Classic & Vintage - 1973 Peugeot U-O8

I've been on the hunt for a larger frame than my 53cm '89 Schwinn 754 (i'm 6'5"). I found this bike and it is in my price range, and I can have it picked up for a small fee. Am I getting a good deal on this? Is this a decent bike? I don't ride centuries or race or anything like that, but I want a decent bike that i won't have to be wrenching on every time I ride it. And if i want to ride 50+ miles, I want to just hop on and go. I'm very new at this, and I want a vintage bike. I have no clue as to whats a good buy. Please give me your opinions. Thanks.

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/eat/bik/1401853292.html


Peugeot U-08 Classic - $125 (Lilburn, GA)
1973 Peugeot U-08 good for rider over 6' 0" Vintage except rear-wheel rim and bar tape. Nice lugged steel frame, classic decals. I am 6' tall and the bike is too big for me. Ready-to-ride.
http://images.craigslist.org/3n13kd3pf5O65T55P09a1747a21facd641578.jpg http://images.craigslist.org/3m93o63p35O75T05Q79a1b5fb0ebc14601dce.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/3na3o93l05O25Q65Pc9a14fae114e9af9130a.jpg http://images.craigslist.org/3k63md3oe5Tf5R45S99a17c2f564ac4a51ec8.jpg

That bike might still be a little small for you at 6'5". I wouldn't really want a U0-8 if I were planning to do a lot of 50+ mile rides. They are sluggish and heavy and the simplex derailleurs are about as sloppy as shifting comes.. However a lot of people claim to love the ride of cheap french bikes like that so YMMV. As well, if any of the french parts need replacing it's not going to be easy to find replacements.

well the farthest i've ridden to date is about 25 miles. I don't plan on many trips even close to 50 miles, but i want that option if i decide to go that far. Also, the seller said the stand-over is 34.5" and my inseam is 34". Either way, it'll be a substantial improvement over what i have now. As i get more into this, and get another *better* bike, i could probably make this my polo bike. As for the components, is it not possible to update them a bit? Overall, is this bike worth the asking price?

hate to bump this, but i'm about to bite the bullet and make the purchase. is this worth the $125 asking price, or would i have ground to shoot a lower offer?

I would advise you to buy it. See if the wheels are straight, though I would recommend replacing the rims eventually, with aluminum rims. Eventually, you may change the derailleurs and pedals, too. It's a decent bike at a decent price, and I suspect it will fit you, too.

thanks for your advice. i do plan to have this picked up this evening. FWIW, i have the wheels from my schwinn i could use for now if needed (i think they'll work - 700c 7spd). i read that this has plastic derailleurs. is this correct? if so, what would be a good, cheap substitute to swap on? i'm all for originality, but i prefer utility first.

Don't worry too much about originality of components on that UO8. Peugeot only made about a billion of them (OK, thats a slight exaggeration). Its an entry level bike, that has a nice vintage look to it. But it is still an entry level bike. And at 6-5, that bike looks small for you. The bike looks to be in really good condition, and worth the asking price. At that price level, you usually do not find higher end bikes, and if you do, you have to move lightning quick before they are gone.

Just go into it with your eyes open. The UO8 came with steel rims, cottered crank, french threading, non-standard downtube shifters, and plastic simplex derailleurs. But in its time, it was quite a bit better than its competition. In 1975, I moved up from a Schwinn Continental to a UO8, that was a nice step up. I then upgraded a lot of the steel parts to alloy.

Wrenching on the bike is a little on the difficult side due to french threading. It also makes finding some parts more difficult. Upgrading the bottom bracket and crankset is more costly than other bikes that do not have french threading. There are many threads on that topic.

I have three UO8s, I like them just fine. But I prefer something a little better, and not french threaded.

As far as inseam, bicyclists talk in terms of your bicycle inseam, not your pant inseam. I would be very surprised if your bicycle inseam is only 34 1/2 inches. Google bicycle inseam, there is a lot of good info on how to measure it. It certainly will fit better than a 53cm bike. This one looks to have a 24 inch frame size (guess on my part).

The good news is that if you move up in bike later, at this price you should be able to resell the bike without losing any money. That beats going to a bike shop, spending $1000 on a new bike, and losing half of its value in a couple of years.

thats where i stand, really. i need a bigger bike, and i think this will fit the bill for now. i'll hand down the schwinn to my brother. my buddy just spent right at $1k on a new bike, and i kind of want to "best" him, if you will. i mean, we're good friends, and i want to tease him a bit. but i guess i like older stuff more than most.

FWIW, I say go for it !