Chicago Al 

Thanks to a tip-off from 4Rings6Stars on Tuesday morning, I was able to snag a c.1972 Peugeot PX-10 from a local seller on eBay, BIN. I picked up the bike that night.

It's kinda rough, as you can see from the pics. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it but my first impulse is to head in the direction of (mostly) restoration, on the cheap. As far as I have seen the frame is fine, it's the paint that is bad. But I don't think a trip to Cyclart is in the cards. And, not having ridden it I don't know that it's a longterm keeper. However it is my size. Also my son's. So...we'll see. Since I took these pics I've removed two of the top cable guides. One is going to need a Dremel. One took the remaining paint off under it!

Sorry there is no closeup of the Ideale, which is in pretty good shape.



Yes, the seatpost was this high when I got it. The seller said the bike was 'a bit small' for him. Seatpost had yet more room to go; it's the tallest one I've ever seen.

Chicago Al 

mikeybikes

Holy long seat post batman!

4Rings6Stars

Looks like it will clean up pretty well. That seatpost is comical.

PS your chain ring went out this afternoon, you should have it Friday.

Roll-Monroe-Co

If that really is your frame size and you want to lower the seat to a normal position, you may have to trim the post so it doesn't interfere with the bottom bracket spindle!

Heck, a little oxalic acid and some mother's and five liters of elbow grease, and she'll be shining like it's 1975!

Are you going to regress/backdate/backtrace the brakes?

Dean7

Maybe you can sell the seatpost on eBay and make some $.

sauze

damn , cool score would love to do a 'cheapish' 'newish' rebuild on a frame like this , score on the Miche Competition hubs too.

Chicago Al 

The seatpost fits just fine down the tube...it's a 26.2 rather than the proper 26.4; of course the 'ears' at top of the tube were a bit crimped. No grease was on it either. The seller had what he thought were the original brakes, but they are old DiaCompe single-pivots probably changed out by the original owner, from whom he got the bike. At least a couple of local C&V friends have Mafacs.

I do think think this frame is going to get the full OA baptism. If I can just make room in the basement for a tub!

ps: may just cut down the tall seatpost and use it. If I sell it on eBay should I charge by the foot?

Funnily enough, anticipating a winter build of some sort I had just bought some Campy stuff, my first, including a wheelset with Record hubs. Cool but not right for this build! Oh well, something will come along.

auchencrow

Fair warning Chicago Al : Once you ride it you'll always have to have one!

I agree with your econ-approach to the restoration: Scrape off the scale, OA bath, Boeshield in the tubes, and some judicious touch up and it'll look great.

Are you going to get Racers for it? I think they're better brakes and they look the part.

PS - I see you have the AVA "death stem" there - IMO one of the best-looking stems ever, once it's all polished up.

jimmuller 

Nice find (I think). Original brakes? Yeah, the owner must not have known what that curious thing dangling from the top of the headset was.

(I wish 4Rings6Stars could point me to a frame that fits me and doesn't cost a nominal egg. BF'ers seem to find all manner of great bikes in sizes that are way too small or way too large. )

That sure does look like it'd be a keeper.

AZORCH

I think maybe the previous owner had to take a drill to enlarge the hole for those 600 brakes to fit.

rivas7200

Wow, every time I see one of these, it makes me want one. They look like they would just be an awesome and pleasing ride.

C'est un beau velo!

cudak888 

Paint looks as if it'll clean up quite well. Given that OA sometimes dulls paint a bit, I'd suggest polishing it out first before dunking the frame.

As AZORCH noted, the frame has been drilled for recessed brakes - you may need inserts if you wish to go back to nutted, though the adapters to fit the curved brake bridge and fork crown should center the bolts properly.

-Kurt

Paramount1973 

Wow, does that bring back memories... A PX-10 was my first real bike after several years with a Schwinn Continental.

cb400bill

Congrats on the new bike Alan! It should clean up great and I can't wait to see it.

I always keep an eye out for a 56cm PX10. All I find are UO8s.

kiwigem

Cool stem!

lotek 

it's not a Zieleman (haha) but I like it!

I too find the PX10's to be very appealing bikes and often think, I should
get one. hmmm

Marty

Chicago Al 

Thanks for the comments guys!

Here are a few more pics, of the Ideale saddle and the cable guides...including where the center one took paint away with it. What do you think...that'll buff right out, right?

Two of the cable guides are soaking in vinegar right now; the rust is coming off. The third one, once I've gotten it off, may have more rust than metal left.

I know about the brakes, first thing when I saw the bike was 'nice brakes, too bad about the drilling.' I've done that myself, but on a Miyata 110. Oh well, this was not going to be a show bike anyway. I had the matching levers to those calipers until a couple of months ago, sold them cheap too!

If the restoration angle doesn't work out or is too much of a PITA I would not look down on giving the bike to my son, converted to a fast city bike, SS, Tektro brakes, etc. Blasphemy to some, I know, but it's not like this is that rare a bike nor an outstanding example of the model.

Voila les photos:

cudak888 

[QUOTE=Chicago Al;13604474]Here are a few more pics, of the Ideale saddle and the cable guides...including where the center one took paint away with it. What do you think...that'll buff right out, right? /QUOTE]

I'm not sure if that took paint off or that its a huge rust stain. Give it some Scratch X/Scratch Out and see if a portion of the stain gets rubbed off; it's possible to do so.

-Kurt

Chicago Al 

Oh, that one is down to bare paint...under the rust.

SteveSGP

Wrap it with a paper towel soaked in vinegar and then wrap that with celophane and it'll disolve the raust nicely, one treated and touched up or simply kept dry it'll be fine.

Grand Bois

You can find those Simplex clips on eBay, but generic stainless clips are cheaper and better.

hagen2456

Nice bike for sure, and I'd like to have one, too. I rode a PX10 just my size this summer - just a short ride, but I really fell for it. The owner wanted c. 350$ for it, and I couldn't see any way of affording it

As the others said, you need to fit it with MAFAC "Racers".

ftwelder

I know I will find one someday.. I know it.. I know it..


man that thing is hot.

Grand Bois

Somebody please offer him a set of MAFAC Racers! Those Shimano 600s may be decent brakes, I don't know, but they couldn't look more wrong on that bike.

The wheels are replacements, but they're probably decent. I'm not a fan of the original Normandy Luxe Competition hubs. The cones seem to be made of potmetal.

If you soak those black plastic parts in Armor All overnight they'll turn black again.....for a while.