loaner

Found old looking Peugeot bike for sale $50.00. All it needs is 2 tires and some touching up. After searching online, I can see that it is a popular bike to collect. I wonder if it is worth cleaning up. Here is the info that I have about it. It has handle bars of a city bike (not racing style) with AVA stamped on the neck. Has Mafac brakes, Campagnolo shifting mechanism, simplex shifting lever, rampar seat, rigida rims. Serial number is 1803016. I dont think the frame is aluminum, because there is light surface rust. I was looking for a road bike, and prices these days are mad. Is it worth a second chance?
Thanks

Mr. Shadow

I could be a nice geared bike, but it would make an excellent fixed-gear.

mswantak

Ahhh, pay no attention to him; most of us lost our fascination with fixed-gear bikes when we were 10.

HereNT

You rode your trike that long?

lotek 

I'd take a Ron Cooper Trike. . .

mswantak

The solid tires weren't worn out yet; waste not, want not.

USAZorro

Definitely worth a second chance - and if you DO decide to do the unthinkable (make it a fixed gear), You could almost certainly recover your investment selling off the derailleurs and shifters. Heck, I might even be willing to pay $50.00 for them if they're in decent shape.

Poguemahone

Bike is from the seventies. Peugeot frames from that period make excellent beater bikes and fixed gears. Look for frame stickers; the most common from the period is probably "tube special allegre peugeot", a tubing used on the UO8, an entry level bike. Still a fine ride. Far less common would be "inoxyadable", which would indicate you absolutely thieved the bike from whoever sold it. Either of these stickers would be on the seat tube.
The campy mechs are not standard on 70's pugs. There are some differences in quality in the Campy line from the period; they made some decent entry level stuff at the time, but not noticably better than anyone else's. The various record stuff is (very,extremely) nice, though.
The simplex shifters may be stock, but the owner may have upgraded the shifters at the same time as the mechs. Simplex made the best friction shifter ever made, the retrofictions. Generally speaking, these can be spotted because they lack the plastic (derlin) shift handles. They were not, to my knowledge, offered on stock pugs, but were a regular upgrade on bikes ridden by knowledgeable riders at the time.
The AVA stems are known to break. I've never had one go, but I replace them on regular riders. They were standard on the PX and PK/PRs, I believe, both of which are nice bikes. Lower end bikes, like the UO8, had PIVO stems.

stumpjumper

I though all of the "death-stems" had broken by now. Do yourself a favor and make that stem your first upgrade.

If it still has the original AGDA saddle, I'd replace that as well. The seatpost had a nasty tendancy to slowly work its way up in the seat's clamp until it came to rest under the seat itself, sometimes wearing its way through (*ouch*). AGDA saddles were the death of better made traditional leather saddles like Brooks and Ideale by marking all leather saddles as uncomfortable. Thankfully, Brooks returned with its wonderful saddles, although I dont beleive Ideale realy ever recovered.

thus endith the lesson

tolfan

I just got my first puegeot on saturday for a buck. its great finding stuff like that aint it. I dont know much yet I still think there all good bikes. I'll take the derailers if you dont wont em

BroMax

Maybe I'm telling you something you already know. Steel is magnetic, aluminum is not. A screwdriver with a magnetized head is a quick test for steel in frames, wheels, anything else.

Good deal BTW. I inherited an older Motobecane that was abandoned in my garage some years ago. I'm in the process of adulterating it to suit my personal preferences.

Dr.Deltron

I went back to riding tricycles about 10 years ago. No regrets! Greenspeeds RULE!! (I have 2)

Dr.D

Blue Order

Years ago, my father had a boss who wanted him to find a magnet for copper. My father attempted to explain to him that there are no magnets for copper, but his boss insisted on conducting a thorough search.

The Peter Principle in action, no?