racingjeff

Anyone seen one of these? bottom bracket stamped 7173. Apparently a bike shop that still exists in Versailles France. I think its a bike shop custom built Peugeot. It has Mavic rims 700c, Mafac "Racing" brakes with the handbrake arm made out of plastic, simplex shift/derail, stronglight cranks, lyotard pedals, aluminum stem and bars. Overall the bike is pretty light.

SteveSGP

Looks way different than the Peugeot mixtes I've worked on, different pump pegs, different lugs, different seat post brace etc.

racingjeff

What frame can it be? did this shop completely build their own bikes. The one thing I did think was odd was how light it was compared to a late 70's Peugeot Mixte the guy had beside this bike. This bike weighs 28 lbs and that's with the bad non original kickstand and big old Michelin fat 700C it has on it right now.

SteveSGP

You've got me there, there were SO many bike builders back then that it could be anything.

wrk101

+1 The reason you think it is a Peugeot is what? And also, the reason you think it is a "custom" built?

During the bike boom, it was very common for lots of stores to have their own "brand" of bike. I always tell the story about buying a bike from a lawn mower shop that had their own brand. Back then, these stores typically did not build their own bikes, instead, there were dozens (probably hundreds actually) of contract manufacturers that would build bikes, and then put whatever decals you wanted on the bike, to create your own brand. The decals tended to be on the simple side, a lot of foil decals. Depended on how big the store was. Tire shops, gas stations, bike shops, department stores, discount stores, hardware stores were all selling bikes.

Yours has some better parts, more respectable than many from that era. Probably reflects it came from a bike shop rather than a lawn mower store.

My guess is that you have a G. Lapierre Superlux, that the P Rolland store then put a couple of their own labels on it, and called it their own.

Google Lapierre Superlux.

Hush

You are probably right. Lapierre factory was in Dijon. Here is the blazon of Dijon :https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bl...-%28LdH%29.svg. It looks very similar to the one on the seat tube.
I am quite sure that P Rolland was not a framebuilder, they just put their headbadge and logo on the frames.
How did those bikes travel to USA ? I can be totaly wrong but... there was a camp of american soldiers near Versailles ....may be.
Hush

SteveSGP

People brought a lot of bikes over on their own, I restored a late 70s childrens Peugeot road bike that was purchased by the original owner in Belgium.

My mother in law has a similar childs road bike in her barn that looks to be in amazing condition under 20+ years of dust that my wifes father bought in France, she won't let me take it home even though I want to restore it for her grand daughter

racingjeff

Thanks guys, I knew someone had the info on it. Now I can rebuild / modify it without worrying it was a rare classic.