The decal remnants look like it could have been SLX.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=393560

It is the last of the US market PX bikes. Check the 85 and 86 catalogs. Both years have the same bike, one year it was called a PX10, the other it is simply a PX It is an SLX frame, full Mavic, even the bar and stem. I have an identical one in my garage in my wife's size. Still looking for one for myself, it is the bike that little bikegeek1968 wanted when I first began racing in the 80's.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=393567http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=393568http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=393569http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=393570

Right now I have borrowed all the parts to built up my All Mavic Vitus 979 for L'Eroica 2014.

Edit: I just noticed someone had already posted a link to the catalog. I think you do have the original post and saddle. Neither rim is original, though, GP4 tubies with wolber tires came stock with the bike.

Thanks for the identification. Yours looks beautiful and you even have the Mavic quill pedals which I've never actually seen in the metal!

Bike weighs 9.7 kg (21.3 lb), bang on to the '86 catalog spec. I am surprised it is not a bit lighter, being such a small size.

On my son's bike, the seatpost is too short, and despite being stock, isn't a very nice one actually - for some reason, Peugeot didn't use a Mavic post (didn't make one in [edit] 26.6mm? dunno) - so I'll find another one in the used parts bin.

I've stripped the bike and am cleaning up the frame, which for some reason is splattered all over with road tar. It comes off easily enough. I'll soak the fork and skewers in O.A. I don't want to soak the whole frame, so the few rust spots will be treated some other way - is naval jelly friendly to paint and decals? [EDIT: no, I might soak the frame after all.] A friend is giving me some lightly used Gatorback tires which should do nicely for urban commute duty.

The Mavic 302 headset needs a special wrench set, hmm. Still mulling over what to do about that. The headset definitely needs to be disassembled and regreased.

The Mavic BB also needs a special wrench, I think. But I'm not going to take it out, it is sealed bearings and spins smoothly.

I've laced my parts bin MA40 rim to the front hub, and trued/tensioned both wheels - they look good.

I'm having second thoughts about what to do/not do with the frame. There are black discolored tracks under the paint, radiating out from a few of the rust spots. I think these are rust tracks. They bother me. I am starting to think about spending an extra $160 for blast/powder coat and new decals. It is a slippery slope, I know.

Bike is almost done. I decided against powder coating and other extravagances. Let's see how much he actually rides it and if it can avoid getting stolen. I can always tear it down and powder coat/decal it next year if he really loves and rides it.

Instead I simply cleaned and lubricated everything, then built it back up, adding stuff from my parts bin: Mavic FD RD and indexed downtube shifters, Mavic stem (longer than the short one it came with), Mavic aero levers with white hoods, a more sensible freewheel (the Mavic RD wouldn't shift the dinner plate big cog on the non-original freewheel it came with). Had white cable housing and a cable set in the bin. Splurged on a new chain and some Tacx barend lights. I just need some tires and bar tape (white perforated Fizik, I'm thinking).

I'll get this done for $200 out of pocket! Not counting locks and lights.

Pictures. Sorry some are not so great.

The bike is just about the hoped-for balance of pretty and punky, for a "school bike". Plenty of scrapes, chips, rust (treated), wear, missing decals. It is kind of a rat-rod.

The stem isn't completely slammed, it could go down another half inch or so. My son is young and flexible so he likes the bar low. I am thinking about adding some interrupter levers so that he can ride higher when visibility is key. Note the Tacx barend lights. I'll fit a better, central headlight and some Crud Roadracer fenders later.

http://i800.photobucket.com/albums/y...psftb3o0c8.jpg

I'm proud that he got on it, got off and got on his other roadbike, thought about it, and asked me to tilt the saddle up slightly. He is learning about fit! The tires are some lightly used Gatorbacks contributed by a friend. This pic shows a little black handlebar bag I was trying out.

http://i800.photobucket.com/albums/y...pssysfnqvi.jpg

The seven speed freewheel just barely fits where the original six speed lived. The Mavic RD and shifters are from my parts bin, not original - they are later than this 1986 bike. They are indexing perfectly. I believe the 821 shifter and 840 RD will do eight speed too, but I've never had occasion to try. Replacement freewheel (14-25?) from the stash, new cheapo chain (which I could shorten a bit ). The RD just barely works with the 25T (26T?) big cog, I had to max the B screw and position the axle forward in the dropout, to stop the upper jockey from riding on the cog.

http://i800.photobucket.com/albums/y...psx1qkmmp9.jpg

I suppose I should move the FD down a bit. Pedals are Wellgo, from the stash, conventional on one side and SPD on the other. I had to tap the crank from French to ISO pedal threads. Bottom bracket is the original Mavic and I haven't touched it.

