sroy

I recently came upon a Peugeot bike on ebay for $40. I don't know much about bikes or repairing/restoring them so I'm very much a beginner but have been trying to read up on restorations/repairs/bike parts.

From what I can tell the bike frame is in pretty good condition and that I definitely need to work on replacing the drivetrain. Could anyone tell me exactly what else I should be looking at or testing on the bike for replacing/repairs and if there are any leads on finding French parts?

Also, I've been trying to identify this bike using Cycles Rétro-Peugeot but am still not sure which bike it might be. Any idea how I could better identify it or better yet, anybody know what this one is?

Thanks in advance!

Pics:
Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet

gbi

Hello Sroy, the bike looks to be a mid-70's Peugeot UO8.

zukahn1

That bike is a mid 70's UO series entry level bike with Hi-ten frame not a PX-10. As presented non working half finished SS/FG conversion $40 is about all it's worth. Nicely done up ready to ride as a geared bike or properly done SS/FG these are only worth about $150 and it will cost about that in parts and labor to complete the bike.

juvela

+1

Sroy,

If your interest is to purchase a project bicycle to learn about working on them this would be OK. As you can see, numerous parts are missing so these would be an added cost. One big consideration is always "Is the frame a good size for the inetended rider?" It looks to be about 65cm c-t-t which is appropriate to someone well over six feet.

Some of the plusses:

It is a Peugeot (easy to sell)

There is no damage and paint finish is in good shape.

Minuses:

It is a lower model, one up from the bottom. This is by far the most common model encountered "in the field."

It you elected to sell post restoration you might not be able to get your investment back, even counting your time at zero. However. if your goal is to learn about doing some bicycle work this need not be a major consideration.

-------------

No shortage of experienced enthusiasts here at the forum to advise you if you wish to begin work on this bike or another...

sroy

Thanks guys for helping identify! Any idea what parts I'd need to buy to start working on this? Also which parts do I need to make sure I get French threads for?

francophile 

@sroy based on what I'm seeing...

If you want some tips on dating the bike, check this out. Those look like the appropriate rims on the bike, it could be a decent source. Or if the plate exists under the BB with serial, that could be a second confirmation.

This is most likely a mid-70s bike, I'm thinking 76ish based on downtube and seat tube decals. If it happens to be closer to '78, things got squirrelly between (approx) '78-'84 and if it's in that later year range, the bottom bracket could be Swiss threaded or French thread. Some marks on the stock cups can give a good idea which it is, but ... what I'm seeing peeking from behind the crank may not be stock.

If the current bottom bracket (BB) is aftermarket or not original, and it happens to be marked as British (standard/ISO at "1.370 X 24"), it's probably Swiss-thread or it's been re-threaded (latter would be unusual). There may be information on the BB cups about the threading - like, if they're the "Action" brand cups you can buy on Amazon, or Sugino cups, they should have the threading written. French is "35x1".

You don't need to replace the headset/ATAX stem, so don't worry that it's French threaded. Get some Mothers Mag & Wheel polish and the stem will shine right up.

You have a couple of choices for gearing if you don't want to go fixie: 5/10 speed or 6/12 speed. It has an appropriate 5spd freewheel on it. If budget is an issue, you could stage that out - setup as a 5- or 6-speed now by adding a rear derailleur and shift levers, then add a front derailleur later and double-ring crankset to double your range. That said... if you're not making a fixie, you need (at least): Shift levers, a front/rear derailleur, shift cables and an appropriate crankset.

Original shift levers are Simplex, essentially these. I'm assuming your tag is correct and you're up the road in Cobb County, if so, not sure if you guys have a bike co-op up there. We have SOPO here in the city, and a lot of times you can find these levers and stock derailleurs in the parts bins, but the rear derailleur cogs/pulleys are almost always missing teeth (sh*tty Delrin plastic). $5/part donation to walk out the door with something is a good deal and helps the shop out. You may be able to bring your bike in and they can help you, just be aware they're open sort of weird hours during the week, and tend to be slammed on the weekend day.

For the front and rear derailleur; front is clamp-on, rear is clawed. Unless you have some justifiable reason to go all-stock, I don't recommend the Simplex Prestige units that came with the bike. Because they're inexpensive, work considerably well, bulletproof and still French, I like the Huret Eco rear and Club front derailleurs which came on many of the mid-80s bikes; they fit fine and make for a sturdy upgrade that just "works". I keep a couple of spares on-hand at any time for bikes that come through my shop. You may also consider Suntour derailleurs, either the Spirt (that's not a typo, it's not "spirit"), Suntour 7, V/Vx/GT, Cyclone, whatever.

Of course, it looks like you have a single-ring crankset on right now. It looks really out-of-place on the bike, too. Depending on what BB/spindle you go with, your crank will vary. It would be the last thing I'd work on, personally.

You'll probably want to replace the brake cables and you'll need to buy shift cables. You're not working on a high-end bike here. Just get one of these all-in-one Schwinn kits on Amazon for $10.

If you're actually in Cobb, I have a huge stockpile of French parts from parts bins, Motobecane/Astra, Gitane, Peugeot etc. and may be able to help if you get really stuck.