gregaz

So, a well meaning friend gave me a free Peugeot Iseran frame (ca 1987, I believe). No big deal, just a "moving, I don't need it" present, which has now turned into obsession. I want to build this bike into a fixed gear. So, I have been reading and learning, and buying stuff little by little, but now I feel like I am on the home stretch and I really want this bike DONE! So, I am reaching out to you guys for some help on some final decisions.

Here is what I started with. It actually cleaned up pretty good, and I like the gritty / patina feel of the frame. I love the colors of the frame, so "just buy new something else and start over" is not a direction I want to go. I want THIS frame finished as a fixed gear.



I found this Stronglight crankset locally from a CL seller for $15. Cleaned up pretty well also.




I cleaned up the original Lyotard pedals, and they will work just fine.



Finding a 24mm seatpost has been a PIA! I had a well meaning forum member mail me one, but I think it's actually a 22mm. I do have the adapter shim to use that, but it'd be nice to find an actual 24mm seat post and clamp. I will buy a honey color Brooks from that eBay seller - $89 for a new shipped seat is pretty hard to beat!

I do have an aluminum Sakae dropbar set, and also a steel one that I can cut into some bullhorns. I am also considering this straight Nitto bar. Opinions on this are welcome.

I will have a single front brake - have a Weinmann 730 that was already on the bike that I cleaned up. Probably a single lever toward the middle, and a short cable is how I will set it up.

The last big decision I have is the wheelset. I found a set of Suzue / Akai 27" wheels with a Shimano free hub on CL for $15. But those free hubs can only be converted to fixed with a suicide hub. Not sure I want to go that route. So, I have looked around and the Weinmann DP18 for under $130 shipped seems like a good deal. Even if I buy a track hub, and pay someone to redish my 27" wheel, I am looking at $80. Add a track cog, and we're at $110. $20 more and I have a brand new set. Any other ideas on this?

Also, give me your ideas on wheel / tire colors. I don't like crazy colors - but I do want to play with the orange theme of the original decals. Maybe black wheels and brown tires? Silver wheels and white tires?

BTW, the PUG is between a 120mm and 126mm - so probably both sizes would work for the wheelset.

SS_Giant

I started with that frame, so best of luck to you finding an actual 24mm seatpost. by now you should know that they are pretty much custom made and or ebay'd in the dead of the night when no one is paying attention. go to your lbs, order a 22mm and use your shims/beer cans. it looks funky, but you can just tell people its french and they won't question.

get the DP18s from velomine (I did the same thing to covert to fixed). I would personally get them in silver, I am not a fan of matchy matchy vintage frames(unless your dead set on the orange then go for it, it is your bike after all).

oh and don't get white tires/bartape. trust me.

edit: I have pictures of it on my pedalroom if you want to see what a 22mm seat post looks like. swapped wheelsets and painted it though

Don't listen to negativity about your bike, if you like it, then go have a blast on it.

seau grateau

Make sure those cranks will work with your bottom bracket. And if they don't, get ready for more fun.

Kayce

You also do not have to have 27 inch wheels. There are lots of good front brakes that will reach to a 700c rim.

gregaz

Thanks, I believe I do have a 22mm post (yours looks perfectly fine) - so I can always go that route. Thanks for the tip on the wheels and the tape - probably polished silver with machined front and gumwall tires is the way I will go. I didn't mean I was considering orange wheels ... I meant I like the black / brown combo.

And don't worry - I have been on internet forums since 2007 (back when they were listservs), so I get that each forum has it's "feel" I can cut through that - and I have read very many helpful posts here, from very knowledgeable people, among the noise. Thus me posting.

They do - the ones that came off were similar looking Stronglights, but a two piece. The later PUG's had standard threading.

gregaz

You don't think my Weinmann 730's will reach? As I understand it, the difference is only about 4mm.

highonpez

By threading, do you mean square taper? Because if so, that's all that's gonna matter.


