Classic & Vintage - PX10: restore or upgrade?

I have always lusted after a Peugeot PX10 and recently had an opportunity to pick up a 1972 frame for a pretty reasonable price. As purchased, it includes the original seat post (but, sadly, not the original Brooks Pro saddle), headset, handlebars and stem, Mafac Racer brakes and levers, Stronglight 93 Crankset, Stronglight BB, original peddles (but, alas, not the original Christophe cage and straps) and a crappy Suntour front derailleur. My first thinking was to start shopping for the original Simplex Prestige front and rear deraileurs, a period-accurate wheel set, and a decent pair of clinchers. However, I'm starting to think about going with a more modern (translation: "more dependable, more smooth, more metal") derailleur kit and possibly even a more contemporary light weight wheel set. Haven't measured the rear to see how many gears I could fit if I did, but I can always use a five gear freewheel, I suppose. What would be the arguments against this approach? I wonder if there'd be any problem fitting a Shimano rear derailleur onto this frame? I'm just thinking at this point, but I'd appreciate feedback.

The bike has a Simplex threaded mount for the RD. I would not recommend you modify it, as those changes will be permanent. I would look for one of the all metal Simplex derailleurs. They are out there on ebay. Lots of PX10 info on the forum. Nice find!

Yes, as below, Simplex mount, not threaded.

Ths Simplex SX610 can be a good, thrifty option.

Actually, it has a Simplex unthreaded mount.

Please see this thread:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?665198-Tap-and-grinde-or-hack-it-off&highlight=px10

This one was upgraded with later, better Simplex:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?542393-Is-this-a-PX10-frame&highlight=px10

Urgh. I just noticed that the last owner performed surgery on the bike (see my picture.) Any idea what my RD options are now? I am really disappointed to discover this.

163625

It is indeed pretty easy to modify a Simplex hanger to take a better derailleur. Sorry, Lucien Juy fans, but I have met very few Simplex parts I have liked. I hung a SunTour Cyclone II on my PKN-10 for several years, then converted back to the original 1980 Simplex when I gave the bike to my son.

Urgh. I just noticed that the last owner performed surgery on the bike (see my picture.) Any idea what my RD options are now? I am really disappointed to discover this.


I don't know why so many moron jerks do stuff like that. You'll need a claw, which is usually associated with UO-8s and other low-end bikes. I hope you got it at a very reasonable price, because for me that hack job almost destroys the value of the frame. The first owner of my PKN-10 scraped off the Simplex downtube shifter bosses and installed a Campagnolo shifter boss clamp and Campagnolo shift levers, a much more tolerable bit of mayhem.

Urgh. I just noticed that the last owner performed surgery on the bike (see my picture.) Any idea what my RD options are now? I am really disappointed to discover this.

163625

That is a shame - not only did the last owner have such total disregard for his property he had disregard for YOU and YOUR property, having not highlighted this modification prior to your purchase.
The upside is that a claw will enable you to hang a variety of DR's . I'd suggest a Suntour V-x - It's not French, but it is contemporary and one of the smoothest DR's IMO.

That, is a serious bummer. This is the kind of thing I hate to see.

That's sad..........Turn it into a fixie!

As mentioned by 'John E' use a claw which will allow you to mount whatever kind of threaded RD you'd like. As long as the frame is f'ck you might as well spread it to 126mm or 130mm and do full blown modern drive train.

Scroll down this link: http://cyclespeugeot.com/Threading.html

A claw:

http://cyclespeugeot.com/images/derailleur_hanger.jpg

This is a real drag to find what I've been looking for, only to discover some idiot owned a grinder.

He did sloppy work, too.

I agree that a Suntour Vx is a good choice, especially if you need a long cage. If you want to keep it French, look for a Simplex SX610. A Super LJ would be nice, but expensive.

I have all three on Peugeots and a Gitane, so I know what I'm talking about.

Bummer on the amputation. the grind and tap solution if one really wanted a Campagnolo style mount is not that bad in comparison. I like the Campagnolo claw as it offsets inboard a bit, which can make setting up the limits of the rear derailleur easier and less extreme.

And for many of you out there. its Pedals, not peddles. A peddler peddles stuff like brushes or hats, door to door or at the local marché, not cranks on a bicycle.

I'm actually cleaning up a Suntour VX this afternoon for a different project, however I may think about it for the PX10 now. That said, I'd love to track down a good Simplex SX610 but the ones I've seen lately have been pricey. Super LJ are getting more and more rare, I think.

I'm actually cleaning up a Suntour VX this afternoon for a different project, however I may think about it for the PX10 now. That said, I'd love to track down a good Simplex SX610 but the ones I've seen lately have been pricey. Super LJ are getting more and more rare, I think.

I think mounting the Vx on it really would help to assuage your annoyance at the PO, for drewing the dropout.

+ it will save $

People keep saying that SX610s are expensive, and I keep buying them for less that $20. I recently bought an SX610, SX810 and a front SJA102 on eBay for $21.

People keep saying that SX610s are expensive, and I keep buying them for less that $20. I recently bought an SX610, SX810 and a front SJA102 on eBay for $21.

Ah ha ! So you're the guy who's been scarfing up all the good deals so there are none left for the rest of us! ;)

People keep saying that SX610s are expensive, and I keep buying them for less that $20. I recently bought an SX610, SX810 and a front SJA102 on eBay for $21.

+1,000. The people who refuse to believe that SX-610s can be had for cheap are the same "moron jerks" - as John E. puts it - that lob off Simplex hangers.

-Kurt

+1,000. The people who refuse to believe that SX-610s can be had for cheap are the same "moron jerks" - as John E. puts it - that lob off Simplex hangers.

-Kurt

Too broad a brush Kurt. Most are just making do with their old Simplex's and would not take a grinder to their frames.

Too broad a brush Kurt. Most are just making do with their old Simplex's and would not take a grinder to their frames.

Of course. But in the time that I've been here, I've seen half a dozen of the dreaded Simplex hanger question show up - and fewer than 3 members ever took the advice of simply replacing their RD with a SX series.

-Kurt

So are you willing to part with one of the SX-610's?

Most Super LJs are way overpriced, but I search eBay almost daily for Simplex parts and I've seen them go for incredibly low amounts. I paid $40 for mine and it's in neat-mint condition. It came with the matching front derailer. I suppose that the Motobecane/Simplex tag turned off a lot of prospective buyers. I ended up retagging it and putting it on my Gitane.

http://inlinethumb50.webshots.com/38065/2102404010068014369S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2102404010068014369toocUd)
http://inlinethumb63.webshots.com/29246/2598063600068014369S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2598063600068014369AwNJlL)

So are you willing to part with one of the SX-610's?

I have trouble parting with my Simplex derailers. I think I may have a problem. Could I be a Simplex hoarder?

Let me think it over.

The first owner of my PKN-10 scraped off the Simplex downtube shifter bosses and installed a Campagnolo shifter boss clamp and Campagnolo shift levers, a much more tolerable bit of mayhem.
I'd take Simplex retrofriction shifters over Campy any day.

That's sad..........Turn it into a fixie!
And re-badge it as a "CAPON" instead of Peugeot.

I'd take Simplex retrofriction shifters over Campy any day.

Many racers back in the day concurred with that theory; I'm a fan of the combination myself.

-Kurt

It's an opinion not a theory, but I agree.