave her to a friend who needs a bike - she loves it!

The rims are dated 1978. Mine has shifters on the stem - wonder how many were impaled on those babies. Yours has shifting on the downtube so yours was made more recently like early 80's. Check the rims clsesly for a date.

I go with the earlier date. I recall that early in the "Bike Boom" nearly all Euro bikes came with down tube shifters, just as the bikes were sold in Europe. Later in the 1970s, perhaps b/c of the success Schwinn had selling 10 speeds with those "Big Stik" stem shifters lots of lower to mid line imports started sporting stem shifters. Down tube shifters became a symbol of a more "serious" bike.

At least that's my recollection. However I recall seeing early Schwinn Varsities/Continentals on eBay and they had downtube shifters.

:beer:

Walter, I'll politely counter you on the earlier date. If you look closely enough you'll see the downtube shifters are black plastic with chrome metal covers. I believe the transition to the less expensive plastic levers occured around '72.

The downtube shifters came first, the stem shifters later. The downtube Peugeot decal on the white bike is most definitely older that the decal on the other bike, too.

"Record Du Monde" means "World Record" in French. Mixte bicycles are often not worth much money. The green bicycle with fenders and light looks older, since it has a very old type handle bar, and is likely worth more than the white bicycle.

I have a Peugeot with the exact same white color and markings. The best I have been able to find after years of searching is that it is from the 1970's.

I wonder if the handlebars on your bike are original. I would expect to see drop bars.

Although the mixte frame came a bit earlier in Europe and stayed on the scene a little longer than in the USA, the mixte frame had a short life in the USA, so that helps narrow the time-frame to somewhere between 1977 to about 1982. I have seen Peugeot mizte models from 1980 and 1981 and the markings were different, so I would place yours in the late 1970's - say 1977 or 1978.

Is that a metal/plastic Simplex front derailure?

Peugeot probably brought more mixte frame to the USA than did any other maker. It is an interesting design; probably engineering overkill. The idea was to create a step-through frame that was light and strong. "Back in the day" when people used bikes as a big part of their transportation, the brazed step-through frames would actually break with heavy use. Thus, the mixte was born as a strong yet light"ish" answer. By the 1980's however, bikes were getting much lighter and the weight of the mixte just couldn't be engineered or manufactured to compete with diamond frames.

The mixte is still not a bad idea for less-tall people and those who are looking for an alternative to the crotch-crackin' diamond frame.

Mike, the bike pictured has the plastic Simplex derailleurs and levers. The upright handlebars are the originals. Many of the mixte models were available with them. Mixte frames were available from the sixties through Peugeot Frances withdrawal from The U.S. market in the late eightes. I'm looking at a Peugeot catalog from 1986-ish at the moment. There is a P16 model pictured with a mixte frame. Again, based on the plastic shiftlevers, the bike pictured is around 1972.

Mike, the bike pictured has the plastic Simplex derailleurs and levers. The upright handlebars are the originals. Many of the mixte models were available with them. Mixte frames were available from the sixties through Peugeot Frances withdrawal from The U.S. market in the late eightes. I'm looking at a Peugeot catalog from 1986-ish at the moment. There is a P16 model pictured with a mixte frame. Again, based on the plastic shiftlevers, the bike pictured is around 1972.

Cool, Man!

Mike, the bike pictured has the plastic Simplex derailleurs and levers. The upright handlebars are the originals. Many of the mixte models were available with them. Mixte frames were available from the sixties through Peugeot Frances withdrawal from The U.S. market in the late eightes. I'm looking at a Peugeot catalog from 1986-ish at the moment. There is a P16 model pictured with a mixte frame. Again, based on the plastic shiftlevers, the bike pictured is around 1972.


Nostalgia...when I lived in France as a wee lad, I remember my first attraction to bicycles was the result of looking at the Simplex drivetrain on a Peugeot in my village. Much later, during my shop life, I remember the nuances; theres a small screw on top of the derailleur cage, do not overtighten, it will break and/or strip out! If this bike is going to be ridden, check the cotter pins, make sure they're tight. If they need "tightening", there is one and only one method. While using a hammer to moderately tap the non-nutted side, gently tighten the nutted side at the same time when you are able to turn the nut. Do not, do not reef on this nut, it will strip out and then you will be faced with the unenviable task of finding a replacement cotter pin.

Mixte stays: In Europe this frame was used by both men and ladies for the practical step-through reasons mentioned earlier. Also, this frame design is as strong as a men's diamond frame and far superior to the unsupported ladies frame more commonly seen from US manufacturers. You can sprint this sucker! In the U.S. during the late 60's and 70's it was asking a lot for the average Joe to ride a bike, much less something that appeared lady-like (ask me about the various comments I received sporting my wool bike shorts during this time!) so these bikes were bought almost exclusively by ladies. The handlebars are original. Although the men's model of this frame came with drops, mixte stay models by Peugeot, Motobecane and others were outfitted with flat or low-risers.

Although the mixte frame came a bit earlier in Europe and stayed on the scene a little longer than in the USA, the mixte frame had a short life in the USA, so that helps narrow the time-frame to somewhere between 1977 to about 1982. I have seen Peugeot mizte models from 1980 and 1981 and the markings were different, so I would place yours in the late 1970's - say 1977 or 1978.

Au contrere! Peugeot was producing mixte frame bicycles from as far behind as the 1950's. My sister owned one in 1961, and Peugeot also made a PX-10 mixte in that time. I believe they moved the rear brake to the higher stays in the early 1970's. My guess is the beige bicycle is about 1972, the green cycle is before 1965.

"the green cycle is before 1965."

If you're refering to the one in post #4, the decal set on that one is from the 1976-1981 period.

I have a '67 PX, and it has derlin (plastic) handled shift levers; original and quite different in design than the one on the mixte in the original post (I think, can't quite see them, but I'm familiar with the design on bikes of that period.). That one is early seventies, again by the decals.

Poguemahone, your post is dead on. Using decal sets along with the styling of the lion is the easiest way to narrow down the year range of any old Peugoet.