jamesdak 

I don't want to put much into the U08 I recently got right now. So I'm keeping the steel rims as I feel the chrome "bling" matches the rest of the shiny bits on the bike. But even though what appears to be the original Michelin's still hold air, I need to swap them. Thinking the Panaracer Pasela PTs for the vintage look yet decent puncture protection. I assume there's room in the frame to run these at 27 x 1 1/4 (32mm) but wanted to hear from the experts that they fit ok. I hear these tires actually come in a bit larger. I did some frame measuring and all looks good but just wanted to confirm with those with more experience with this bike. Still totally impressed by the condition of this old beast.

Citoyen du Monde

My UE8 (same basic bike except with mudguards, lights and carrier) bought in Paris in 1972 came with 700c tires. The bikes built for the US market should all have been delivered with 27" and there should not be any problems whatsoever to fit any 27 x 1 1/4 tires.

jimmuller 

Maybe Peugeot changed things through the "old Peugeot" years, but my UO-8 came with 27 x 1 1/4" tires so you should have no trouble fitting them. The Pasela is a good choice.

(If you still have the original Michelins, what size are they?)

John E

You are correct that not all tires match their callout widths, but a UO-8 has a lot of clearance. I have even run 27 x 1-3/8" (35mm) knobbies on mine for gravel grinding.

jyl

No problem with 32mm, you will even still have fender clearance.

Dave Cutter

If you use a conversion chart.... a 27 X 1 1/4 smaller than a 700c. In real life... I believe the 27 is larger in circumference. Sheldon Brown explains tire sizes.

jamesdak 

Thanks all! The hubs checked out on these 44 year old wheels so I am going to proceed with them for now. Glad to hear the tires won't be an issue. Guess I'm thinking with my modern mindset when I question this, LOL! I did find the wheels date stamped 72 in side the diamond too so just more confirmation that this is a 1972 bike. Now to find the Pasela tires!!

oddjob2

REI has the TG model, $50 a pair is a reasonable deal.

Panaracer Tourguard Pasela Bike Tire - 27 x 1.25 - REI.com

jimmuller 

Just don't ride them much in the rain. They don't brake so well when wet.

Enjoy the bike! Show us pics!

jamesdak 

Here's a pic of it. All I've done so far is clean it up a bit. Shifts well and the wheels are sorted out now. Need to swap out those very old tires and then maybe find a rack for it. I want to turn this into my errand runner.

bikemig 

I'd be very, very surprised if you couldn't fit fatter tires, say 27 x 1 3/8. I owned this model bike set up with 700c wheels and I had no trouble fitting monster tires. Panaracer tourguard is a very solid choice and will look right on this bike. I love the color on this bike. These schwalbe marathons are more expensive ($65 a pair) but they have a reflective strip which is a plus on a commuter and they are very tough tires:

https://www.biketiresdirect.com/prod...rathon-27-tire

They would be my choice for a commuter.

greg3rd48 

I use 27 1/4 Paselas on m U08 and they serve my needs perfectly and look great. I have had a few flats but those instances are no reflection upon the tires but more on the horrific NYC roads in some locales.
P.S. Your U08 really is quite eye catching.

jimmuller 

Yeah, that's a nice looker!

big chainring 

Paselas on ebay from Bens Cyclery are $13.50. Hard to beat.

gaucho777 

That's a good looking UO-8. I dig the less common purple color. And one more vote of confidence regarding the tire clearance. Like Citoyen du Monde, I have a UE-8 (basically a UO-8 with factory lights & fenders) and I have clearance for 32mm tires under fenders. I even squeezed some 34mm tubulars under the fenders but that was a bit too tight. Without the fenders, clearance wouldn't have been an issue at all.

P.s. That stem looks rather high. Make sure it's not set above the minimum insertion limit; and while you are at it, you might as well check to see that there are no cracks emanating from the top corner of the notch at the bottom of the stem (a known failure point on some of these stems).

jamesdak 

I don't see any cracks and the notch is just barely visible from the top of the headset. I assume there's a minimum insertion line on these?

SJX426 

TMK(alternative to IIRC), I don't think all stems have an insertion line. The key is to make sure the wedge is not where the threads are on the steerer, but below the threads. The danger is that in tightening the stem, the steerer where the threads are will deform - bad news!

John E

To pick a nit, I prefer a more level saddle.

I always liked your purple color, but all UO-8s of that era look great, with those classic graphics. Your gumwall tires look much more authentic / OEM than my blackwalls, and your paint and decals are in far better shape than mine.

gaucho777 

Yes, usually there is a min insertion line, but it's possible your stem does not have one. It's hard to tell from the full bike photo, but is it THIS STEM? If so, it may not have one. In any event, if you can see the notch above the headset, it's almost certainly too high high.

jamesdak 

Well dang it, let me fix that saddle. I actually haven't even started to set the bike up to my fit. Still going over it. I too actually do ride a flat, level saddle myself going so far at to set mine up with a level as I adjust height and fore/aft position.

The gumwalls look authentic because I think they are the originals. The are dry, and brittle with the gum walls flaking off and the rubber coming unglued from the casing. You can clearly see Michelin and the size on one of them though in bright light. I'm trying to locate so skinwall/tan Pasela PTs to go on them to maintain that classic look. The decals have held up pretty well though they are far from perfect. Still so much better at 44 years than the 25 year old ones I just removed from my Giordana.

Grand Bois

If the tires are Michelin Elans, they could be original.

noglider 

The Panaracer is a good choice for this bike.

A tipped-down saddle is a sign that the saddle might be too high. Maybe.

79pmooney

It's called energy conservation. (Conservation of kinetic energy, ie speed.) And yes, stopping in the rain with chromed steel rims, even with Mafac brakes, by far the best of the day and still very good, is a very gradual process. Plan way ahead.

Ben

jamesdak 

Since the stem has come into question let me provide some better picks of it.

bikemig 

This is just one of the better looking bikes I've seen on BF in a while. There's another thread going on now of a merckx in molteni orange which is an iconic drop dead gorgeous high end racing bike. The UO-8 is at the other end of the scale; it was designed to be a workhorse and affordable. It is, in its own way, as beautiful as that Merckx and it can be modded in a variety of ways to suit your purposes. This is a fabulous swiss army knife bike.