bikemig 

Sweet. I picked up a UE 8 I plan on turning into a townie. This is the bike as found in the wild. Plans are to replace the wheels with alloy wheels and go 1 x 6. I think I'll go with a thumbshifter as well.

sloar 

DQRider 

That seems to be the recipe for success with these bikes. I am currently preparing one of the discontinued Velo Orange Plume Alaire chainguards to go on mine. I've painted it black, and next I will paint the circle gold with red lining and affix a Peugeot Lion/Shield decal in the center. That will finish it off, I think. At least for this revision. I'm thinking about black and gold for the next rebuild.

Sir_Name 

Those bikes look great, @sloar.

obrentharris 

Very nice restoration on a beautiful old bike!
Brent

scozim 

@sloar - nice bikes. I've got the red one. Wished I had the black one.

ColnagoC40

11 spd gruppo, combination of Dura Ace 7700 and Ultegra 6800.

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DQRider 

Here are a few shots of my "gentrified" 1988 Peugeot Versailles. I put about 80 miles on it this weekend getting it dialed-in. This is also my first test of Imgur...


The mods are fairly obvious, I've built it to be comfortable, upright yet speedier than my other bikes.


I don't know about others' experience with HLE frames, but I find it wonderfully light and lively, while still soaking up the sharper bumps and potholes. Perhaps just a bit heavier than 531.


Brooks Flyer saddle and Ergon grips provide all-day comfort.


Riding upright, in street clothes as I do, the outer chainring functions only as a bash-guard. I am toying with grinding the teeth off, but that seems a bit rash. Maybe I'll only ride this bike in shorts.


It has a rather distinctive silhouette, don't you think?

dweenk 

^^^ I like the modification to upright riding, but I would not grind the big ring down. Just buy a pants cuff clip and hang it on the top tube - it'll be there whenever you want to ride it.

DQRider 

Of course! I have one of those... somewhere. Good idea

rustystrings61 

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Maitre Jacques, my much-loved '71 Gitane TdF in weathered Club Green and tired chrome - apart from the frame and fork, only the Stronglight P3 headset is stock, and that has a Zeus locknut, so there. Nitto bars and stem, Dia-Compe aero levers, Weinmann 500 sidepulls with Scott-Matthauser pads, Stronglight 93s modified for single ring use with a later 45T ring, Phil Wood BB, MKS Sylvan track pedals, Kogswell fixed/fixed hubset laced to Mavic MA3s, SR seat post, Brooks B17, Panaracer Pasela 28s, broken and repaired Nitto "T" bottle cage on Minoura handlebar mount - for such a parts bin triumph, it is an utterly amazing machine that I enjoy every time I ride it.

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greg3rd48 

En route to work today the tension spring in my Suntour VGT Luxe RD suddenly gave way without warning. One third of the way there with no way to fix it I jogged 2 miles to the LBS where I was given the bad news that the spring seems to be worn out. My mechanic buddy swapped on this no name RD and I rushed to work and wound up only being a few minutes late albeit a sweaty mess. I saved the VGT Luxe in case I ever come upon a replacement screw.

Last week I also replaced the old B17 with this Cambium C17 which is fantastic for my posterior so far. A new, inexpensive 700c wheelset also replaced the old 27 1/4 at the same time. @DQRider Great photos as always.

Untitled by irishbx4th, on Flickr

Untitled by irishbx4th, on Flickr

Untitled by irishbx4th, on Flickr

S28546

My 1975 Peugeot PX-50L, pretty much as found, but new BB and crank, CdV tires, cables, brake pads, and LED lights. I really wish it were 3cm or so bigger.

jimmuller 

Well, it isn't French, of course, but those springs are pretty easy to replace. On the other hand, a lot of French bikes ended with Suntour derailleurs.

3alarmer 

...so here is a pretty nice Stella, from back when.

mountaindave 

You did a great job refurbishing her. How does she ride? You should hang out more - 5 posts in 2 years? You belong with us!

gbi

DQRider, the 2nd and 5th photos in your post #2308 are really quite nice!

jj1091

Nice bike. Here's my 1975 PX-50L. I added the Wald fenders with some vintage hardware and put on Mafac levers. Everything else is original except the wheel skewers, saddle, and a slightly earlier Simplex RD. Those original bars with rubber covers and guidonnet levers are hard to find, mine were long gone when I got it. I've obtained the OEM front Soubitez light and generator and when I can locate a rear light I may invest in the OEM stainless fenders and appropriate racks. My rear rack came from a UE-8 and I need a 650b size. Your PX-50 looks to be the same size as mine, 56cm. I love mine, it's a dream to ride.
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DQRider 

Well done @3alarmer!

But folks, I have a question, and this bike is a perfect example. While some might say this Stella has very nice patina, I like the distinction of Grant Petersen's compound of beauty from usage, or "beausage". Sure looks like a French word to me, but they say the correct pronunciation is (byoo' - sej). They also say that pronouncing it in the French manner is pretentious...

I think that when it pertains to a French bicycle, or anything French for that matter, it should be pronounced, (boe - sahj'). Who's with me?

DQRider 

Well thank you, @gbi! We finally had a weekend where the weather was perfect for riding and photography, so I dropped everything else and took full advantage.

DQRider 

I'm quickly becoming a devotee of the Peugeot brand. Three of my ten bicycles are Peugeots now, and all of them are keepers. They are so distinctive in appearance and ride quality that they stand out from all others. This PX50L, and the one before it, are prime examples of the breed.
Ils sont magnifiques!

jj1091

Peugeots are all I have, a PX-10, PX-50, and a UO-8. They each have their use for different rides. As much as people seem to hate those old Rigida chrome steel wheels, they're the first thing people make remarks about when they see the ones on my PX-50, how nice they are. 42-year-old chrome and they still look like new.

DQRider 

I must admit to not being a fan of steel wheels, however, the Rigidas from my U08 that are now sitting in my garage are in very good shape. The texturing of the brake tracks on those was quite an innovation at the time.

non-fixie 

Steel wheels are not as bad as they are sometimes made out to be. They roll very nicely, and in a flat country like mine braking is not much of an issue either.

greg3rd48 

I put the damaged VGT Luxe away in case I come upon a spring in the future. I really like those RDs but I am pleased with this modern no-name replacement.