deadllama

I've kind of always wanted a Peugeot. (I like French stuff. Always have. No idea why.)

This one is on CL here for 95 bucks. I'm guessing it's a 77 or 78 UO8 from the head tube badge, decals and such (although the handlebars don't look right to me)... if I'm kind of a bike dummy and don't really know what I'm doing (yet), is this a bad idea for a project bike? (Is there such a thing as a "bad idea project bike"?)

Here are a couple of pictures from the listing:



PS please don't buy this out from under me if you live in my area

Dave Cutter

My first restoration:



I learned a lot. I had fun. Later I sold it and made a couple bucks (not much).

jpaschall

Most will warn against taking on a French made bike as a novice. Different sizing standards on basically all parts of the bike will make finding replacements and substitutes difficult if you need to replace anything. I think another way to look at it though, so long as you aren't looking to bling it out, is that it is a low-level bike; if you happen to goof up while working on it as a novice, you haven't spoiled anything of great value.

SkyDog75

If you like it, it's your size, and it's in good shape, go for it. The headset, bottom bracket, and stem/handlebar are the French sized/threaded parts you might've been warned about, and if they don't need to be replaced, then you won't have to face the potential cost and hassle of sourcing French parts.

With any old bike, French or not, there are a few things to check or be aware of. For one, make sure the stem and seatpost aren't stuck. If they are, walk away. It can be a huge hassle to free s stuck stem or post.

Also, be aware this bike has a cottered crankset. You'll need to press the cotters out of each crank arm to remove the crank arms to disassemble, clean, and re-grease the bottom bracket. Then you'll need to press those cotters back in. There's a special tool (cotter press) for installing and removing cotters. Without the tool, it takes some ingenuity to work on a cottered crankset. And if the cotters get damaged, finding replacements and filing them to fit may turn out to be a learning process.

Lascauxcaveman 

Doesn't look like it needs "restoration" as much as a good cleaning and probably a lube. In which case, go for it; it'll be a fun first project. I wouldn't pay more than $50 for a low end bike like that, though. Much nicer ones may fall into your lap if you're patient and keep your eyes open.

verktyg 

A rusty chain is ALWAYS a warning sign for me!!!

I my experience bikes with exposed rust have always turned out to be more work than I anticipated: screws and nuts are rusted and either break off or the heads strip, EVERYTHING like cables, brake pads, bearings, tires and tubes will need to be replaced and so on.

A few years ago I overhauled a bike for a friend, a 1972 UO-18 mixte. Took several weeks worth of evenings to go over it and I used to do this stuff for a living in the 70's. It had never been properly assembled by the shop that sold it new!

Before pictures... What you can't see is everything that was chrome plated had a light covering of rust. Fortunately most of it came off with steel wool.



After shots showing some of the parts that were replaced -red arrows (I didn't try get all of the rust off either)



I don't want to discourage you but this is more like a $25 bike!

More Peugeot UO-8s were bikes were imported into the US than any other single model from all the other bike manufacturers world wide. They were produced from the early 60's until 1981! (I grown when I see an eBay or CL listing saying "RARE" UO-8!)

So my first suggestion is find out what size bike you can ride - safely and comfortably!

Then shop around... check out garage and yard sales, flea markets, thrift stores and so on. I'm certain you can find another UO-8 in better condition for maybe half the price of this bike!

There are lots of sites on the internet where you can get the information to help you work on your new bike!

...and metric phobia is a quaint affliction suffered by many in the US! The rest of the world except 2 small third world countries adopted the ISO metric system at least
25 years ago.

There are 4 things on French bikes that are metric threaded that don't interchange with the current ISO bicycle standards: headsets, bottom bracket cups, fereewheels and pedal threads. There are simple non ham fisted hammer mechanic ways to get around those situations.

Another reason to look fo a bike in better condition. You may not need to replace any of those items!

Happy hunting!

verktyg

Chas.

