nowyouseeme

Last week I stumbled across this Peugeot in a french bring and buy sale. I bought it and fell in love. Now I want to build it up using new parts. If possible. Please dont tell me to forget about building it up and just ride it as is. Please dont tell me it is not worth it. But if you can help me, I will be very greatful.

I have been studying Sheldon Brown (great, but not the clearest website ever) and have come to a deadend.

Now, what is the deal with the threading system? sizing? Can I buy a modern crank and just replace it? What about the forks and the stem and the handlebars? The front derailleur? Is this mlission doomed to failure?

HillRider

What year is the bike? If it's older than about the late '90's it will have French threading for both the bottom bracket and steerer. Your mission is by no means "doomed to failure" as French parts are still available but require some searching to find. If the bike is new enough to have English threading, the job is a lot easier but judging from the pictures that's not likely.

Try to read what is engraved on the bottom bracket cups. If it says something like "35 mm x 1.0" it's French and have fun with your project. Your location says "Paris". If you really live there any local bike shop should be able to help as they still deal with these components frequently.

nowyouseeme

Thanks HillRider, Ill look for the engravings but I am pretty sure it is pre 90s. Its a Tourmalet which I believe is an 80s machine. When I say new parts though I mean modern new parts but from what you say this wont necessarily work? If I buy, for example, https://www.cambriabike.com/shopexd.a...m=018750067700, as crank, I wont just be able to attach it as the threading wont be compatible?

unterhausen

AFAIK, there are no French threaded bearings for a crank like that

HillRider

+1. That one of the newer external bearing cranks and the cups come only in English and Italian theaded versions but not French (or Swiss). You will be able to find French threaded cup-and cone and cartridge bottom brackets with square taper spindles and that's about as "modern" as you are going to get.

dedhed

You can get them, but they won't be cheap, but will last forever.

https://www.philwood.com/products/bbpages/outboard.php#

https://philwood.com/store/page40.html

nowyouseeme

I am not sure I understand this totally. If its one of the newer, English threaded versions, then it is compatible with modern setups?

HillRider

Yes, if it is English threaded, the world of modern components is your for the buying. As dedhed pointed out (and I missed it) Phil wood does offer external cup bottom brackets in French threading. But unless that frame is very valuable, the cost of those cups will exceed the worth of the frame.

AlphaDogg

Can't the OP get it tapped and rethreaded to an english thread?

Dan Burkhart 

English threading is pretty close, close enough that an English tap will successfully chase the treads, but both sides in a French bb are right hand. I have heard of this being done, and using two adjustable cups, but I have no first hand knowledge of this being done successfully.

wrk101

Depending on the year of the bike, it is more likely SWISS bottom bracket threading, not French. Peugeot (and most of the other french bike manufacturers as well) went through a transition, from french, to swiss, and ultimately the british standard that most of the rest of the world uses (except Italy).

Your adjustable cup on the bottom bracket is missing its lock ring.

A good bike shop can tell you whether you have swiss, french or british bb. Then there is the headset, which will either be french or "normal".

Google french and swiss bottom brackets, Sheldon Brown site goes through it thoroughly. There are new replacements for french and even swiss bb, not as cheap as the standard stuff (not close), but not super expensive either. External cups? Pass on that plan unless you have the british standard. The Phil Wood option is very expensive.

In my experience, you can find swiss bb threading in the early to mid 1980s on Peugeots. By 1985/1986 or so, the swiss era was over. Swiss is really the worst, due to very limited choices on replacements.

+1 You are not doomed with French or Swiss threaded/sized parts, but you will spend a lot more on them. For example, I pay $10 for a Shimano UN26 bb for standard threaded bottom brackets. A french threaded cartridge bb (VO) is $50. And so on. Only affordable swiss option I know of is IRD: you have to buy the cups separately, plus their cartridge bb. For this reason, I try to always reuse what is on the bike if it has french or swiss sized parts: stem, headset, bottom bracket in particular. Often, these parts are not worn out, and have plenty of life left in them.

Chombi

Peugeot pretty much stopped installing French threaded/ sized components by 1985. So your bike which I think is newer than 85 would have English threading so you will not have any problem finding parts for it.

Chombi

fietsbob

5of6 shows its missing the lock ring, but the crank arm was put on anyhow..

Hmmm , Step 1 tear it down , might just need cleaning and replacing bearing balls
and such,
Retail parts upgrades with new components quickly gets up to be equal to the cost of a new bike ,
which is outfitted with all those parts at an OEM price.. considerably lower.