http://i800.photobucket.com/albums/y...psanramy34.jpg

Brakes are original but brake levers are from my bin, and are later than the bike. I'm disappointed, I though I had Mavic 440 but they turned out to be the (otherwise identical) Modolo. I like cables to be symmetrical as much as possible. White housing and cables were from my spares pile.

http://i800.photobucket.com/albums/y...ps0rpyig8w.jpg

This is an example of what I mean by it being a rat-rod. I deliberately didn't sand out and repolish the scratches on the stem. I don't want it to be too shiny. The lower headset races are protected with an inner tube, the upper with a o-ring (and there is an internal o-ring too).

http://i800.photobucket.com/albums/y...psupz7juyl.jpg

I rode the bike to work today, as a shakedown cruise. It is too small for me, but that seemed to go with the light, quick, fast handling. It rides like a dream, even with the Gatorback tires.

My son loves it. He rode it around today and wants to use the bike for some non-school riding too. But most of the time, it will be carrying him to and from high school or buried under multiple locks at the school rack.

As with all his bikes, it got a name. The bike is "Markus", which is short for its full name "Trademark", which is long for "TM", which means "Tout Mavic". Or so he explained.

My thanks to Citoyen du Monde for loaning me some tools without which I couldn't have overhauled the bike, to my friend Mike for contributing the tires, to everyone for advising and helping me.

That looks... fresh. If your kid isn't the most popular dude at school in a week, it just means that teenagers have no taste :D

I like seeing a bit of use in terms of scratched bits and not perfect paint, but that's just my taste.

The white touches look great, really tasteful.

Great job!

10.01 kg or 22.06 lb with no lights or accessories but including pedals. Not bad although I hoped for a bit lighter considering the small frame.

I noticed that if the bike was in big/big gear and then rolled backwards, the chain autoshifts to the second largest sprocket and then pulls the rear derailleur cage up and binds up, creating the possibility of derailleur damage. When would this ever happen? Dunno but it is something a kid might do for no particular reason, and I thought the behavior was unacceptable. Some investigating showed that the upper jockey is too close to the sprocket teeth in the largest cogs, the b-screw is unable to pivot the cage further away from the sprocket, because the b-screw is too far inward and doesn't fully engage the tab on the derailleur hanger. I placed a washer under the derailleur mounting bolt, and that spaced the derailleur outward just enough to solve this problem. It will still autoshift if rolled backward in big/big, that is a chain line issue, but it then won't do any harm. It isn't a hanger alignment issue; the Mavic b-screw placement just seems to assume a wider hanger tab.

Sigh. My son, the junior heathen, has sweetly informed me that he would like "those folding wire basket things" on his rat rod racer. You mean, you want [sputter] Wald collapsible wire grocery baskets, on your 1986 tout Mavic PX racebike?!? "Yes, dad." Groan.

Here is photographic evidence of the sad devolution of my son's rat rod racer PX into a laden mule. He has asked for interrupter levers, fenders, rack, wire pannier, and I've added lights and bell.

http://i800.photobucket.com/albums/y...pslkodospx.jpg

Sir John,
You are quite the patient father. But c'mon.... all the luv you've given that cool bike.... haha

I don't know what I'd say or do about it other than maybe reclaim the bike and swap out for a Wallymart special.

Looks nice. I've always loved the pure engineered look of the Mavic components. He'll want a car soon anyway, and that bike will be safely in the garage.

What a beautiful bike, It still looks good in the "laden mule" mode, classy.
I used my '72 PX-10 as a mule for a while, complete with fenders, racks etc.
Peugeot bikes look good in any configuration (I am now running my PX-10 in its original race shoes ...lol).

You did a great job on the bike and the original paint gives looks better than a repaint IMO.

Pedals
 

Do you know what kind of Look Pedals came with your bike? I purchased a used road bike with identical pedals to that but have not been able to find a model name/number?

I don't know anything about Look pedals. The bike came with French thread early Looks, appearance similar to http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CXk4OYXAJB...022%5B1%5D.jpg I took them off and am wondering if they are worth selling, being French thread. The pedals currently on the bike are Suntour Superbe Pro track pedals from the parts bin. I re-tapped the cranks to standard thread.

So - I'm not toooo upset about the fate of this PX. I knew it was going to be a high school kids bike, so just not getting stolen was going to be "success". He is diligently double locking it (Kryptonite chain and Kryptonite U-lock) and so far someone has stolen a little bag that held a bike map, but otherwise no-one has messed with it. He's not getting a car anytime soon - I need to buy a car for his older sister next year, then we'll think about his car in a couple of years. With sister starting college this fall, money is tight.

Installing fenders and rack was a PITA. The bike has no eyelets. Using PDW Full Metal Fenders and Axiom Road Streamliner rack, it was do-able, but last night I realized the rack is forcing the rear fender stays down, resulting in even less clearance. I need to bend the stays a little.

