andrewlindsay

I recently went to our local bike shop with the intention of getting some dual use (SPD on one side, platform on other side) pedals for my old UO8. However, the Shimano pedals we tried did not fit my crank. The threads seemed to be the same, but they were just slightly larger in diameter. Are there any dual use SPD pedals that will fit my UO8?

Thanks in advance,
Andrew

Retro Grouch 

French threading maybe?

prathmann

^ Yes, the older Peugeots had French-threaded (14mm) pedals instead of the English 9/16" standard. You should be able to rethread the cranks with the proper tap if desired. Don't know of any source of SPD pedals with French threads.

andrewlindsay

Thanks. I'd asked the bike shop about re-threading and they said they could, but were concerned about doing so. I didn't dig into their concern. So right now I still have cages on the pedals. I'd like to get a dual use pedal on the bike, but I don't want to screw it up either. Any more thoughts on this?

Hoopdriver

French threaded pedals have a thread pitch of 1.25mm, which is very close to 20 TPI (1.27mm), so it is very easy to tap out to 9/16x20. I've tapped out many cranks this way with nary a problem. A bit harder on the taps if your UO8 is old enough to have steel cranks.

prathmann

^ I agree with the above and am puzzled by the bike shop being concerned about using a tap on your cranks so they'll be compatible with current pedals. Both the thread diameter and pitch are very close and this kind of retapping was quite common when French-threaded pedals started to become rare.

Retro Grouch 

If your bike shop hasn't actually done it before, find somebody else who has.

Aubergine 

I have tapped out a few sets of French aluminum cranks myself, and I am far from an expert. I would also be a bit wary of tapping old steel cranks though. If your Pug still has cottered steel, you could consider replacing your cranks and bottom bracket with a vintage (or modern!) aluminum crank.

There are MANY people here who are fans of the UO-8 Peugeots. I replaced the crank on mine with a Spécialités TA crank:

andrewlindsay

Thank you all!
They did say they had a tap, so perhaps it's the steel issue they were concerned about. Can you tell from the images I've referenced below?

I do like my old U08. I purchased it in '72 and have had many good times with it. I calculated once that it has around 18k miles on it. But it's been in the attic for many years and now needs attention if I'm going to bring it out and ride it again for more than around the block with my granddaughter. I've been competing in Obstacle Course Racing for several years, but my body is taking a beating. So this year I thought I'd try some triathlons instead. Until I see how this new endeavor goes I don't want to spring for a new road bike, since I have access to one I can use for races. But I was thinking I could use the U08 for practice. I can start a new thread asking about what I need to do to properly recondition the bike, but maybe I can resolve the pedal/crank issues now - with your help.

I don't mind replacing the cranks with something modern. I'm not trying to keep it original. Are we talking about replacing just the crank arms, the whole crank set, including the chain rings, or what? I can tell the crank doesn't spin as easy as it should. I suspect the whole assembly needs to be taken apart, cleaned, and repacked. So would this be the time to replace everything? Yet I do need to be cost conscious. I can't be spending hundreds to fix up the bike.

With all this in mind, I'm very open to guidance. I thank you again for sharing your time and experience.

Andrew

PS. Since I don't have 10 posts, I can't directly post the URL to my picture. It is at fshrmen.net/wp-content/uploads/Peugeot.jpg

fietsbob

The French lost out on bike sales in the long run, by being stand alone standards .. they made their own Cul de Sac.

Aubergine 

Yes, you have old steel cottered cranks. It really would not be worth it to tap those out.

You would need to get a complete crank set, including the bottom bracket (that is, the spindle and bearings for the crank) and chainrings. You have lots of options; your major issue will simply be figuring out what threads are used in the bottom bracket shell. You also should consider getting new wheels, with aluminum rims. Steel rims do not brake well, particularly when wet.

Pic help:

andrewlindsay

Tell me about it! Yes, I'll be looking at new wheels. I'd also like to swap out the brakes and add index shifting. In short make it a much more modern bike, with the exception of the bullet proof frame. :-) But those will be separate threads over time.
I have no idea of suppliers, reasonable options, costs, and (as mentioned) how to get the technical information I'll need to supply (thread sizing, measurements, etc.). How do I go about getting this done? I'd like to keep the cost to a minimum without the assembly being junk. I'm sure open to just being pointed to something I should consider.

Thanks again,
Andrew

Aubergine 

All right, then, lesson time.

