Is this classic worth converting?
 

I have a small window in which I could purchase a 1973 56 cm blue Peugeot px-10, in relatively good condition. I want to convert it, but I'm not sure it's worth it. I posted in the FG/SS forum, but was directed here. I want to know if the tubing is worth the time/money/effort. Opinions or advice is greatly wanted/needed. Thanks in advance!

Hello airchrist. I think there are people here who might lynch you for converting that bike. I am not a big Peugeot fan but I think a px10 is a good one and that bike looks to be in good shape. you may want to consider cleaning it up and selling it as 10spd. but that is just my opinion.

If someone is trying to pass that blue UO-8 off to you as a PX-10 - knowing quite well that they're doing so - you ought to knee them in the groin. Hard.

-Kurt

Step away from the "UO8" and put the fixie gun down !

As noted above it's not a PX-10 but a U08, bike boom era low end bike.
You should pay no more than $50 for it.
By all means "fix" it, just don't grind anything off (derailleur hangers, cable guides etc.)
in case you want to revert back to geared riding.

Thanks for the help with identifying it. I wasn't 100% convinced it was a legit Peugeot, but it still seems like a decent bike, for it's age. If it is a true PX10, I'd probably just fix it up and ride as it, but if it's REALLY a UO-8, I'll still probably get it and convert it...LEAVING the derailleurs and guides).

How will I determine if it's the real deal?

<grouch deleted>

Pictures already give it away. Stamped steel dropouts and stepped lugs.

-Kurt

I am releasing the cats.....

http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/p...og/Kittens.jpg

So what you're all saying is that I'd be smart to buy this "replica", but stupid to convert it?

Most of us on the C&V forum are more into the "restoration and preservation" of bikes than converting bikes to SS/FG.

Well, I can certainly understand that and appreciate it. I'm just trying to figure out if this is worth even buying. Forget the conversion. If it's a good classic replica, then I'd be content to buy and restore.

Forgive me for being blunt, but what is it about "not a PX10" that you don't understand? This is not a "potential PX-10," nor is it a "replica PX-10" - it just isn't a PX-10; it is a UO-8. Nothing but another, significantly lesser model made by Peugeot during the same era.

Oh, and it's an ideal fixie candidate.

-Kurt

I think so too, but it is rather old (and french) also it has cottered cranks.

Better to convert that UO-8 than a PX-10. If you want a fixie, and you like the Peugeot, go for it. The tubing is nothing special, but that's what makes it the better choice for conversion-- you won't be harming a rare and valuable bike, and it will look just as good when converted.

I think that bike is worth $100 almost anywhere, and maybe $150 or more in the hottest bike markets. $50 would be a nicer price, and if you can get it for $50, so much the better, but you won't be getting ripped off if you pay $100.

It's not a "replica," it's an entry-level '70s era Peugeot. The PX-10 is a 70s era top-of-the-line racing Peugeot. That's the difference between the two.

And I think if you like the look of it, and you want a fixie, you should buy it and convert it. As I said above, better you convert a UO-8 than a PX-10.

Just save your original parts (and don't hack up the frame) so you (or a future owner) can revert it back to original if you someday want to.

I wasn't using the "quotes" in the manner of saying you guys are wrong. I came here and within minutes had the answer to what exact model it it. Seriously, I am quite appreciative of your knowledge. I wasn't questioning in the slightest...just wondering if the UO8 was worth it...and thanks for helping such a newbie with this. I know it was like having your fingernails ripped off slowly.

For $70 dollars, I guess I'd be doing myself a service. Thanks again for all of the input!

Is all of this merely more proof that young people can't read?
sheesh!

UO-8's don't ride quite the same as a whippy 531 French machine - for the non-Francophiles, they're quite nice riders.

Cottered cranks? Big deal - one can make a homemade extractor (shown previously here on this forum) if they wish, and swap the spindle for cotterless. Problem "sa-olved," as Inspector Clouseau would say.

-Kurt

Just be aware you are entering the dreaded French thread arena. The mid 70's UO8 had French threading, particularly in the bottom bracket and the headset. So you will not be able to just pop on some generic crankset and be ready to roll. Do a search on Peugeot bottom bracket, you will find several listers looking for a reasonably priced solution to this challenge.

How come everyone believes that replacing a spindle entails replacing the French-threaded cups too?

-Kurt

If the cups are OK, great. I understand that idea. If the cups are not OK, then it isn't as simple as the $10 Shimano cartridge bb I put on my 1993 Peugeot.

I have a 1975 UO8 frame hanging in the shop, waiting for a spindle (I haven't been looking very hard, as it is way back on the project list).

True - but cups don't fail that easy. There is a 50/50 chance that you'll find worn cups or intact cups.

...and if you need replacements - that's where UO-8 junkers come in handy.

-Kurt

It's not that difficult, guys. Here's your reasonably priced solution to this "challenge".

http://www.velo-orange.com/grcrufrthbob.html

Then just pop on some generic crankset and roll away!

Convert it to what? The PX-10 was the high end of Peugeot's model line; the UO-8 in the picture was at the low end of Peugeot's line.