Classic & Vintage - Help ID'ing 70s Peugeot

Gonna take a drive to look at this thing tonight (I think), and trying to get handle on how much would make an appropriate offer. It's near enough to NYC that the price is sure to be high regardless, but it's pretty!

The decals/headbadge seem to indicate '75 or '76. And it *looks* like a UO8, right? The toeclips are throwing me off, though, as the seller thinks it's mostly original. Anyway... hate to be *that* guy, but if anyone has insight into what this could be I'd greatly appreciate it. I've spent more time than I care to admit trying to confidently ID this thing on my own, but figured the time had come to ask the experts. : )

Thanks for taking a look!


http://i.imgur.com/an2Cl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/euwjB.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/V934T.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/NHXNr.jpg

That is a Peugeot UO8 (http://www.mytenspeeds.com/My_TenSpeeds_1/Feature_Bicycles/Feature_Bicycles_France/Peugeot_UO8%20_BlueDump/PEUGEOT_UO8_DUMP_1_Start.htm), mid seventies perhaps...
http://www.mytenspeeds.com/My_TenSpeeds_1/Bicycles_Table/French_Bicycles/Peugeot_Bicycles/Peugeot_UO8_DumpBlue/PeugeotBlueDumpTQFrontFull.jpg

It is probably an UO-8 but it could be an AO-8 they look a lot alike. Either way it looks to be in good condition and mostly original it should be worth a look.

UO8 '70-'74-ish.

Check the rims and hubs for date codes: http://cyclespeugeot.com/SerialNumbers.html

The AO8 had a non-chromed fork so it wouldn't be an AO8. Also the AO8 had solid axles.

That looks like a nice bike upgraded a little by a careful owner. The RD looks to be Suntour V-something, a likely upgrade back then. The FD looks original so check the mount for cracks. The now-scarce original pump is a nice touch. Bar tape and saddle have been upgraded of course. It wouldn't surprise me if the previous owner added those toe clips. The rear wheel in one photo shows the stippling on the surface of the original Rigida Cro-Lux rims; I can't see it on the front wheel but the hub flanges make it seem original too. Even those brake levers and hoods look good.

You could switch to alloy wheels and crank and it would be a nice bike indeed. Additional weight could be saved by swapping out that seemingly-original seat post and the probably-original steel handlebar.

By the way, the original seat post would be a straight steel tube the diameter of the seat clamp. It was fit into the ST by a collar. If the seat clamp wasn't kept tight it could slide down the post until the saddle rested on the post, and that made it quite uncomfortable. Prostates beware!

As it is you (or a buyer) could ride it and enjoy it greatly. With those few upgrades you'd have a marvelous bike indeed. (Trust me, though I have another faster lighter bike, I've been riding an upgraded bike much like that for 39 years.)

Wow. You guys are the best. Can't thank you enough for confirming my suspicions on the model, and for all the additional info. I'm excited to give it a spin, and am leaning heavily towards picking it up if all seems well enough. He's asking $125, a good deal in the New York market, but am hoping he'll go a little lower. We'll see!

I probably would switch to alloy wheels, especially if I throw fenders on it, which I'd like to do.

randyjawa & miamijim: cannot thank you guys enough for your websites. They've been insanely helpful to me so far in my quest for an old French "ten speed."

That Pletscher rack and those covered brake handles. Proof the seventies got some things really right on.

Aren't 95% of the Peugeots in the U.S. from the 70's UO8's?

The RD looks to be Suntour V-something, a likely upgrade back then. The FD looks original so check the mount for cracks. The rear wheel in one photo shows the stippling on the surface of the original Rigida Cro-Lux rims; I can't see it on the front wheel but the hub flanges make it seem original too.

I ended up picking this guy up, and your eye truly impresses, Jim! All your above observations proved true. The front wheel is not patterned, but is indeed a steel Rigida (dated 1977). While maybe not stock, the toe clips and straps are French-made. Not sure what the seat is, but can read "heche en mexico" on its side, and the last three letters of a word above that ("reg"). Not sure if the handlebars and/or seatpost are steel but it seems likely.

After truing the wheels a bit, and attempting to adjust the brakes (I've never messed with center-pulls before), I've taken her for a couple spins. Really great shape for something that likely hasn't been ridden or tuned since the 70s. With replacement cables, shoes, and chain, and a fine tuning of the brakes (they're not springing back on release), she'll at least be safe to ride. Then I can take my time turning her into the commuter beauty I've been fantasizing dreaming about (alloy wheels, fenders, porteur bars, and yeah, probably a flip-flop hub).

Thanks again everyone for your helpful advice and boundless knowledge!

That Pletscher rack and those covered brake handles. Proof the seventies got some things really right on.
I don't really like half hoods though. Who would want metal against half their hands for long periods of time?

Chombi

First thing you do is re-lube if it hasn't been done already. Wheels, bottom bracket, headset, even the pedals if you feel aggressive. The best thing you can do for the brakes is re-string them with Jagwire cables and housing! If it has the original cables, pull them out and grease them. New cables don't need grease because the housing have a Teflon liner.

Enjoy!