Your bike was made in the days when freewheels had five speeds (or maybe 6). As far as I know, the earliest workable indexing systems came with seven-speed hubs, which were wider so they could hold the extra gears. To get an indexed system, you will need to get the rear triangle of the frame spread a bit so you can fit in the new hub. This is not hard to do, or expensive. However, just as another idea for you, consider getting bar-end shifters and staying with a six-speed rear. The benefit of these is that you can more securely shift with both hands on the bars. You can see the right shifter pretty well in this pic of my Old Peugeot #1 in its original state:


As for the brakes, there is no need to change them. The Mafac Racer brakes are very good. Replacing the wheels will solve most of your braking issues, and replacing the stock Mafac brake pads with Kool Stop Salmon pads will improve them further.

Old Peugeots from the mid-70s typically used French-threaded bottom brackets. BUT Peugeot also used Swiss threads and eventually moved to English threading. The best place I know of to get the basic info about old French peculiarities is at Sheldon Brown’s website. Specifically, look at these two pages: French Bicycles and French Bikes. They should explain all you need to know about threading and which way to turn the wrench to get the bottom bracket cups off and on again.

As for possible replacement cranks, what gearing do you want? How do you ride now? There are a ton of options, but we can’t narrow them down until we know what you need from the bike.

MRT2

I did a project like this on a mid to late 70s era Peugeot similar to yours , but I worked with a local mechanic, and did it as a winter project. I have found the local independent shops more willing to work with you during the slow winter months than during the summer. That said, it still cost a fair amount, and probably more than the bike is worth. So look on it as a labor of love rather than as an investment, and if you use a local shop, try to find a place that does vintage repairs and restorations, as not all shops do this work.

Interestingly, cranks were not an issue, as I had no problem installing SPD pedals on the old crank arms. Because the front derailleur was broken, we decided to just remove it, and the big chainring. We also switched out the bars from the original drops to a city bar. Velo Orange sells a number of city bars that fit the Peugeot quill stem. I went with the Velo Orange Postino bar. Ergon grips. We sourced a brake lever from Tektro that would work with the Mafac racer brakes. Next up was the drivetrain. We did switch to indexed shifting, and in this area, the mechanic went beyond what I initially thought was possible. My thought was maybe just stick with 6 speed, maybe 7. The mechanic managed to pull the frame apart enough to fit a 9 speed cassette, which, of course meant changing out the wheels to modern alloy wheels. The mechanic sourced a used Shimano Tiagra 9 speed derailleur for $15. Shimano 9 speed 11 - 32 cassette. Sunrace 9 speed thumbshifter.

Anyway, this build went a little over budget, but it did breath some life into a bike that had mostly been collecting dust in the garage for a decade. Total cost was around $500, including a new Brooks saddle. Quite reasonable IMO for the man hours that went into the project. Such a project isn't for everyone, and frankly, might not even have made sense financially, but it was still a cool thing to do.

Aubergine 

I’d love to see pics of your bike, @MRT2!

I went a little more retro. The blue one above ended up like this:



Rather than redoing it for more modern parts, I had a metalworker update the braze-ons to modern standards. The result, for me, was perfect.

andrewlindsay

This is all very helpful. Thank you!

I still don't have enough posts to be able to post an image, but I've listed the URLs to some pictures of the bike in its current state below.

I've thought it through a bit and have outlined my goals and a bit of a strategy based on the information you've provided. Here it is, in no particular order:
- Right now, I'm training for a half Ironman on April 8th.
- Until I know for sure that I want to do more triathlons, I'm not going to buy a new bike.
- Therefore I'm training with the old U08. (I have access to a very nice bike I can use for the race.)
- I need to get used to using real clips, not just the cages I have now.
- Therefore I believe getting some SPDs on the bike is my top priority.
- I can tell the bike does not crank as easy as it should.
- The head tube creaks and squeaks as I ride and turn.
- The headset does not pivot freely.
- Braking stinks (I'll invest in the pads suggested above.)
- You can see I replaced the original Simplex derailleur with a Suntour.
- Over time (a year or three), I'd like to spruce it up with new wheels, end shifters, etc.
- But for my immediate needs...
- - I need a bike I can use for training.
- - I need to get some SPDs on it ASAP.
- - I have a limited amount of time to work it.
- - I can't have it out of commission more than a day or two.
- - If tapping the current cranks would work to get me started, I'm willing to do it / try it.

Does all this help you to help me?