That bike is gonna look gooooood. It's nice having someone making their first fixed gear and the first question is not "what color should I paint the frame?" followed by arguing with every well-intentioned bit of advice given. Velomine.com is a great place to get a wheelset (unless you're already looking there) and yeah, it's only about 4mm, so if you have a 27" set laying around you can measure how much reach you have left.

gregaz

Yes, sorry ... I am a bike n00b - still don't have all the terms down. The BB is square, and the same size as the cranks, so I am pretty sure I am all good there.

Hahaha! I guess I just lucked out. I'm from Europe, so I was familiar with the Peugeot brand, but that's about all I knew going into this. When I discovered that these frames are perfect for conversions, I felt really lucky.

I did recently buy a stock 70's Puch that I am going to keep as a touring bike, it should be here in about a week or so. This is a slippery slope, isn't it?

Kayce

I love the old mid-level Puch's. They are really cool work horse bikes.

ianjk

Might have a 24mm or two sitting in my parent's barn. I'll try to remember to grab the calipers and take a measurement. Have a couple peugeots that I saved from the dump and used as winter beaters.

gregaz

I am really stoked to get it!

That would be AWESOME!!!! Especially if they come with the clip. And I did some Googling around, supposedly Mavic brakes (which came on some PUG's) have the longest reach.

europa

Nothing wrong with a shim on your seatpost - my Europa came with one and used it for the first 30 years of her working life.

gregaz

Still tracking down a seatpost. Had a few leads, but nothing has come through. I guess if worst comes to worst I can always go here, but that price BITES.

Another option - I have two nice-ish Akai wheels with Suzue hubs (27"). Would it be worth it to buy a vintage track hub, and have the rear wheel rebuilt as a fixed gear? It's currently a free wheel, pic below.

ThermionicScott 

Heh, fixed-gear conversions take a lot of trial-and-error even without "Frenchiness" in the picture. Props.

I'm glad I used a modern track hub for mine, as the 120mm width meant less futzing around with axle spacers than a freewheel hub (110mm). You'll want to keep an eye on your chainline.

highonpez

I don't think there's any real advantage to rebuilding an old 27" wheel. You can even get (new)high flange nowadays if that's your jam.

GENESTARWIND

if you want to run 27" just get a regular fixed/fixed sealed formula hub, lace it to your hoop and space it, or coldset your ends.

or buy sun m13 27" from velomine at 125. id think it would be cheaper if you picked up spokes and hub and relaced your hoop yourself but i cant lace a wheel/true so lol if you can perfect! , well i should say i havent laced and trued a wheel since dirt bike clinic at mmi over 5 years ago lol

i mean i have done it and found it quite irritating.

gregaz

So, I ended up getting 27" Sun CR18 in polished silver from VeloMine. That was their recommendation. I like the way they look - hopefully they ride even better. I even found a seat post and a clamp at my local coop (SCORE!!!), so I just about have everything I need!

Next question - I went down to the Tucson Bike Swap Meet and bought a Nitto 26mm straight bar for $20. But now I need a new stem. Any recommendations?

gregaz

So, the bike is more or less finished. Or at least running. I still have a few things to do - running on a post borrowed from another bike, and still not sure about the brake. But so far I am very happy with how it looks and rides.

Point4ska

That looks sexy as hell.

rex615

That turned out nice. Maybe some brown grips.

Lukester78

what did you end up doing for the rear hub?

gregaz

Thinking about it. Love the clean simple look as-is, but metal does get slippery. Suggestions?

Sun rims from Velo Mine come with Formula flip-flop hubs.

Lukester78

awesome, thanks. doing the same thing to an old panasonic bike i have over the summer. yours came out very nice

rex615

I am finishing up a bike and it has a brown leather seat so I think I want some brown grips, just haven't really found anything. Still searching.

Likewise if find something, please share it.

gregaz

I am doing a Peugeot mixte next (it won't be a fixie - sticking close to original on that one), and I am planning on going with cork grips (like these). Something to think about on these ...