Road Cycling - Decent bikes gotten dirt cheap

Recently, I've been bitten by a bug to go and road race, so I decide I need to ride something other than my dad's 10-speed, mid-'70s Schwinn Varsity. It's old, it's heavy, hasn't even seen lube in the past few years, and it makes noises that it just shouldn't.

So, at a flea market, I find a rather nice Peugot. I mean NICE. It needed the brakes to be tightened, new air in the tires, and a lubed chain, but that was it. It was low-mileage, at least on the drivetrain, because none of the gears were worn. None. I don't know how old it is, nor do I care. It runs so much better than the krusty old Schwinn. And I got it for $50. Can someone point me in the right place for more info on it? And I'd like to know about other nice deals that others have had.

Peawee

check out Classic Rendezvous (http://www.classicrendezvous.com/main.htm) or
Harris Bike Shop (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/index.html)
Sheldon has an entire section on French bikes, and has
French parts which can be difficult to find.
What model bike did you get?

Hope this helps,
Marty

Why spend hundreds or thousands when you can get a sweet vintage ride for pennies on that dollar? The road bike bug bit me last week and I recalled my local bicycle doctor sold used bikes on warranty so I decided to check out his inventory.

I picked up a clean, unbelievably new looking ladies Nishiki 10 sp. with a quality Suntour accushift 2000 gruppo for a hundred bucks with a 30 day warranty and fitting adjustments. It fits my 5'3" frame perfectly! Rides nice. Based on the vintage of the gruppo, this bike is probably a late 80's or possibly early 90's model.

Looking for info on the bike is just as fun as riding it. What gruppo do you have on it? That might give a clue to the history and value.

Kathy

Peugeot made really nice bikes and some so-so bikes. Post a pick and maybe we can tell you what you have.

Also, go to the Peugeot section of Classic Rendevous at: http://www.classicrendezvous.com/France/Peugeot_home.htm

10-speeds will serve you well unless you are climbing steeps or carrying heavy loads - in which case you would appreciate a third chainring.

Congrats on your French road bike!

My road bikes are a 1959, a 1980, and a 1982. I upgraded one to a 3x6 18-speed configuration, the other two to 2x7.

Do try to figure out the approximate vintage of that Peugeot. Sometime in the late 1970s, the company changed over from French to superior, but harder-to-find, Swiss BB threading.

So far, after looking across the internet, I figure it to be a UX-10. It seems similar to the PX-10E, but with clincher tires and Schraeder valves. It includes the Mafac "Racer" brakes with hooded levers, Simplex gruppe, and the hubs at least appear to have the name "Mallard" or something like that. This is a wee bit annoying- Peugot didn't put what model the bike is on the bike, but labels everybody elses parts with their own name. Lastly- near the top of the down tube, there is a decal proclaiming a Magenese High-Magnesium, double-butted tubing, but no other mention of what the frame is.

Sounds like a very basic model, despite the DB tubing. Most likely, the DB tubing is only on the main triangle, not on the stays and fork. There are a lot of low-end bit on this bike (shrader valves, mafac racer brakes, simplex derailleurs were all bottom-of-the-line stuff) which would lead me to belive that it was a $200 department store bike, slightly better than the $150 bikes (such as the UO-8's), but well below the over-$300 price on new PX-10's sold in bike shops. Remember, this was 25-30 years ago-$300 was a lot more then, although cheap bikes were still about $100 even then.
The real test is with the scale. if the bike weighs less than about 22 lbs, complete, it brobably has a full DB frame. At any rate, as it is equipped, it is an old bike with lowly parts, and really isn't suitable for racing.

i just picked up a 1996 trek 1400 retail at the time was $1300.00 sold now used apx $500.00 info from all the lbs's and trek total price for the bike and cateye mighty 3 computer which came with it ................................................. can you stand the suspence ........................$35.00 plus tax FYI check all local thrift stores, goodwill, and salvation army places


Rob

Mg tubing would imply a Reynolds type of steel alloy, like 531, a Mg-Mo alloy steel. 531 type frames were typically double butted to obtain minimum weight. Puegot may have used a French tubing supplier, hence no fancy name such as 531, and the steel may have had slightly differnet chemistry (% of the alloying elements).

