My $10 Peugeot Road Bike
 

Long story short - I lately became very fascinated with road bikes. I love how light they are and the way they feel, I regret buying a MTB last year. Anyways I purchase this bike at a local pawn shop for 10$ and was wondering if its worth restoring.
I would need a new wheelset because theres a little crack on each one. Tires and tube are great, the front one in fact is new i believe, it has all the signs of a new tire. The seat is unbelievable comfortable. I probably need a new crankset too since I see theres a slight wobble which I think that means the crank is slighting bent. Besides that everything is fine. But im not bike expert, but I know enough to fix it and have it running well again.

So it worth spending on a new wheelset and crankset or should I get decent used one?
I dont want to spend too much fixing this up.

Thanks

http://upload.serverseed.com/pictars3/DSC01981.JPG
http://upload.serverseed.com/pictars3/DSC01980.JPG

Buy a decent used one. That one is entry level early seventies.

It's a UO-8. Really not one for restoring; use it as a rider/beater. A good, workman like bike. Keep the saddle, whatever you do, and get some Brooks proofride to help keep it neat. If the saddle is comfortable, it was worth the ten bucks all by itself. I've paid ten bucks for used bikes just to take the Brooks saddles off them. Think your saddle is an Ideale.

If using as a rider, replace the rims (if they're steel) with alloy ones, and replace the mafac brake pads, best with kool stops.

Best approach is to look for another $10 roadie (they're out there) with a decent wheelset and start moving stuff around. With some persistence/time but little $ you can come out with a pretty decent bike.

Agree about the saddle. Easily worth the $ right there.

I think you leather saddle is an ADGA (cheap Brooks knockoff). I have one just like it and I cut off the sides of it like a Brooks Swallow. Made it alot more comfortable.

And, spend a few $$ for a new bottom bracket to fit an inexpensive alloy crankset. Your crank wobble is because of the cotter pin wear & tear on the old cranks. These always creak and make noise, also. Any rotating weight that can be reduced is beneficial, therefore alloy wheels, cranks, hubs, etc.. E-bay has bunches of bottom brackets and cranks available that will fit.
Have fun with your project...re-building it is as much fun as riding it!

I was actually really impressed by the old kickstand, its the type that has 1 on each side and when its on the front wheel doesnt touch the ground.
I took it off already, but I think ill ebay it like you said. Thanks =]

Im not really sure what do you mean by brackets, I was under the impression that they all look the same, as far as size goes.

Hi PriO: Bottom bracket is the spindle (axle) that the cranks mount on: most have two threaded bearing cups that screw into the sides of the bottom bracket housing (bit round barrel shaped part of the frame that all the frame tubes end up welded to), greased bearings and the spindle. Some are sealed bearing brackets: spindle and bearings sealed in a one-piece unit that mounts in the bracket housing with threaded rings. For alloy crank sets, the cranks have square holes that mount on the suare ends of the spindle. On your cottered crank, the spindle is round with cotter pin slots. Best check with your local bike shop for fit and sizes...I've been out of it for some time and bike parts have changed quite a bit since my bike was built, which is about the same time your Peugeot was made. A good shop can help you tell if what you want find on E-bay will fit or not, thou you'd probably want to buy something for your bike from them for the trouble of helping you.
Good luck!

imapls

Ahh thanks, i see. Cant I just replace the whole crankset? I already took out the entire crank and now its a big hole there with alot of grease :) . Doesnt all the frame have the same size for crankset?

I agree. That's exactly what I did. After 2 used road bikes plus my own parts, here's what I ended up with. I love it!

wow that looks frickin great! ;)
how much did u put in total for it to look like that?
and how much does it weigh?

Wow! Nice looking bike. What kind is it?

Thanks :D
It's a Miyata Three Ten - don't know what year it is. I got it for $10 at a thrift shop with 1024 steel tubing, 27in steel wheels, and 6 speed freewheel. I put in 700c alloy wheels (105's), 7 speed cassette, and newer style brake levers from another used roadbike that I bought. I had to buy a new rear derailleur (105), chain, tires, and bar tape. Not a bad commuter.

I'm thinking a sweet little single speed / fixed gear.

http://home.twcny.rr.com/dobber/Peugoet.jpg

wow nice u still have the great colors and stickers on it =]
you kept it in very good conidition or did u buy the stickers?

The crank wobble could be from worn cotter pins on the cottered crank. Those pins are cheap, a coupla bucks each. Or, as suggested, you could upgrade to a cartridge BB and square taper cotterless cranks, but that could get pricey (relative to your outlay so far, anyway).

Upgrading to a cartridge BB will be difficult on Prio's bike, as the bike is French threaded. (Mid 70's UO8, absolutely French in the BB)
There are two options I know of:
1) Get French threaded Phil Wood Mounting rings, which will cost 2-5 times the cost of the bike, and either a shimamo UN72 BB (no longer made but no other shimanos will do) or a phil wood (very pricey).
2) YST makes a cartridge BB for bikes with stripped-out threads, and this can be used as well (cheaper).

I'd be interested in hearing other options, if anyone's used any (there must be some!). Someone one told me you could rethread the BB Italian if you were real desperate.

If the bottom bracket cups on your bike are intact, I'd keep them. You'll need to replace the spindle to replace the cranks; on French bikes you sometimes need an Italian spindle, as the cups are thin. A lot of this is only discovered once you start in on the bike.

The bike is a 1970-73 UO-8 with an AO-8 front wheel. My commuter has the same frame, but I have aluminum cranks and rims and SunTour derailleurs, which vastly improve it. It is not worth spending much money on it, but it is a particularly adept beater, vastly superior to a typical Magna POS from *-Mart.

i agree about the seat, it's sweet. if you don't fix it up, at least keep the seat, and you can probably sell of just the frame even for more than $10 and make a profit for someone who might want to make a nice single speed or something.