Classic & Vintage - Peugeot PX8L Project - Nearly Finished (pic heavy)

Well, I am nearly finished with my Peugeot light-tourer and have taken some pictures to post. Early on I thought it was a UE-8 though now, based on the fact it originally came with 700c wheels and has an "inoxydable" sticker, I think it is actually an PX8L. I think it turned out pretty nice given the vision I had for the bike and for my very first build.

BTW, the pictures were taken at the old stone barn where I found and rescued it late last year.

Here's the build list (sort of)
Front Hub: SA X-FDD
Rear Hub: SA X-RD8(w)
Spokes: Wheelsmith DB 14
Rims: Sun CR-18
Tires: Vittoria Randonneur 28-700c
Headset: VO French Thread
Bottom Bracket: VO Grand Cru
Crankset: VO Polyvalent
Handlebar: VO Porteur
Stem: Origin-8 Classic Pro
Stem Adapter: Origin-8 modified by B&L Bicycles
Seat: Brooks B-17

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6178/6205478141_a7a0b7fc10_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/threefamilyalbum/6205478141/)
P1010509 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/threefamilyalbum/6205478141/) by Sallad Rialb (http://www.flickr.com/people/threefamilyalbum/), on Flickr

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6002/6205482407_248d9f585c_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/threefamilyalbum/6205482407/)
P1010510 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/threefamilyalbum/6205482407/) by Sallad Rialb (http://www.flickr.com/people/threefamilyalbum/), on Flickr

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6174/6205492843_072f3750b1_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/threefamilyalbum/6205492843/)
P1010512 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/threefamilyalbum/6205492843/) by Sallad Rialb (http://www.flickr.com/people/threefamilyalbum/), on Flickr

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6157/6205497927_8a42efe0a9_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/threefamilyalbum/6205497927/)
P1010513 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/threefamilyalbum/6205497927/) by Sallad Rialb (http://www.flickr.com/people/threefamilyalbum/), on Flickr

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6121/6205503055_b1dc75318c_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/threefamilyalbum/6205503055/)
P1010514 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/threefamilyalbum/6205503055/) by Sallad Rialb (http://www.flickr.com/people/threefamilyalbum/), on Flickr

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6180/6205508719_762d8a9a8f_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/threefamilyalbum/6205508719/)
P1010515 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/threefamilyalbum/6205508719/) by Sallad Rialb (http://www.flickr.com/people/threefamilyalbum/), on Flickr

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6171/6205513061_de053be1b6_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/threefamilyalbum/6205513061/)
P1010516 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/threefamilyalbum/6205513061/) by Sallad Rialb (http://www.flickr.com/people/threefamilyalbum/), on Flickr

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6157/6206032978_56c7b8a843_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/threefamilyalbum/6206032978/)
P1010517 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/threefamilyalbum/6206032978/) by Sallad Rialb (http://www.flickr.com/people/threefamilyalbum/), on Flickr

Nice! I like it! Really digging the drum brakes and 8 speed IGH.

looks comfy i like it!

Nice! I like it! Really digging the drum brakes and 8 speed IGH.

+1

And I really love this view:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6157/6206032978_56c7b8a843_z.jpg

Great photographs! Great looking bike!

Looking very good, indeed!

All those runs to Velo Orange are paying off, eh?

:D

Nice! I like it! Really digging the drum brakes and 8 speed IGH.

Thanks mikey. I *love* the drum brakes. They are slicker than deer guts on a doorknob AND they'll stand the bike on its head if you really want to try it. :) The 8-speed hub is sweet too, it'll roll forever compared to my other bikes with the exception of my Burley Rivazza which has White Industries hubs. I have to say this: the new SA stuff is really underrated, IMO.

looks comfy i like it!

Creme Brulee, thanks! It isn't as comfy as it looks, believe me... I'm probably going to put a set of Northroads bars on it in the not too distant future. Don't get me wrong - the porteur bars look great on the bike, but I'm not too fond of the wrist position for longer rides and I like a little more upright seating position.

Beautiful. Makes me want to re-assemble the PX-8L I have hanging in the barn.

+1

And I really love this view:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6157/6206032978_56c7b8a843_z.jpg

Thanks Auchen! The spot where I took the pics is very pretty most all the time. With all the rain we've been having it is very green at the moment. I kinda like the angle too. Not sure why... Maybe it's because it makes the bad fender line less obvious? ;)

Looking very good, indeed!

All those runs to Velo Orange are paying off, eh?

:D

Hey Leica. How's it going? My original plan didn't have the VO headset or the cranks included... It was just the way things turned out. As you can see, I kept the VO constructeur and porteur racks for another project. Eventually I'll figure out what I'd like to put them.

Beautiful. Makes me want to re-assemble the PX-8L I have hanging in the barn.

Thanks, balindamood. I was a little worried that some of the purists on the forum might be more critical than they have been. Really, this thing is a Frankenbike of sorts. It's just a really nice looking (to my eye at least) Frankenbike. :)

As far as your PX8L, I think you should build it back up! Is yours roughly the same vintage as mine?

I, too, am digging the drum brakes and IGH. Beautiful!

I think it needs an old Campy crankset, but that's just my bias showing.

I, too, am digging the drum brakes and IGH. Beautiful!

I think it needs an old Campy crankset, but that's just my bias showing.