Mg alloy steel is not a 4130 type steel, whcih is Cr-Moly. Cr is used instead of Mg. Both alloy steels have similiar engineering properties.

Does the Peugot feel signifcantley lighter than the Schwiin (a 1010 straight gauge tubing), especially without the wheels on (Schwinn used stell wheels, the Puegot may have Al alloy wheels)?? If so you have a superior frame material from the Varsity.

John Hawrylak
Woodstown NJ

Any idea of how late in the 70's they switched from French to Swiss BB threading. I recently picked up a Peugeot PX-10 (Super Competition) which I believe is a 1979. The BB has to go, and before I go turning it one way or the other - wouldn't mind a guess as to left or tight.

thanks for any info


My road bikes are a 1959, a 1980, and a 1982. I upgraded one to a 3x6 18-speed configuration, the other two to 2x7.

Do try to figure out the approximate vintage of that Peugeot. Sometime in the late 1970s, the company changed over from French to superior, but harder-to-find, Swiss BB threading.

Ok - heading off those quicker than myself before you hop all over me - I suppose you can't get any later in the 70's than 1979, so from your comment I suppose it would be a swiss threaded BB. I guess my real quesion is "are all 79 Peugeot's Swiss threaded?" As I have gotten conflicting info on this question.


Any idea of how late in the 70's they switched from French to Swiss BB threading. I recently picked up a Peugeot PX-10 (Super Competition) which I believe is a 1979. The BB has to go, and before I go turning it one way or the other - wouldn't mind a guess as to left or tight.

thanks for any info

Sounds like a very basic model,

D*Alex - Really?

My day is MADE!!

It'l make a great fixie but not a road/crit machine :(

Hey Bikers, it's nice to find a rather complete biking forum here. Glad to have found it. Here's my story.....two weeks ago at a friends garage sale he had a neighbor put up some stuff which included a '85 Trek 460 for 75.00. It sat until the following week with the reduced price of 50.00 when I caught a glimpse of it in the middle of the gaggle of garage sale bikes (you know the scene). I told my friend to hang onto it. My friend came by yesterday morning and pulls this gorgeous oldschool racer out of his pickup, smiles at me and says "I'm glad it's yours and not mine" (he doesnt ride).

So here's my for-cheap story and re-introduction into road racing (since '73) after a 20yr retirement. Wow, my dream bike as a kid and for free. What are friends for??



Olds

My story is a bit more modern. Last year, when I wanted to get back into cycling after a 14 year layoff, a hardcore cycling friend offered to help. This is one of those guys who owns 20 bikes and turns over a top of the line something every 3 months.

For months, he was offerring me an Ultegra equipped Gunnar for the $1000 I wanted to spend. Great deal. When I finally had the money, after hours, days and months talking about cycling and bikes, he pulled a switcheroo.

I ended up with a 4 month old mint condition Trek 5500 with less than 500 total miles for the same $grand.

Good bike gotten dirt cheap.

55/Rad

I pulled an early 80's Lotus with full Shimano 600 everything out of a garbage pile. I tightened the stem bolt and pumped up the tires and I was riding it. Pretty good deal if i do say so myself.

hehe - those last two deals are gonna be hard to beat.

my friend just got an old DiamondBack somethingorother with an RX100 group w/ downtube shifters for $40. the good news is it got him in love with cycling, but it turns out that the frame is bent down where the down tube meets the bottom bracket so he's already shopping for a 'new' bike. i don't think the yard sale ppl knew honestly and at least it's one less person i have to talk out of getting a mtb when they have no intention of trail riding.