Prowler 

I agree with Chas here. If a chain is that rusted then the bearing races elsewhere are suspect. Bearings themselves are not expensive and doing the clean/lube yourself is easy but paying some one to do it is expensive. However bearing races (cones, BB spindles and cups are expensive) are where the risk is. If the bearing surface on the hub is corroded then the hub (and probably the wheel) is scrap. Chas has pointed out before how thin the hardened surface is on these cones and cups are - cannot be sanded down to restore them. Scrap. Same concern with the headset bearings. A chain that rusted has been living outdoors so that same rain has been trying to seep into the other bearings and, if it has been successful you may have a lot of work to do.

The rusted chain is a warning flag that several other things could be FUBAR. Caution.

randyjawa 

There is, in my opinion, nothing wrong with vintage French bicycles, when compared to other makers, from the same vintage. In fact, I think I prefer French bicycles to Italian, or English, or Japanese, but that is just me.

There are issues with French bicycle restoration or refurbishment, but none are insurmountable. The bike presented is, indeed, common but offers uncommonly good ride quality. It looks the vintage part, adding even more reason to projectize the bike.

I would not pay as much as is asked, but that is just me. Pay the asking price and be prepared to drop another couple of hundred dollars to get it roadworthy and safe to ride. That is for parts. If you have to hire someone to do the work, double the cost to build up.

In the end, you will come up with something like this clean old Peugeot UO8, found at the Dump a few years ago. It cleaned up well, and did not cost an arm and a leg, since everything was in good shape, "as found"...

KenNC

Here are some pages that might be helpful if you haven't seen them already:

French Bicycles

FRENCH RESTORATION PROBLEMS - INTRODUCTION
Oops, see the author has already introduced the second link!

jimmuller 

Those pics don't show much detail for identification but they show enough to say it isn't anything special. It may be a UO-8 with the handlebar replaced but the rear axle is nutted instead of quick-release and that RD isn't typical. In any case, you may end up spending more money than just that $95, and I would consider that $95 a bit high for what it is. French or not (and I have no issues with French bikes, own three!), I would think you can find more complete, rideable bikes for that. Of course it depends on your area.

wrk101

Much better off with the one in the for sale section for $150 shipped. 3X the bike in MUCH better condition.

deadllama

Sounds like the consensus is:

1. Don't be scared to learn how to work on bikes with a French one but
2. This particular Peugeot isn't worth $95.

Fair?

(FWIW I already have a bike--an 80's Bianchi--so I know this Peugeot frame is my size; I just don't know much about working on my own bike and want to learn how to fix up old ones.)

verktyg 

randyjawa, you did an exceptionally nice job of restoring that UO-8!

We sold Gitanes, Bertins, Stellas, Liberias and a number of other French brands for our entry level models. Peugeot and Motobecane were the competitors! We looked down our noses at Peugeots for a number of reasons.

I hadn't been on a UO-8 in maybe 35+ years. I was pleasantly surprised when I took my friend's UO-18 mixte out after I overhauled it!

I agree with you completely about lower priced French bikes riding better than most equivalent Italian, British or Japanese bikes from the 1960's and 70's. That was always a selling point!

As others have mentioned, the OP can easily find a nice UO-8 in better condition and for less money than the one he pictured.

Remember, those bikes are ± 40 years old and were never expected to survive more than 10 years at most.


One other positive thing that I can say about UO-8's, their headsets were far better quality than most of the other bikes in that price range. I don't recall ever seeing one that needed to be replaced plus they're easy to adjust. Can't say that about the Gitane headsets.


verktyg

Chas.

verktyg 

"Hey kid, you're pretty smart"

Learning to work on your own bike is a great experience. Just remember, don't use a hammer!

Finding an older French bike in good condition will make the experience a lot more fun.

Most French bikes switched to British treads by the early 1980s so a lower priced Peugeot, Gitane or Motobecane from that era can be a lot easier to get parts for.

Oh, and BTW, there's getting to be fewer and fewer bike shops with people who know how to work on bikes!

verktyg

Chas.

randyjawa 

I am not worthy of the praise, vert. All I did was wipe the dust off, lube it up, pressurize the tires and wait to find the absolutely correct AGDA saddle, at a yard sale, two days later. I did, however, have to pay five dollars for the saddle and the early seventies Raleigh Grand Prix it was attached to...