Classic & Vintage - Help! Peugeot specialists needed! Is this frame fake!?

hey guys, i need some help finding out if this is a legit peugeot. don't know much about them, it's going to be my first peugeot. i've tried all those websites about models but they don't suffice, can any of you tell if its legit by these pictures? the guy says it is a vitus maybe super vitus but isnt sure, and isnt even sure of year.

also side note, i don't see a "made in france" logo on the top post and also the welds dont look crowned like the fork, is this normal?

PLEASE any help is appreciated :D

i am still new to this vintage bike game so please any help will be a learning experience

Look legit to me.

i felt as if it was the real deal but i dont want to make a beginners mistake of buying a fake one with just decals or something you know?

The rainbow decals indicate it's likely a mid 1984 or newer frame. You can try to find the right model at retropeogeot.com. The PUGS have common paint and decals across their lineup, so they are often misidentified. Silver frame should make it easier.

The rainbow decals indicate it's likely a mid 1984 or newer frame. You can try to find the right model at retropeogeot.com. The PUGS have common paint and decals across their lineup, so they are often misidentified. Silver frame should make it easier.
hmm if i can see correctly the welds on the frame of those in the catalogs are crowned like the fork, but on this bike it isnt.. hm or maybe i'm just seeing it wrong on the catalog?

Don't over think it. It looks like a quality frame. Buy it if it fits you. Not many folks would go through the effort to make a fake Peugeot.

Definitely no fake. As the pictures aren't very good, I can't be sure about the model, but (apart from the different coloured Peugeot-badge), this one comes quite close:
http://www.peugeotshow.com/1986us/1986us_04.jpg

It's a nice Peugeot mid 80's, probably not super vitus 980. The 1986 Triathlon was super vitus, lesser models were 103. The 1987 Triathlon was 501.


The fork indicates it is not one of the higher end models, they had a sloping crown, no lug, some with panto.


good luck.


catalog, (http://cyclespeugeot.com/1980sCatalogs.html) catalog (http://cyclespeugeot.com/1980sCatalogs.html), catalog (http://retropeugeot.com/) catalog (http://cyclespeugeot.com/Catalogs.html), catalog (http://www.peugeotshow.com/)

Somewhere in the '84-'87-ish range.

So you perused the various websites, what's the serial number? What kind of tubing does it have? I can tell you with 100% certainty it's NOT Vitus.

Do you know what market it's from?

Looks to be legit bike I couldn't see someone faking a midlevel Peugeot frome the 80's. Based on the paint fork and welded frame it looks to be from around 87 or so.

Defintely a Peugeot, but most likely a "base model" sport model from the mid 80's as I think I see a tubing decal on the down tube right above the shifter bosses that seems like a Peugeot HLE ("Haute Limite Elastique") tubing decal. HLE tubing is a Manganese steel alloy tubing developed in-house by Peugeot and is considered good quality middle weight tubing certainly above plain high tensile carbon steel tubing found on the lowest end bikes.
You cannot go wrong with this one if you get it for an appropriate price as it should ride very well and be a strong reliable frame you can trust for many years of service, as you can most Peugeot bikes.
As for the frame construction, the frame is assembled using Peugeot's "Internal Brazing" method. which does not rely on lugs (which I think you are referring to as "Crowns") for locating and joining the tubes on the frame. What they did is miter the tube ends at curves and angles so they sit flush against the tube they are joining to and then heat the joint so it melts a ring of bronze or silver brazing material inserted into the tube ends which then "solders" the tubes together at the junctions. The result is the clean "lugless" construction you see on the bike It's a proven method of construction by Peugeot and you can trust the joints for pretty much the life of the bike as joint failures on Peugeot internally brazed frames are pretty much unheard of. Most of Peugeot's lugless, internally brazed frame bikes of that time were provided with conventional "crowned" forks as you see on this one, so it's nothing unusual what you are seeing.
Not wuite sure how complete that bike is and its actual condition but as a whole bike, it should be priced around $150 maximum in close to mint/NOS condition any damage to the finish, corrosion or missing parts should lower the price quite a bit.

Good luck, hope you do get your first Peugeot soon!

Chombi

V. informative analysis, Chombi.

It's a shame those bits are missing.