Thanks MrEss. I'd probably put a campy crankset on it were it not for the fact that I need a front chainring that is no larger than about 30t for where I live. Actually, I previously had a 24t and recently went to 30t and I'm finding that the gearing makes for a really difficult climb over some of the hills where I live. The reason for the ultra small chainring is because first gear is direct drive and all the rest are overdrive gears.

That's some serious French sex appeal, that there....

I like! I like! Maybe I've just spent too much time around derailleurs, but I've been groovin' on the IGH builds lately and having a lot of fun toying around with them myself. I think you've built a really classy lookin' French bike.

As far as your PX8L, I think you should build it back up! Is yours roughly the same vintage as mine?

It is 100% original, 1968 (french market version). Mine is red, and still has the original Peugeot bell and some sort of odd-anti-theft tag thing on it (also french). It was in a barn for about 30 some odd years, so the paint is unevenly faded, and the fenders are marginal. I think I need a new tail light as well. I had planned to keep it pretty much original, but it has not made it up far enough on my project list to get to it yet.

This is what it looked like the day I brought it home 4-5 years ago:

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q184/balindamood/Bike%20Posts/P1020346.jpg

That's some serious French sex appeal, that there....

old's'cool, thanks for the comment. I think she's a pretty sexy French lady too. :) If only I had time to ride the bike more than I do.

Very nice job!

I like! I like! Maybe I've just spent too much time around derailleurs, but I've been groovin' on the IGH builds lately and having a lot of fun toying around with them myself. I think you've built a really classy lookin' French bike.

Thanks AZORCH! I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out when I started and it took some turns as the project proceeded, but it turned out better than I thought and it very ridable and quite fun besides.

I'm slowly moving my collection of bikes from derailleurs to IGH. Currently I've converted my Pug to a SA 8-speed and a Schwinn Collegiate that I relaced to a Sachs Pentasport. I have four hubs ready to be built: A 1953 SA AW with an alloy shell (pretty rare to find), a SRAM I-Motion 9, a SRAM P5 and a Shimano Nexus inter-7. On top of that I've got 3 more 3-speed hubs on the way, a 1948 SA AW, a 1960 SA AW and a Hercumatic 3-speed. I'm eying a SRAM S7 that I'm hoping to snag too. I guess you could say I'm sort of obsessed with this IGH stuff. :)

It is 100% original, 1968 (french market version). Mine is red, and still has the original Peugeot bell and some sort of odd-anti-theft tag thing on it (also french). It was in a barn for about 30 some odd years, so the paint is unevenly faded, and the fenders are marginal. I think I need a new tail light as well. I had planned to keep it pretty much original, but it has not made it up far enough on my project list to get to it yet.

This is what it looked like the day I brought it home 4-5 years ago:

That had to have been a hella nice bike when she was new and unfaded. I can imagine that with a fresh coat of metallic red!

That had to have been a hella nice bike when she was new and unfaded. I can imagine that with a fresh coat of metallic red!

It may ultimately get one. One of the things that has me a bit stalled is that one of the seat stays was brazed particularly poorly. It has not sperated as yet, but there seems to be little holding it on. Should I elect to fit it, it will get repainted. Otherwize, I kinda like the patina. The chrome bits I had started working on seemed to come clean reasonable well.

With such a remarkable collection of IGH hubs in your hands, I suggest a personal review of the best & worst features and your opinions of each. Obviously, in a new thread at a time of your convenience. But inquiring minds would find this most interesting.

Cheers!

It may ultimately get one. One of the things that has me a bit stalled is that one of the seat stays was brazed particularly poorly. It has not sperated as yet, but there seems to be little holding it on. Should I elect to fit it, it will get repainted. Otherwize, I kinda like the patina. The chrome bits I had started working on seemed to come clean reasonable well.

It is surprising how well the parts on my Pug cleaned up. I think chances of success are pretty good with the chrome and other parts cleaning up nicely. At first I thought mine was going to be problematic, but there were no parts that were seized anywhere on the bike except for the BB which I didn't work on.

With such a remarkable collection of IGH hubs in your hands, I suggest a personal review of the best & worst features and your opinions of each. Obviously, in a new thread at a time of your convenience. But inquiring minds would find this most interesting.

Cheers!

LeicaLad, I could probably do something like that, but it's probably well-trodden territory. The guys on the geared hubs list on Yahoo! have quite a bit of info and some basic comparisons. Dan Burkhart (who is on this forum too) has tons of IGH machines including one or two Rohloff machines.

My personal observations to this point for 8 speed hubs: I like the SA-8 a lot. I like it more than the Nexus 8 on my wife's Linus Mixte and the value of the SA-8 can't be beat. Full kits can be had for $150 or less. Take THAT Shimano!

love everything going on with this minus the bar grips. getting some matching brooks honey tape would really tie together the bike. that "generic" brown that comes on grips and saddles is very unappealing and 'plastic' looking.

love everything going on with this minus the bar grips. getting some matching brooks honey tape would really tie together the bike. that "generic" brown that comes on grips and saddles is very unappealing and 'plastic' looking.

J, thanks for the comments. I agree with you on the grips. I've thought about the possibility of getting the Brooks grips or tape or putting on black grips. Also I've considered putting on a black saddle if I put black grips on the bike.

Nice job! Good luck in your rides!