skou

I have found your help extremely useful in my other threads, and I really appreciate you guys helping me out. So.... I am still searching for a daily commuter, as the one I have now will be too heavy for my future route.

I have stumbled upon this Peugeot and to me it seems in good condition. At least compared to what I have been looking at before.

Seller claims it is a 56 cm frame and it is almost original straight from the '80s. He is asking ~300$, but the bike market might be extraordinary expensive here in Denmark.

I hope someone can provide me with some further info on this bike based on the photos attached, as I am still new to this! Does it have potential to be a light reliable commuter? Is it a good frame? How are the rest of the parts etc.?

Cheers!
/Chris

ramzilla

$300 is very high dollar for that particular bike. It would go for about $125 around here in North Florida. For $300 I would expect brand new tires, new chain and, a much cleaner drive train. It's a good size for a large size rider 5'-10" to 6' tall. Has nice threaded eyelets for racks & fenders. So, it looks like a respectable commuter. But ....... try to bargain down the price.

randyjawa 

All in all, that Peugeot is a very nice bicycle fitted with decent components. Though not a top of the line steed, the bike is indeed worthy and would offer decent ride quality, although "user friendliness" will be, somewhat lacking, when compared with today's bicycle offerings.

Were I selling the bike, I would insist on a minimum of $300.00 CND which is about $225.00 US. Then, be prepared to shell out money, close to another hundred dollars for brake pads (originals will probably have hardened over time), cables, bar tape and probably tires (even good looking old tires can be dangerous to use, once again thanks to the passing of time). Can you do the work yourself? If not, add another hundred dollars, or so.

Were I buying the bike, I would pay no more than $100.00 CND or $75.00 US.

Hope that is helpful.

skou

Well that's just about my size, so I guess it should fit!

What do you mean by lack of user friendliness? So all in all, it's a decent bike, but the price seems to be high. Can't say much but bike prices here in Denmark are nuts. Will try to cut some off.

Do you have any idea of which model and from what year it is?

edit: Seller claims that tyres and hoses are new btw.

randyjawa 

User friendliness refers to how easy it is to use a component. For example, with down tube friction shifters...


...you have to remove your hand from the handlebar, reach down to the down tube, shift and feel for the sweet spot and then away you go. For friction shifting, you do all of the same stuff except having to feel for the sweet spot. the indexed system does the feeling for you...


And, if you use really modern shifters, Brifters, then you don't even have to remove your hands from the bars (I love these shifters but run them only on my riders)...


Pedals, brake calipers, brake levers, steering stems and many other vintage components will have negative user friendly features, when compared to newer school offerings. The biggest of which, in my mind, are pedals.

I absolutely refuse to use rat trap pedals...


...much preferring the modern SPD set up, even on my really old machines...


As for the tires, be forewarned - old tires can be dangerous! Even when they look new and are unused. Trust me, I found out the hard way - twice!

Insidious C. 

Edit: I posted that it was a uo10 but now I see some features that don't seem match that model. I recommend viewing the (many) catalogs on bikeboompeugeot.com and see if you can find a match for this bike.

bikemig 

This looks to be a Peugeot PBN 10 (forged drop outs and carbolite 103, i.e., hi tensile steel tubing). I like this bike and the components. I assume Denmark is considerably more expensive than the States for used bikes but $300 is too much.

Yeah, it would make a decent commuter. The real question the OP has to answer is what about fenders? This bike may not fit fenders comforably (it is more of a "race" than a "touring" bike) and so perhaps a bike with a bit more generous clearance for tires is in order. A Peugeot UO 10, which is roughly the same quality as this PBN 10, would make a much better commuter as it can take a fatter tire and fit fenders comfortably.

skou

Great explanation! Thank you so much. At which point do you think this bike lacks user friendliness? The friction tube shifters? (If that is what are mounted on this bike)

skou

Thank you for your comment, and concerns about the fenders! I have asked seller what he thinks regarding them (as the bike is quite far away from me).

I have researched a little, and to me it seems like the "Peugeot" stamp is placed on the down tube rather than the top tube on a PBN 10? Or am I wrong?

bikemig 

Decals can be moved. This is a sort of a race bike and you likely want something closer to a touring bike as that can take a little fatter tire and fenders if you are looking for a commuter.

skou

Well okay - you might be right. I've been looking through all the '80s catalogs and can't seem to find something that matches 100%. Note taken, might watch out for a better deal to come. Don't know if it is smart to go with an older bike, or just to get a new one that might require less maintenance.

skou

I really do consider buying this bike. Seller will accept ~235$, so I guess that is some kind of a discount.

It means a lot to me, to know which exact model the bike I will be buying is, and please don't ask me why that is. If I buy this bike, will it then be possible to determine which exact model it is?

bertinjim 

skou-

The Peugeot looks to be a mid-80s PBN 10 as bikemig suggested. I had a similar model in Vitus 181 tubing that I put alloy fenders on but be aware that the clearances are tight in the rear so the bike will be limited in tire size to around a 700C x 28 tire. Also, you will need to partially deflate the rear tire to remove or reinstall the wheel in the frame when you wish to do so. The price at $235 is fair and don't be too concerned with the decal placements and style. Peugeot varied its decal style in different markets and it was quite common here in Canada to see Canadian made Peugeots with very different decals to Peugeots of the same model year which had been made in France and imported.

skou

Glad to hear some more comments on the bike! Thank you. I don't think I quite understand what you mean by this part:

"Also, you will need to partially deflate the rear tire to remove or reinstall the wheel in the frame when you wish to do so"

Why would it be necessary to deflate the rear tire to remove/reinstall it in the frame? Can you please elaborate? According to seller should this Peugeot have been imported from France, so I guess it should be straight outta the factory in France? Maybe it is just me that can't find a model where the decals match a 100%.