Thanks yet again,
Andrew

fshrmen.net/wp-content/uploads/Peugeot01.jpg
fshrmen.net/wp-content/uploads/Peugeot02.jpg
fshrmen.net/wp-content/uploads/Peugeot03.jpg
fshrmen.net/wp-content/uploads/Peugeot04.jpg
fshrmen.net/wp-content/uploads/Peugeot05.jpg

andrewlindsay

Oh, I forgot to answer the question of what gearing do I want. The answer would be, I'm not sure. If I recall correctly, I currently have 52 and 42 in front, and 38 down to 14 in the back. Until I get the time to put on bar end shifters, I'm not seeing much point in changing things. (Am I wrong?) Once I get end shifters, especially if the rear is indexed, then I could see the benefit of having a cassette with 7 or so sprockets.

Let me know if my thinking is off. But right now, I'm not seeing the immediate need to change what I have on the bike now.

Thanks,
Andrew

andrewlindsay

Oh my! I've just scanned the French bike material on Sheldon Brown's site. Rebuilding the old UO8 to make a nice nostalgic touring bike looks more like a retirement project than what I'm wanting to get involved with right now. I was hoping for something more like, buy the necessary parts, install them, and be done. I did not realize there would be so many compatibility issues; even issues determining what exactly I have. Ugh! I just wanted to put some SPDs on the bike and go riding, figuring I could repack bearings and upgrade as time allows. Now I'm at a loss as to what to do.

MRT2

OP, in your case it might make more sense to just find a used road bike of somewhat more recent vintage. Maybe a modern aluminum Trek, or Giant from the late 90s to around 2012. And such a bike should be available for $200 to $300,

I love me some French steel, but it sounds like yours needs more than a little work, and even then, it really isn't ideal for Triathlon training.

andrewlindsay

Unfortunately, purchasing another bike right now isn't an option.
Absolutely. I understand. Cadence, energy management, etc. isn't happening. But using the UO8 is the only option I have at the moment. If I decide to switch from OCR to Tri's then we'll get it in the budget and I'll spring for a good bike that I can both train and race with. The Pug' can then go in the garage until I have time to make it a hobby project. Right now, I just need to (1) get in miles on a bike and (2) if possible, get used to using SPDs. This race is just a dry run. I don't want to DNF, but I'm not trying to set a PR or even worry about decent placement within my age group. I just want to see if I like it. If I do, then I'll commit and get the proper tools. Until then, I'm doing this as much on the cheap as possible.

Thanks,
Andrew

Aubergine 

Ok, then, let me suggest this. You can likely use the bike as is for training, without changing much at all. The bike may not be good for triathlons itself, but for getting used to riding, and riding hard, it will be fine. Keep in mind that racers in the old days used those cottered steel cranks too! So, to do what you need, let’s focus on making sure the bike works as best as possible.

Get new brake pads as I suggested above.
Take the bike to a shop and have them press out the cotters on the cranks. If they do it properly, the existing cotters should be able to be reused. If not, new cotters can be purchased on line.

Next, get the shop (or a good machine shop) to tap the cranks for modern pedals. Keep in mind that SPDs are not the only decent pedal, and shop around for one that you think works best for your needs.

When the crankarms are off the spindle, take the bottom bracket out. The grease is probably dried out. Clean it all out, replace the ball bearings, and grease it all up with marine grease (which is inexpensive and good). You can find small tubs of it for like $4 at auto part shops. Put it all back together, and put the arms back on. That should be all you need for the crank.

Next, regrease the headset. As with the bottom bracket, I suspect the grease has hardened. Replace the bearings and regrease it all with the marine grease. It should work fine thereafter. When you take out the handlebar stem, check it carefully for cracks, particularly along the slit at the bottom. If it is cracked, toss it and get a new one. The new one will need to be sanded down to fit, but that won’t take long.

All this should be doable if you are comfortable with tools. Please sent me a pm if I can help further.

indyfabz

Damn fine looking machine. Especially love the fame hue.

Aubergine 

Thank you! It is not quite a celeste. I am delighted how the bike came out, and I ride it more than all of my other bikes.

Doug64

I had my Stronglight crankset rethreaded to 9/16 in the early 70s, when the only french pedals available were Lyotard, and wanted something a little better.

Take your bike down to the local machine shop, and get it tapped out to 9/16. Ask them if they have a left hand tread in that size before you leave it with them. Your left pedal has left hand treads. I modified a crank arm for a disabled person, and my local machinist did a great job helping me get it done.

indyfabz

It looks somewhat like the custom Cerakote finish I had mixed for my ti frame.