dddd

The frame looks very Peugeot to me.

The brake cable stops appear to be the formed-sheet style which were spot-welded onto the tubes of all pre-1979 UO- models.

When the 103 Carbolite tubing arrived on the 1979 models, the stops were replaced with brazed-on barrel-style stops, presumably because the lighter 103 tubing would be weakened too much from any spot-welding. At least that's how I always figured was their timing.

That's a beautiful bike with what looks like fairly sporty geometry, so aside from wanting to know what it is I wouldn't get too hung up on it's tubing spec.

I've had 1978 and 1979 U09 models, and believe me the important change was with the geometry, NOT the tubing. Both were made in France.

Here's my upgraded U09 from 1979, the year (maybe the only year) that they started calling it the Super Sport.
It came with steel rims and inferior stamped dropouts compared with yours.
Still it's a much better-performing bike than my 1978 model, having a steeper seat tube, shorter stays and slightly shallower HT angle..

arlynculwick

I think I've figured it out.

I was wrong here:
There are many Course bikes that have either the same lugs, or the rear brake cable positioned the same way as mine. Check these out (with apologies, once again, for having to insert square brackets into URLs):

1. 1982 Course with the same lugs and seat tube top: www[.]pinkbike.com/buysell/2820088/
2. A Canadian built PB12 course with the same lugs: https[://]peugeotcoursepb12.wordpress.com/2017/09/12/peugeot-course-what-do-i-have/
3. Another 80s Course with the same brake levers: http[://]vivelevelo.org/product/peugeot-course-copy/
4. A Course with the same rear brake cable position and the same fork lugs: https[://]www.wsypm.com/?product_id=414935143_75
5. Finally, a second Course with the same rear brake cable position: https[://]www.ebay.de/itm/174821624241

As such, it looks reasonable to assume that South African Courses circa 1979 had the particular spec mine has.

Are you persuaded though?

markk900

arlynculwick : I think you are safe narrowing down the year to 1979 or maybe 1980; the external differences between the huge number of Peugeot models are very subtle: the location and style of brazed on cable guides, the lugs, the dropouts, the seat lug, binder bolt, fork crown, chrome socks etc. My suspicion is that because of the cable braze ons (which are the same kind used on the UO series) that your frame is not the PKN (Vitus tubed) variant; but more likely the PBN (Carbolite 103) version, I will note that the book "Peugeot Classic Bicycles" states that in 1979 all of the "racers" got 3 brazed on guides. Given that as noted by bertinjim there was a plant in SA, your bike is unlikely to exactly match any of the catalogs we all have access to, and the guides could be a local variation. However as said above, that bike will be a joy to ride as the geometry is quite nice.

I'm not 100% sure, but I think "Course" is only meant to designate a drop bar "racer" bike: the Course designation was applied to a wide variety of models. (A lot of people also call the earlier Pugs "record du monde" because that was on the seat tube decal but it wasn't a model name either). The examples you showed about all had names like PB12 or PBNx or whatever so I think that is ultimately what your model is.....likely a PB something, and possibly a PK something.

Now its time to get out and enjoy that bike. I see the weather is 24C and not raining! We are preparing for a major winter storm here......

arlynculwick

​​​​​​markk900, I think you're right on all counts there.
Judging by the weight, the frame is most likely of 103 tubing (PBN), or possibly Reynolds (PKN) but not Vitus (PVN), and yes, the most important thing now is to enjoy it!

As for the "Course" designation, I have relied upon this handy opinion about 1979 bikes: www[.]bikeforums.net/11645588-post10.html

It's a good catch-all given the unknowns around this bike.