Before and After UO8
 

Yes I know some of you would ask "Why?" but no one ever said C&V is a logical hobby. The old UO8 has been around the house since the early 90's when I picked it up for my wife who was then my new girlfriend who wanted an old bike so we could ride together. Well, she got a mountain bike when we moved to Colorado so it's just been sitting in the garage for the past 9 years. I've decided to pull it out of retirement and give it a partial restoration/refurb. Here's where you come in...I can't decide on bar tape and cable housing colors. It's orange and originally had black tape and white cable housing but that just seems rather boring. Here's a "Before" picture from a year or so ago with white bar tape:

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z...ar89/007-2.jpg

But I don't really like that look either. So I'm thinking either yellow, orange, or blue bar tape/housing. Aside from changing the color scheme, it will also get back the original Normandy hi-flange hubs laced to Weinmann aluminum rims, a stylish Pivo stem and bars, a Stronglight 49D crank, an Ideale saddle, and an SR seatpost. So, what shall it be? Yellow, orange, blue, something else?

NICE looking UO-8 Kommisar. The paint looks practically new in that shot. Nicer than mine, anyway! I really love the look of classic cloth tape shellac'ed. You can use any color you like under it, though typically people use white or yellow. You buy the amber colored shellac, and a smaller paint brush and coat the whole thing. Once it dries, coat it one more time and it will get a shine to it. Whenever it starts to wear down, you just coat it again. Looks very cool, particularly with a nice leather saddle.

Here's a mixte I sold last year that had this treatment (on white tape):
http://lh5.ggpht.com/relistan/RsjpTm...ront_front.jpg

I solidly approve of keeping the gears and the high-flange hubs, and I think the aluminum rims and cranks are a splendid idea. Disclaimer: My UO-8 has high-flange Normandy Luxe Competition hubs and aluminum cranks and rims ...

Do I see gold or copper color in the background on the "Peugeot" downtube decal? You might consider a Honey colored Brooks and the matching Velo Orange elkhide bar wrap.

Originally I had planned to use yellow bartape and a black Brooks on "Sporty" but Dr.Deltron talked me out of it. The yellow tape and yellow cable casing were close but not quite a match. So I started kicking around a "complimentary" color that would not distract from the red or the yellow. This is partially how I decided to use Honey (I also believe Stringbreaker's red Continental uses a Honey Brooks).

I concur that it needs its high flange hubs. As far as cable casing, black? or tan if it can be found?

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...ortyCabled.jpg

Lookin good.
Orange is a hard color to match though, I really can't thing what would look great with it.

Wow, Bob! I don't usually go for Schwinns but you have done a really beautiful job on that bike!!

Karl

It's amazing what the camera can do - the paint really does look great in that picture. Up close it's not nearly that nice but still not too bad. Eventually it might get a new paint job but that would be in the next restoration a few years down the road.

You are correct PB and also the honey Brooks on the Volare http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/b...3/100_1098.jpg http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/b...3/100_1423.jpg

I really like PB & Stringbreaker's bikes but the Ideale saddle I have is a well worn antique brown so the honey color won't work on the UO8. Still undecided but I'm leaning towards blue tape and housing.

Black with gold hi-lites.

Sounds yummy

Hmmm...I'm listening...where would the gold go? :)

As a highlight to the lugs and at the flat surfaces on the seat stays. I bet you can get a nice powdercoat in black with a gold topcoat. now that would be hot then some gold decals from JR. He made some really nice ones in a cool script for Mrs Stringbreakers mixte. http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/b...3/100_1865.jpg

Now you're talking money! In some future project I would like to go '50's retro on it with the classic French racing blue with yellow lugs and have JR produce a set of classic 50's style decals. For now though, it'll have to stay orange. It currently has black lug outlines and gold decals on the tops of the seat stays. I've seen at least one picture somewhere of a similar orange Peugeot with gold lug outlines. It looked pretty good. Not sure how steady my hand is with a paint brush though. I'm good with hammers and pliers, ok with wrenches...paint brushes, not so much. :)

Paint pens my good man much easier to control than a brush for us less steady of hand. The powdercoat job on the mixte was under a hundred bucks