Is there something wrong with my fixed gear conversion?
 

Hey everyone. This is my '86 Peugeot CP 12 fixed gear conversion. I believe it was a middle weight bike. The strange thing about it is that it measures 61cm from center to center, but the TT is only 56 cm. Can anyone tell me why? I got it from a lady in pretty bad shape. She said her mother toured on it thorughout Europe back in the day. I have a lot of time and tons of money into it. But for some reason when I was trying to sell it via Craigslist, I kept getting a bunch of hate mail. Let me know your thoughts. Sorry about the poor quality of some of the photos.

She rolls on polished DP18's, a Brooks honey standard, Soma cog/lock ring, Eightinch.com crank set, Shimano cartridge BB, powder coated Park Tools Blue, mtb risers, Promax post, Vittoria tires, KMC Z chain, rubber grips from Velo Orange, Tange head set, etc.

http://i891.photobucket.com/albums/a...xedGear011.jpg

http://i891.photobucket.com/albums/a...xedGear013.jpg

http://i891.photobucket.com/albums/a...xedGear014.jpg

http://i891.photobucket.com/albums/a...xedGear015.jpg

http://i891.photobucket.com/albums/a...xedGear018.jpg

http://i891.photobucket.com/albums/a...xedGear019.jpg

http://i891.photobucket.com/albums/a...xedGear020.jpg

I won't bore you with more hate mail, although regular readers know how much I love my gears.

Regarding your frame geometry question, the bottom bracket height and the top tube length are two of the reasons two frames of equal nominal size (seat tube length) will fit and feel very differently from one another. Since women tend to be longer in the legs and shorter in the arms and torso than men of equal stature, a bike with a short tube can be great for a female rider.

In the bad old days, some manufacturers used almost the same top tube length across a range of frame sizes, resulting in too-long (horizontally) 53cm frames and too-short 62cm frames.

The only thing I see wrong is the lack of a brake.

Joking sorta, to each there own.

I really do like the look of the bike though the blue and Brooks honey goes really well together. The only thing I would change is some flipped northroads or mustache bars and VO elk hide. Good looking bike.

OH PS:
I know this isn't the point of the thread but this wouldn't be the internet with out unwanted opinions.

I'm getting the urge to report this thread. I'm sorry, there is a SS/FG forum, take it there.

Price? There's a difference between what you have into it and what it's worth, and it almost never works out in your favor. The powder coat looks pretty good, but the chain line looks a little off. This could cause some doubt as to the overall quality of the build. I'm not familiar with your model, but I'm guessing it had cable guide braze-ons. Hacking those off could cause some people to get mad. Oh, and the lack of a brake, as mentioned earlier. Your best bet is probably just to ignore them.

Looks like a very nice bike. I've converted two Peugeots into fixed gears, although I left the braze-ons. Did you grind yours off, and is the hate mail about? Or the price? Went to a swap meet last weekend and saw Peugeot and Motobecane conversions at $600. I thought that was pretty steep until I saw the new crank, good wheels and tires, etc. I would imagine you might have trouble recovering your money, given how much you've put into it. I probably would with my Bianchi conversion.

Btw, I've got a Faggin with similar dimensions (60/56cm), and I find it baffling too. Very tall bike, without a long top tube? Seem like it would be cramped for a tall persion, but it is a very stable frame. And it works for me because it brings the handlebars up (comfortable in the drops).

Fixy folk seem to like to drop attitude. Don't take it to the fg/ss forum. stay here with us. relax, enjoy the company, try to get an address on some of those haters and we'll get a c+v possie together and go kick some ss/fg...
Well, never mind.

Her mother must be/had been a giant to tour in this bike... 61cm C-C is a mighty tall bike.

that sounds (and looks) like a pretty aggressive geometry for anything but a racing bike. I see no problems with your conversion (thanks for not butchering it in case someone might want to restore it down the road). But that's a huge bike...

Who says he didn't butcher it? Paint isn't original.

Not only is this a borderline Drewing, but I previously missed the fact that it belongs up in the valuation forum.

Vintage87, the bike looks nice enough. But I live in Portland and have seen your ad, as well as the hate ads that followed. I know you have a lot of money into it, but the price ($750 or so if I remember correctly) seems like way to much. I have seen some beauties on CL for way less, like half, and they have had very nice components (not saying yours does not, just saying others have some great parts at far less money)

I've got an early 70s super course frame in the garage with a 65cm ST and 56cm TT. HA! yeah some manufactures did some funky stuff. some people like more upright positions though so big frame with short top tube can sometimes be desirable.