He is starting to ride in semi-darkness and full -darkness now that the sun is setting earlier. This worries me a little. He runs red tailights on bike and helmet, a headlight on the bar, running lights (red/rear and white/front) on the bar ends, and a front light on his helmet. He looks a little like a UFO at night. I'm getting him an Endura Lumilite jacket ($60 at Western Bike Works, on sale now) and will be adding some reflective tape to the bike and helmet.

I just noticed this thread. I was picturing him commuting on the Gran Sport. I like this bike. I think your son is cool for riding an old fashioned racing bike. He must be a good rider. And I think it's fine that he had you outfit it with practical gear, i.e. the baskets. The setup works for him, and you can't beat that.

I like those bar-end headlights. What do you think of them? I did some searching. Are they the Tacx Lumos lights?

They are the TACX lights. I like them a lot. They don't get in the way (unless you have bar end shifters, of course), have a white light in front and a red light in back, and a single AA battery lasts a very long time, and they are rainproof. They have a "turn signal" feature with a blinking amber light that turns off after a while, but I never use it. The white lights don't illuminate the road enough to see by, but combined with your regular headlight has a motorcycle-like look which is attention-getting. I've used them on my commute bike for three years and they have held up fine, although I recently damaged one by smashing it against something so I need to pick up another set.

He is in fact a good rider. Very flexible and fit, excellent balance, strong legs. He's done two centuries. Currently he is in after-school dance training, 15-18 hours a week, so the bike riding is unnecessary as far as physical exercise goes, but he says the leg strength is helpful for his dance too. Most important, he has listened when we've ridden together and I've lectured him about defensive cycling, right hooks, dooring, etc. Sometimes I meet him after school or after dance class and we ride home together. When I let him take the lead and watch how he rides, I'm pleased with how cautious and alert he appears to be.

jyl, that bike does look nice. Re theft, FWIW, my neighbor has a nice Super Course that he'd upgraded long ago with various Campy components. Their son is using it now as a commuter at Northeastern U. in Boston. He always locked it carefully but a few months ago someone stole the Campy skewer from the front wheel. I don't know the circumstances but they replaced it and he's being more careful now.

I like those TAXC lights too. It looks like you have those bars angled so that the forward reach section is parallel to the ground. Does that angle the headlights more or less forward and not up in the air? Or maybe the projection angle is great enough that it doesn't matter. That's how I set my bars too. I've been commuting on my UO-8 exclusively this last week because it has lights and the low sun angle makes being seen more important. I want to use a different bike sometimes but my sweetie worries about me not being seen and has been urging me to put lights on a different bike.

I did a search on ebay for "TAXC lights" and got lots of stuff for dealing with taxes. :D I did see a vendor on Amazon though. Maybe I can find them at a LBS.

Wow, @jyl, I haven't met your son, but I'm damn proud of him! :D

What a sweet bike! And a great relationship you two have with bikes. My son was a BMX rider, still has the PK Ripper with Landing Gear fork.

To be honest, I feel they don't light up the road enough to matter. On a pitch dark night, they help a little, but only if you're riding 10 mph. I consider them handy "running lights" that happen to do a good job as bar end plugs. On my commute on urban streets, I mostly ride with just the TACX illuminated, and switch on the actual headlight when necessary.

Maybe one day in the future, your son will get the C&V itch and restore that Peugeot from night riding, school "pack mule", to super classic, top of the line, 80's race bike again..... after all, he does have your DNA.....:rolleyes:

Great story and great bike.
My son lost interest in bicycles years ago and started riding off road motorcycles, he is now in a sponsored team out of Corona Ca.
When someone tells you bicycles can get expensive, that is nothing compared to off road motorcycles...lol
That is awesome that he is into dance, my nephew was a sports star in High School (wrestling, football etc.)
but with too many injuries he is now a star in the drama dept.
Good stuff...

Spent an hour reworking the fender and rack mounting. Total PITA. Ended up with: rack mounts on the skewer; fender stays cut short, rebent, and mounted on the rack; then top of fender pulled up tight to the rack with a (groan) zip tie (pending drilling holes for bolt to do it properly). The Full Metal Fenders are only meant for 23mm tires, not 25mm tires with a low brake bridge. But it works now.

I also counseled him to stop parking his bike in the dining room. Mom tolerates a clean bike in the house, not a wet gritty one tracking mud on her carpets.

I was outside my office building getting a coffee this morning, when I saw a young guy in jeans on an old school road bike, riding hard up the road, keeping up with traffic, pushing hard on the pedals. I admired the bike and the rider's effort and speed. Then I realized it was my son, booking to high school on his PX!

I'm so proud.

The bike is holding up well, after a year of high school duty. A tough life, but it still looks a million times better than when I bought it off CL. This summer I'll give it a good servicing.