AJS77

New poster to this site, hoping for some advice and tips for my new challenge at hand.

Back in 1982, when I was a boy, my friend's Dad owned a Peugeot car garage and had good contacts into Peugeot Cycles in France. I was lucky enough to get a great price on what felt at the time like a pretty special bike, supplied I think direct from the factory. I cared for diligently for the bike in my youth and covered many many miles on. My 20s however saw me move to the city and the bike, whilst moving with me, became neglected and unused.

Now, for some reason, I've dusted it down and started to clean it up. A little research on the internet, and particularly this excellent site, has provided some background but any more guidance would be gratefully appreciated.



I still have the catalogue we bought from at the time, where the bike was listed as a PSV10 "Roubaix". Clearly the PSV10 looks correct as it's built from Super Vitus 980, but I can't find any reference to a "Roubaix" model on the internet and have never seen any pictures of this colour scheme, which I must say I really like.

The bike needs some TLC, which I've started, cleaning up the Dia-Compe Regular brake levers and fitting some new Cane Creek hoods which look good, if not quite the old gum colour of the originals. Next job is new handlebar tape.



The brakes are Weinmann 605s which I think are pretty standard for the time.

Stronglight headset with Atax stem and Phillipe (?) handlebars.

Crank is Custom not Stronglight, which I seem to dimly remember being disappointed about when it arrived. It seemed one could never be sure of the precise spec one would receive, which seems strange looking back now for a bicycle that cost (I think) around £350 in 1982, though list price was higher I think (?).

Wheels are Mavic 700C and I think came with tubs which I then changed out to clincher rims, still got the old wheels at my parents' house I think. RD is Shimano though again I think I can remember buying this later along with a very flat rear cogset. Pedals are Christophe (?) with leather holders. Original rear hub was Helicomatic, which again I think I have somewhere (worth keeping?).



Saddle is Sella Italia with a Peugeot namecheck on the back. Needs a little care. Not sure about the seatpost make.



Anyway, I would welcome any comments or advice on likely value now in its current poor condition (frame is OK but has some rust spots as do the chrome forks), and best order to restore. Even when up and running again I'm thinking I won't sell as I'm starting to fall in love with the beautiful engineering all over again.

bargainguy

The Helicomatic hub can go in the trash. I'll let others chime in on everything else.

AJS77

Thanks bargainguy. I thought as much on the Helicomatic - I seem to remember it being trouble when it was on the bike and it may have led to me getting the new clincher rims and regular cassette built.

oddjob2

There's still value to the freewheel, as those of us with French bikes and/or certain early Treks still need those freewheels.

Nice bike in vg condition. Every subject from rust removal, polishing aluminum, bearings adjustment, hub lubrication, tools, how to's has been covered at bike forums. Google is your friend, a better search engine than the one herein.

Enjoy! I have a 1985 PGN10, Reynolds 501 which is one of my favorite road bikes.

AJS77

Thanks, I'll get searching. Seems like it's a better bike than I may have appreciated when I got it as a kid...

randyjawa 

Long have I wondered at the persecution of the Helicomatic hub. Having worked on several, and owned as many bikes fitted them, I fail to see the problem, but would welcome the opportunity to be enlightened. Why do you think them to be trash?

bargainguy

Over-engineered and offers less performance than stuff way less engineered. Interesting concept but fails miserably in execution. Special tool required, not that easy to find these days, tho I have one. Junk tends to get stuck in the spirals. Not my fave. YMMV.

AJS77

I think I have the Helicomatic tool at home as well, I'll look it out. Thanks for the comments guys. Any thoughts on the likely value of my bike here in the UK. Is it worth spending money on? Just read a comment on another thread saying many PSV owners think their machines rarer and more valuable than they are...?

Chombi

I think you have the Euro version of the PSV, that is why it is a bit different from what we had here in the US. We never had a "Roubaix" version of the bike and our PSVs from the early to mid 80's had full French component groups mounted on it from Simplex, Stronglight, Maillard, Atax, Sedis, Philippe, JPR. Rims were always Mavic, tubular and clincher. Even the tires were French Michelin Bibsport 20's. The saddles were Selle Italias though. The paint and graphics that your bike has did not get to the US till 83. 82 PSVs here were all pearl white with the older style graphics (Which I think was much better looking than later ones).
It looks like the Euro PSVs did not get the full French Monty. Peugeot marketing must have figured that they can catch a lot more sales over here from American Peugeot fan/Francophiles, which I think was true.....

AJS77

Chombi,
Thanks for the information, very interesting background. Any thoughts on value? If not UK price what it might be worth if I was in the US...$200 - $300?

Chombi

Equivalent US market PSV if very good condition, were bringing in up to $350.00 up to just a couple of years ago, but the depressed market had brought that down since. These days, very nice PSVs are only bringing in something like $275.00 max. Totally undervalued at that price IMO.
This Euro PSV might actually bring in even a bit less than that, as part of the mystique about these PSVs are how French they are. Having Japanese components on the Euro version could cause prospective buyers looking for that quintessential French 80's bike from Peugeot not to be as interested in it....