I don't think that it has to do with uprightness... Some of us like aggressive geometries, supplemented with really long stems and tall seat tubes as racing machines. Find me a 51-2 cm CC with a 46-47 cm TT (same relative proportions you mentioned above; about a 75-76 degree SA) made from appropriate steel, and I'd get it off your hand in a moment's notice, no questions asked :) I've seen that kind of geometry in big frames, just wish I could shrink them about 5 sizes (and make them what I like - just about 2 sizes too small for me)...

I dont know.

troll?

the variation in appropriate tt length is much smaller than the variation in leg length. For example, a friend has the largest frame I've ever seen, 68 cm or something like that. I've never measured the top tube, but a crude elbow to fingertip measurement says it's not much more than an inch longer than my 55cm frame. And it fits. I'm sure there are people out there that have long torsos, and they probably need a custom frame or other adjustments.

And since this is a valuation thread in the main C&V forum, I'm pretty sure I'm allowed to tell you I'd give you $5 for it. $750 is way too high for any number of reasons, not the least of which it's a town bike without brakes. Most people would look at that and think they could do a lot better for that kind of money. I'd think I could at least get a brake.

That's what I was thinking at first, but I'm pretty sure that it's an inadvertent troll. I'm not one to easily get upset over fixie conversions, but they mostly belong in the FG/SS forum. This place has become FG central recently, and it's a little grating and feels more than a little trollish. I think the FG/SS forum has a lot of fine people and I see no reason for these posts not to be made over there. I see zero C&V content in this thread.

Wow, I want expecting this much feedback. Thanks guys. Yes, I listed it for $750 the first day because that is what I have into it. I was not expecting to get that out of it. I now have it listed for $600. I just don't really want to loose my ass on it. It's a very nice bike and I am very pleased with the way it came out. If I keep it, I am going to try some horns in search of the correct fit. I feel a little cramped when I ride for anything longer than a mile.

I will also get the rear wheel re-dished so I can set the chainring on the outside of the spiders and get the chainline perfect. Thanks for not ripping me or it apart. I like constructive criticism most definitely.

I am also running a Soma 3/32 cog on it running on a 1/8 chain and chainring. It has a slight whine right now. Running an 1/8 cog and straightening the chainline would fix the noise issue, correct?

You spent a lot of money to drew up an average to low end bike

:lol::lol:

Well I guess I will just keep the bike then.

On that bike, wow. The reason it won't sell is because of the dumb vintage geometry and the equally dumb price. A perspective buyer could buy a handful of off the shelf fixed gears with nicer parts (except the Brooks) for the same or much less.

Apprently back in the day all bike manufacturers thought everyone who needed to ride a tall bike was the same proportions as a T-Rex! Finding long top tubes in those sizes are hard as those are the ones I look for for myself to ride.

+1 Bike is drewed. Didn't that bike come with top tube and down tube braze ons?

+1 Value is not there, despite using some nice components. Hard to get money back out of a build, unless you have free/donor parts. And putting a lot of $$ into an average to below average frame makes $$ recovery less likely.

From long experience in cars motorcycles boats and bicycles, the only way to be sure you will get everything out of it that you put in, is to do it for hire. (and even that can be a trial!)
Do it for the enjoyment, consider it a hobby and don't expect to make your money back on it. Restoration and customizing should be done for your own enjoyment.

Ken.

The powdercoat has a lot of orangepeel and looks amateurish. There's nothing wrong with the geometry. If it had gears it would help greatly, but not worth $750 or $600 by a long shot. Someday people will regain their senses and realize bikes evolved gearing for a good reason.

They evolved brakes much earlier, and for a much better reason. I like fixed gears, although I have too much climbing around here and my knees couldn't take it.

Actually, this bike did NOT have braze ons on the tt or dt. I am not sure if any of the pictures show it, but the rear derailer hanger is still on it. I also still have the original components somewhere in the heap of boxes in my shop.

I do build primarily for the enjoyment. I still ride it, but not frequently. I built it for street riding and commuting in Corvallis when I was going to Oregon State. I moved back home and really do not have a use for it. Too many hills!

OK, I do agree with you all about the price. I my self would not pay that much for this bike. I guess I was just being greedy :/. Initially, I had not planned on spending this much on this build. My heart followed with the build. I really enjoy seeing a vintage bike take flight.

At any rate, thanks for opening my eyes about the price. If or when I try to sell it, I will consider dropping it significantly.