79pmooney

Peugeot is in business and has a website. Contact them and ask. (I'll place my guess on 1985. I didn't follow Peugeot so I do not have a model name. I owned a Reynolds 501 that was probably 4 or 5 years later and it was a fun ride! Enough so to inspire an expensive custom patterned after it. (It was hit hard by probably a SUV before I got the frame. I retired it before it failed.)

Oh, you may fall in love with this ride. If you do and want fenders that fit with decent sized tires, go to the River City Bicycles website and look at their fender brackets to solve the challenge. They work very well and you can easily make your own.

Ben

bertinjim 

skou-

"Also, you will need to partially deflate the rear tire to remove or reinstall the wheel in the frame when you wish to do so". What I meant was that this design has a tight rear triangle. The short chainstays help quicken the bike's agility and responsiveness but when using fenders, the fender itself and the attachments at the chainstay bridge behind the bottom bracket restrict the amount of space available for removing or installing the back wheel.

Typically, especially with larger tire sizes, when the quick release is loosened and the wheel slides forward in the dropout, the fender and bolt take up the available space for the wheel and tire to move forward. There simply will be insufficient space for the wheel and tire to slide forward far enough for the wheel's axle to clear the end of the dropout and move the whole wheel down and out of the frame. The only way to solve that is to greatly reduce the tire air pressure to allow the tire to squash down which lets the whole wheel slide further forward, with the axle clearing the end of the dropout and the wheel then coming out of the frame. Tire pressure must be kept low to allow re-installation of the wheel as well.

Since you plan to commute on the bike, wheel removal with fenders should not be a big deal since you will have few occasions to do removals. My Peugeot was a fendered randonneuse and every time I went to or from a randonnee, wheel removal was necessary for transport to the event. That begins to annoy and I finally replaced that bike with one having vertical dropouts to simply the problem.

skou

Hi Ben! I might do so. I have bought the bike, and it says PBN10S**** something I don't recall directly at the bottom of the crank, so people here know what they are talking about! Thanks for the advice about River City Bicycles!

Now that makes sense! Thanks. I probably won't take off the fenders, as I need them to stay on, so I guess that won't be a problem.


So I bought the bike and I noticed while giving the bike a make over that it is like that the front wheel "wants to point straight ahead".... It's kinda tough to explain, but it feels like there is a point when the wheel points straight ahead where it is "locked" just a tiny tiny bit. So basically, the front wheel will point straight ahead and not fall out to one side if I walk with the bike by just holding the saddle. Is this normal or some issue?

Would be really nice to have some feedback on as I don't know whether it is meant to be like that or not. Besides from that, it feels like an amazing bike, and I feel like I did a quite good!

bertinjim 

skou-

That "locked" feel as you walk the bike may have a couple of causes. First, it may simply be the gyroscopic effect of the front wheel guiding the bike as it rolls. The second possibility is that the headset is too tight or the headset races where the ball bearings sit may have become dimpled leading to a notchy, locked in feel when the headset is moved off center. The first is fully normal and you can test for the second by holding the front wheel off the ground and carefully moving the handlebars to the right and the left. If the headset is too tight or the races damaged, there will be a notchy feel come back through the handlebar or the headset will bind and nor move cleanly and completely to one side or the other. Glad you like the new bike!

skou

Thanks for the fast answer! The front wheel "wants to point straight ahead" whether it is on or off the ground, but it is barely noticeable when riding the bike, only when it is standing still. It would be one kind of a coincedence that it would be damaged at the exact point where the wheel points directly forward, wouldn't it?

bertinjim 

skou -

Not a coincidence, it is exactly what one would expect. In riding a bike, the fork almost always stays pointed nearly straight ahead. This means that any impact damage to the headset cups tends to be at center or just slightly off center. The "wants to point straight ahead" seems to indicate that the headset is too tight and binding the ball bearings, not allowing them to turn freely. When you hold a bike off the groun and tilt it, the front wheel should flop over freely to the right or the left without binding or jamming part way. Check the headset bearing tightness or have a bike shop do this and loosen the headset if necessary. A potential result of over tightness is that the headset cups get dimpled which leads to notchiness when the headset rotates which should be checked for as well. You will likely be tearing down the headset, bottom bracket and wheel bearings for re-greasing so check them all for over tightness and damage as well.

skou

Sorry for the late answer! I took the headset apart, and surprisingly enough, it was very well greased and seemed to be in "OK" shape (when age is considered as well). I cleaned it up and regreased the whole thing and adjusted it. Now it runs smoother than it did when it came out the factory, ha!

Thank you very much.

I made a thread in another subforum if you are curious. There are some photos in there:

Peugeot PBN10 front wheel feels "locked"

79pmooney

Fender trick for short chainstay bikes - cut a long, thin ellipse out of the front of the fender. First, mount the fender. It will hit the seat tube. Mark the contact. Take the fender off and mark out an ellipse on masking tape 4" long and 1/4" wide centered at your mark. Grind out this ellipse with a tapered Dremel stone. Fit fender again and tweak your ellipse as necessary. Now the rear wheel fit will be completely unchanged since there is no fender at the contact point. (You might want to put electrical tape over the seat tube in the area to protect the fenderless paint.)

Ben