the_sting

Hello,
I bought a px-10 this last weekend to start commuting. I already had a friend work on the mechanics the cables and what not, but he said I really need to get the Walmart tires off it and get something better. He is a Mountain Bike guy so he didn't have any suggestions....

Can anyone steer me in the right directions?

I will be riding about 6 miles round trip

Thanks

markf

Are you referring to the road bikes that Peugeot built back in the '70s with Reynolds 531 double butted frame tubing? If so, those were originally equipped with tubular (sew-up) tires, which I seriously doubt you'll ever see at Wal-Mart. Presumably the rims have been replaced with clincher rims, so the question is, what size rims? If it has 700C rims (bead seat diameter = 622 mm), then there are loads of high quality tires available to choose from. 700C rims would be an exact swap for the original tubular rims, but people did put 27" rims on those bikes. If that's the case then you're options are limited to the lower end of the price scale, maybe not Wal-Mart but not top of the line tires.

What did your friend/mechanic say was wrong with the tires?

tjspiel

If you've got a PX-10 then you've got a very nice classic bike. These were Peugeot's top of the line models for many years. They are often misidentified though. Some of the bikes Peugeot sold used Reynolds 531 for the main triangle but not the other tubes. These aren't PX-10s (though not bad bikes).

Check the current tire for the size. I think there were some variations of the PX-10 that used clinchers instead of tubulars (sew-ups). The PX-10 was sold in one form or another through the 80s so if you're lucky maybe you've got 700c clincher rims on there. If you do have tubulars, you'll probably want different wheels, but keep the originals.

Oh, the difference between tubulars and clinchers is that with tubulars the tubes are encased in the tire and glued to the rim (not permanently). They aren't the greatest for commuting because repairing a flat on the road gets a little complicated.

Poguemahone

+1 on the above. You often find PXs with clinchers, and some Peugeot cats from the period list them a UX10s. I've a 72 with what appear to be stock 27" rims.

If you've got 27s and are commuting, I will strongly recommend the Panaracer Pasella TG model. Very good tire with flat protection; about as good as you'll get for a commuter/urban tire.

If you've got tubulars, I would switch them out in an urban environment. I've got three bikes currently running tubulars-- A Masi 3V, a 1967 Peugeot PX10, and a 1971 Schwinn Paramount, and none of them get ridden in downtown Richmond ever.

PXs are one of the most often mis-identified vintage bikes. Well, actually other models are routinely identified as PXs. Look for 531 sticker (could very well be gone), half chromed rear stays, Simplex dropouts. Or just post a picture over on classic and vintage.

Kojak

The ETRTO number from the side of the tires (example 700x23 is an ETRTO 23-622) will tell you what you need. Use this number if you really want to nail down a proper size. Oddly enough, 27 doesn't always equal 27. But a 622 is always a 622 (which some folks call a 28 and others call it a 29er). The ETRTO number will always be in the format xx-xxx.

tjspiel

Yeah, I know a guy who back in the 70's didn't drive. He rode everywhere he could. He very much wanted a PX-10 but as a college student, a new one was not in his budget. He eventually found a used one in the paper and bought it, - only to find that it wasn't an actual PX-10.

Anyway, the bike did have tubulars and he carried pre-glued spare tires with him. He managed OK, but it's not something I'd want to do. I think he later swapped the wheels and now has clinchers on it. He still has the bike and frequently commutes on it.

There are people who swear by tubulars.

The one thing I remember about that bike is that rather than fenders it had these little deals that rode on top of the tires to scrape the mud off. I'm not sure they accomplished anything other than make a little noise

Kojak

"The one thing I remember about that bike is that rather than fenders it had these little deals that rode on top of the tires to scrape the mud off. I'm not sure they accomplished anything other than make a little noise "

tjspiel

Thems are it !

revolator

I think they were called "tire savers" and they were to brush the debris off (particularly glass).