Thanks, Jim. Definitely planning to crack things open for cleaning and re-lubing. I'm short on tools & workspace, and do all that stuff at the co-op. Most of the folks there aren't C&V types, though, so I'm sure I'll be back here with questions before long. Is keeping the original cable really an option? I just assumed they should be replaced right away...

That Pletscher rack and those covered brake handles. Proof the seventies got some things really right on.

Hardly.

Thanks, Jim. Definitely planning to crack things open for cleaning and re-lubing... Is keeping the original cable really an option?
First, about the cables. If they don't look rusty you could keep them, but new cables and housings will be a good idea anyway. Cutting the housing and trimming the end can be a chore if you don't have good tools.

About lubing, there are some do's and don't's.

DO NOT take the right side cup out of the bottom bracket. It is meant to be torqued in pretty tight. On your bike the BB threads are right-handed (French BB threading) on both sides so the right side can work itself out with pedaling if it isn't tight.

When you do the headset you can lose bearings easily. With the bike upright and resting on the fork you can unscrew the upper bearing from the steerer tube and then pry out the bearings. There will be a zillion and they are tiny. DO NOT lift the bike up to un-weight the fork or else the bearings from the bottom can fall out and scatter. Instead, keep the fork pressed into the head tube as you turn the frame over. Then you can lift the fork out of the head tube and the bearings should stay in place, more or less. Count the bearings top and bottom. It may seem like some are missing. That's on purpose. There needs to be space for them to roll around, so the practice is to put in one or two fewer than it can hold. If you counted them you'll know how many to put in.

Some people will recommend you get new bearings for both BB and headset. They are pretty cheap, after all. You don't know what shape your races are in, nor the bearings either.

When you re-assemble any bearing set you want to adjust them so they are totally free but with no wobble. That can mean re-adjusting several times until you get it right. With wheel bearings you want to err on the loose side though because the quick-release skewer will further tighten the bearings. When you are all done, check your work again.

Have fun!

Oh, and I agree with GB. Though I like the MAFAC levers, the Pletscher rack is nothing special. Back then some people thought they were great, and perhaps they were better than some racks available. At least they were light. But they weren't very stable. The rivets holding the uprights to the platform are the only real source of lateral stability, and that isn't much. The front of the platform is held by a clamp to the seat stays, but it can slide down and scratch the paint. Finally, that spring-loaded clamp on the platform seems really neat except that it isn't convenient for actually holding anything!

I don't really like half hoods though. Who would want metal against half their hands for long periods of time?

Chombi

Yes, I might want to re-wrap those bars as well

Thanks for the tips, Jim. Planning to get started on this today, with the hubs & BB first since I've at least done that before. You make the headset job sound intimidating... so I'll make sure I have an experienced hand helping when I get to that.

The bike I've been riding for years has a Pletscher rack, so I'm well aware of its limitations. The only really rough patches on the U08 paint are on the seat stays where the rack went to town. Of course. I've actually gotten pretty good at utilizing the mousetrap along w/ straps to get some decent help out of the one on my Collegiate. Probably going to stick a front rack on this guy, though, eventually.

Gravity Aided: So far I think I'm cool with the half-hoods, but the bar tape definitely needs refreshing. Gonna throw new bars on, though, so the old & crusty stuff stays for now. :)

You make the headset job sound intimidating...

Gonna throw new bars on, though, so the old & crusty stuff stays for now. :)
The heaset isn't difficult, just meticulous because of the large number (27? 28? I fergit) of tiny bearings. Re-assemble by putting grease in the lower race with the frame upsidedown, stuff the bearings into the grease, insert the fork to hold everything in place, then turn the frame upright while holding the fork against the head tube. Keep the frame resting on the fork so that the lower bearings don't fall out while you pack the top race. It's actually easier than doing the BB.

If you decide to replace the handlebar, be aware that the clamp size is French.

One more editorial comment - IMHO the only proper bar tape for a bike like that (or any bike for that matter:)) is black cloth. But I seem to be in the minority!

The only thin that looks newish on that UO8 is the rear derailleur. Looks like the original owner upgraded to a slightly better (and less plastic) mechanism.

EDIT: On second glance, it looks like a Suntour VGT or VGT Luxe, so a very good upgrade.

The heaset isn't difficult, just meticulous because of the large number (27? 28? I fergit) of tiny bearings. Re-assemble by putting grease in the lower race with the frame upsidedown, stuff the bearings into the grease, insert the fork to hold everything in place, then turn the frame upright while holding the fork against the head tube. Keep the frame resting on the fork so that the lower bearings don't fall out while you pack the top race. It's actually easier than doing the BB.

If you decide to replace the handlebar, be aware that the clamp size is French.

One more editorial comment - IMHO the only proper bar tape for a bike like that (or any bike for that matter:)) is black cloth. But I seem to be in the minority!

It's 25 and the original tape on those was white plastic. I prefer black cloth myself.

I believe the spring loaded clasp on the Pletscher rack is for holding a bottle of wine.

My Pletscher carried a six-pack of beer to my home without harm this evening (my belt helped). Wasn't expecting to encounter Sierra Nevada's Celebration Ale already, but very happy I did!