Neal: can you post a picture of the seat tube decal please? Also, that braze-on on the right chainstay - what is it for, and is it original do you think?

Sorry for the lousy focus on this one, but here's the decal in the center of the seat tube. It's actually cleaned up quite well.



As far as I can figure, the braze-on on the chainstay is a chain keeper/hanger. It's also in the place where a chainguard might have been attached, so perhaps that's it.

Neal

Thanks for that page. I haven't done a thorough search through those catalogs, but I haven't seen one yet with chrome-tipped forks. It would also help if I could read French!

Neal

Neal, cranks are on the way. Good luck with the build!

Brian

Awesome! Thank you, Brian.

Neal

Thanks Neal....I think it is interesting that the decal also says Champion du Monde and has the World Champion rainbow incorporated into the graphic, but its not the decal that was used to commemorate the 1965 win. According to Wikipedia, the only time Peugeot had a world championship before that date was 1957, so could this bike be as late as 1958?

Interesting stuff! Yes, that RD was in production until 1958 according to the little info I've found, so it is possible that's the age of this bike. That really helps narrow down the catalog searching. Thanks!

Neal

Its very similar to the 1957 PLX40. Taking into account the WC stripes and the lack of a PLX40 in the '59 catalog it very well may be a '58. To the best of my knowledge 650B tire bikes were classified as 40 series so we get this general breakdown:

PLX40:

P: Peugeot
L: Luxe or luxurious This makes sense because the frame has braze-ons for a bottle generator and its wiring
X: Inoxydable or stainless tubing.
40: 650B wheels but not exclusive to 40 series models. 50 series bike were equipted with 650B's as well.

1957 Catalog scan of the PLX40:

Jim, I'm wondering if it might be a PLX 50, given the chrome-tipped forks. Also, what I thought was a seat tube bracket for a chainguard is more likely one for a rod-style FD. Hmm, I bet that BB spindle will be set up for a double chainring!

Neal

You could be right due to the chrome and conventional cantilevers of the 50 series but it is lacking a chrome rear triangle. Here're both pages from '57 for a comparison. Perhaps a photoshop expert can join them together?:

Hmm, the PHX-50 from the 1959 French catalog even has the two tone paint job:



Neal

Neal,

I'm fairly confident its a 50 series. Helium tubing was used on 50 series and not the 40 series. A big difference between the '57 and '59 is the FD/chaingaurd mounting and nomenclature.. The '57 (which we know its isnt) had a rod actuated FD while the '59 (catalog Dec '58 date code) has an integrated FD/chaingaurd combo and different nomenclature.

In old Peugeot speak:

H: Haute or higher
L: Luxe or luxurious

The '59 catalog clearly states 'Haute Luxe' or high luxury yet they only used the 'H' prefix. My guess is a specification change from '58 to '59 and thus a name change from PLX50 to PHX50. If alll are in agreement I'd feel confident calling it a 1958 PLX50.

Jim: I think your logic is sound, but what about the chrome (or lack thereof) on the rear triangle? That braze-on I asked Neal about halfway up the chainstay is pretty ugly (even for Peugeot) - do you think someone repaired it and decided to paint the triangle after, covering up the chrome? It is supposed to be there (shows up on the PLX50 and PLX55), but seems pretty "blobby" in Neal's photos....

Mark

Mark,

The rear triangle was never chromed on Neals bike, it literaly has 52 years of patina on it. Prior to me removing the RD for shipping I dont think it had ever been removed. I agree with you, the braze-on does look crappy even by Peugeot standards. I think its some type of chain hanger or anti chain slap device.

dude, this is one hot bike. I am so jealous.

That seat tube braze on is equally blobby, so at least the brazing work is consistent on this bike!

Neal

I will definitely go with the Grand Tourisme Randonneur model PHX 50 and a 1959 model looks right.

Notice that in the small insert at the top of the page the color combinations for the enamels (emaux) are listed. The last two (bicolores for the Randonneur models) are Ivory & Green... Ivory and Blue


The photo at the top clearly enough shows cantilever brakes. And, those are definitely MAFAC brake levers with white half-hoods in the photo.

The text mentions "Antivol Neiman" - your steerer lock...
and "...Bases, haubans et fourche AV chromes" - so the lower fork blades and tips were chrome plated - just as on your bike.

The 3-arm cottered cranks surely used what was once a common (virtually universal) Bolt Circle Diameter for the chainrings (116 mm.) which allowed a small chainring of 36 teeth, and the outer ring was likely 48 teeeth (yes, people spun their legs much faster back then... and coasted down steeper hills).

The bike would have originally come fitted with fenders with dynamo lights mounted on front and rear. And front and rear luggage racks ("Porte-bagages AV et AR." [avant et arriere].

And that model would have had aluminum-shell ("moyeax Dural") low-flange hubs - which were pretty classy for that era.

The "X" in the prefix of any Peugeot model names indicated application of their Inoxydable (rust proofing) treatment. And that model had Tubes Helium.

Have you measured the wheel clearences? The cantilever pads should fit 650B rims - but NOT 700c.

Think you've got a real winner!

Beautiful bike! - keep the photos coming!!!

I have a set of those levers on the PLX50 if you need them.

Definitely one of THE coolest Peugeots to ever grace these pages!!!

Yes, it's definitely made for 650B wheels as I've fitted a set to the frame. That RD also seems to have the swing for a 4-speed block, which is consistent w/ these catalog descriptions (8-speed).

Hmm, I was going to set it up as a porteur w/ a single chainring, but this great sleuthing work is making me re-assess that decision. Thanks, all.

Neal

Here are a few images captured from an old eBay auction showing the alternate "Ivoire et Vert" colors on a similar model from the same era. Notice the similar box lining on the frame tubes. That frame lacked the derailleur hanger and cantilever bosses of your bike and had slightly different dropouts. The rear bridge is bored vertically - which would have been suitable for a type of center-pull brake hanger to be used with a fender mounting bolt passing up through the bridge.

Also notice the shim in the seat tube in the second photo. I have a somewhat similar Peugeot (a PX-50 from 1975) which also used this shim. At first I had thought it had been added to fit an available seatpost, but it was really to allow clearance for the weld inside the seamed tubing.

Did you repaint the frame?

Some updates and pics now that I've made some progress on this project. Right now it's looking like a porteur with upright bars and guidonnet levers, but it still might get some French drop bars and Mafac levers:













Still to be fitted are the fenders, chain guard, and rear rack, plus I need to do some work to the front axle as the solid one I swapped in for the QR isn't fitting very well. I was able to ride it around the block a bit and shifted and braked successfully. Progress! Thanks to the Colonel for the bars and to Noah Scape for the crank arms.

Neal

Looking good, I love this bike!

Neat to see the bike's character come out after cleaning and building up. Don't know why, but I expected a '40s-'50s 650B bike to seem, well, more utilitarian. But it's beautiful...