stealingponies

hi!

im going to see this bike today and im wondering if it's worth the price.

White Peugeot singlespeed road bike

he seems eager to sell it and i was thinking $150 would be reasonable, but maybe $185 is fair. anyone know?

also, any tips on what i should be looking for when i check it out? it looks like it's in good condition but i don't want to be screwed on bike repairs if it's perhaps not.

any advice would be greatly appreciated! thanks!

SkyDog75

I can't tell you what it's worth in the NYC market, but I can tell you what it is. Or at least what it started out as: a Peugeot UO-8, early to mid-1970s. It would've originally been a 10-speed, but someone has obviously replaced the drivetrain and removed the shifters & derailleurs.

I have a similar UO-8, but still configured as a road bike. It's a heavy bike, but a nice ride. It has some quirks, though, like the odd sized seat post and the French headset, stem, and bottom bracket. Those French parts use slightly different sizes and threading a than their common ISO/British counterparts, and they're not interchangeable. Replacement parts do exist, but since the French spec has been dead for decades, they're not nearly as plentiful (or cheap) as more commonly sized parts.

UO-8's in their original configuration can be found often, at or below $100, at least outside NYC. I'm pretty sure I just saw one on the Syracuse Craigslist for $75.

mparker326

Not worth it.

zukahn1

Well it is likely a UO-8. The conversion is rather poorly done and actually hurts value IMHO you would need to spend more than the bike is worth to make it right as a SS or put it back to a proper road bike. Personally I would pass on this one. I wouldn't go over $100 on this bike.

bikemig 

I'll disagree a bit with the other posters. It is a UO-8. I have no idea whether the conversion is a poor one mechanically or not but I do see some parts upgrades that make sense (and some that do not). The front rim is a mavic mod e which is a really nice rim; I have no idea what the rear is but it looks aluminum. That is an upgrade from the steel wheels found on the original UO-8. Ditto for the crank; it looks as if aluminum cotterless crank has replaced the steel cottered one (tough to be certain because of the crummy pics). The brakes look cheesy and are not an upgrade over the original mafacs. The point is that the bike may well be worth $150 in NYC; everything is obviously more expensive there. If the wheels are straight and the bike is in sound mechanical shape, even $185 might be a fair price. You've spent time looking at the NYC CL so you have an idea of what other comparable bikes run.

oddjob2

Unless you want the look of Wallyworld's Ronald McDonald single speed, about $150-$160 for that UO-8 conversion seems reasonable in Queens. You'd be hard pressed to get an alloy wheel set, freewheel/cassette, and have someone get the chain line right for any amount less than that. Be nice if the seller had bar end plugs.

lostarchitect 

Yeah, that's an OK price here in NYC. It's ugly, though.

CyclistCat

I was just going to ask about my peugeot worth. So I will just tack it onto here. Is it better to start a new thread? Is it all original (except saddle)? Looks like it. The paint looks ewe.

howsteepisit

25 as it sits. There are too many probs for me to list, but for starters that stem is beyond dangerously high, I'm not even sure it fits in the fork that was copped from a cheaper bike.

Most of it is not original

zukahn1

No way this is original the forks stem handle bars brake levers, font brake shifters are all not so great replacements. Make me think was it crashed and rebuilt. As it sits maybe $75. Also 5$ set of bartape plus adusting the stem down a 1 1/2in and the seat up to give it a correct classic french look would add $50 to the likely selling price.

oddjob2

Dork disk, claw derailleur, crankset are also not original. And as noted by OP, frame paint is in rough condition. It is a $35 bike as shown.

Sixty Fiver

Around here this is a $35-$40 bike... really nice UO8's in original condition will fetch more since they still retain a lot of appeal but still won't pass $150.00 and would have to be minty fresh.

My UJ 10 fixed gear conversion has handbuilt wheels, really nice tyres, and better parts... if I was to ever sell it here I would not have a problem getting a fair bit more by virtue of the better parts, but I will never sell this bike.

mparker326

You guys aren't consistent. A beat up looking hack SS conversion in the OP, you say is worth the price even though there is barely anything original. But this one with the same lack of originality but is at least a geared bike you hammer.

Both are U08's which are not very original. I don't think either are worth very much.

bikemig 

There are serious issues with the 2d bike. A replacement fork is usually the sign of a crash and I have no confidence that this was installed correctly given how badly put together this bike looks (the first bike looks better put together). The front brake is just cheap and looks badly adjusted (and it may be impossible to give it a better adjustment given that it is not the right brake for that fork). In looking for a rider (and not a collectible which, btw, UO8s aren't really collectible), a mix of parts is not an issue if they are reasonable quality. The first bike looks reasonably put together with some decent parts (like a mavic mod e front rim and an alloy rear wheel and crank); the second bike is not well put together and has issues. Plus location matters greatly in valuing a bike.

bikemig 

That is a good looking bike; I really want to find a UO-8, 9, or 10 in my size that is in decent shape paint wise. They were (and are) such classic bikes.

lostarchitect 

The bikes are not consistent, which is why we are not consistent. The first one is ugly, but in a market like NYC it will sell for over a hundred bucks, easy. That's just realistic.

The 2nd bike has major issues, and could have crash damage. It is not worth a hundred bucks in present condition. Probably more like $50, depending on the location, which we don't know. Even in NYC it's maybe a $75 bike.

Sixty Fiver

My step son and nephew both ride nicely re-fitted Peugeots and have been riding them for the better part of 6 years... they love them.

mparker326

Not trying to pick a fight. It is just that I have seen so many bad SS conversions over the years. Who knows what the chain line is? Who knows if the rear wheel has been dished properly? Who knows if the wheels are even true? Those chop and flop bars hack at best. The nicest thing about a U08 are the MAFAC centerpulls and those aren't on the SS.

I would advise the OP to pay that much if one of y'all had done the conversion, but with an unknown seller? No way. Just because it is in NY doesn't mean you should buy a POS.

bikemig 

Those are all good points.

bikemig 

I worked in a shop that sold Peugeots primarily. We really believed in the bikes and I enjoyed working on them. At different times I've owned a UO-8 and a UO-10. The UO 10 was my first touring bike. Those bikes had a great geometry for touring with a long wheelbase and lots of rooms for reasonably fat tires and fenders. Plus Peugeot (at least with the UO-10) made what I thought was a smart choice of putting the bulk of the value of the bike to work in the wheels (normandy high flange hubs with rigida rims) and the crank rather than the frame. Those were rock solid wheels for a bike that retailed for around $300 I believe.

lostarchitect 

That's totally fair--but unfortunately that's the reality of the situation in NYC. If you wait for a perfect bike with a good price you will probably be waiting forever.

zukahn1

Well a bad chainline can be fairly easily corrected by a good mechanic. A likely bent French frame with none original fork basically can't be corrected.

CyclistCat

In MN there is a shortage of bikes befitting taller males - 6'2" and up in the second-hand amateur market, which is what my retired dad is working with. So the stem should be lowered until it is flushed for safety?

SOLD at $125 5/21/14

howsteepisit

Stems should have 1.5 inches of insertion. Also in this bike be sure the stem is the correct diameter for the steerer, it should insert snuggly.