Help needed please.

[Steampig]

Hi guys, not sure if this is the right area so apologies if it isn't!

Ive recently acquired this bike and knowing nothing about them was looking for some advice, as you can see the saddle is well past its best as is the bar tape which looks like it needs replacing. everything else works really well and I rode it 6 miles home yesterday when I bought it.
Gears change well and very little noise from them, brake blocks on the back need changing but ive got some spares.
Wanted abit of advice an what bar tape to replace the old with and how best to clean the old girl up!
Cheers

 

[smokeysmoo]

Any bar tape you fancy will suffice TBH.

Baby wipes are great for all round cleaning, and metal polish will shine up the, er, metal bits.

Personally I'd strip it down to bare frame, clean everything up nice and bonny and rebuild it greasing accordingly as you go.

These old bikes can be a pain to work on if you get seized threads etc, but a bit of patience and some penetrating fluid usually does the trick.

You might find the seatpost is seized in, but fingers crossed it's not as that can be a total b@stard to sort out.

FYI, I'd keep any spend low as these were a low end bike in their day and won't be worth much even minted up, but cleaned up sympathetically they make great run arounds.

Be warned though, the resto bug can be very addictive, and can easily become a costly process, just trust me on that one

 

[Steampig]

Any bar tape you fancy will suffice TBH.

Baby wipes are great for all round cleaning, and metal polish will shine up the, er, metal bits.

Personally I'd strip it down to bare frame, clean everything up nice and bonny and rebuild it greasing accordingly as you go.

These old bikes can be a pain to work on if you get seized threads etc, but a bit of patience and some penetrating fluid usually does the trick.

You might find the seatpost is seized in, but fingers crossed it's not as that can be a total b@stard to sort out.

FYI, I'd keep any spend low as these were a low end bike in their day and won't be worth much even minted up, but cleaned up sympathetically they make great run arounds.

Be warned though, the resto bug can be very addictive, and can easily become a costly process, just trust me on that one

Cheers smokey.
Id like to try replace the saddle like for like (ish) I know bar tape doesn't cost a great deal and as I paid £15 for her in the first place I don't mind spending a little bit bringing her back to something like former (non)glory!

 

[Cycleops]

Congrats on getting the bike. It is budget model but should give sterling service. It is about twenty years old. Probably just needs some basic maintainance. Check the spokes, are they tight and do the rims run true? I suspect they are chrome so be aware they won't work in the wet! Special blocks will sort that. Check the BB for wear by wiggling the cranks from side to side, just slight movement is OK. Also check the head bearings by holding the front brake on and pushing back and forth. Might be worth buying some cone spanners and re greasing the bearings in the hubs. Hope you are a practical person! The frame looks in good condition so just clean it with T cut or similar. As for bar tape just get a good one that takes your fancy. If you are interested check out mytenspeeds.com for some info on restoring old pugs. Good luck.

 

[smokeysmoo]

I'd like to try replace the saddle like for like (ish) I know bar tape doesn't cost a great deal and as I paid £15 for her in the first place I don't mind spending a little bit bringing her back to something like former (non)glory!

You could try a wanted as in the classifieds HERE. I'm sure someone will have something similar lying around, whether or not they can remember/find it is another matter.

Or ebay can be good for older bike parts as well. There's usually someone selling an older part after replacing it with a newer one, just got to keep checking and keep your eyes peeled.

 

[Steampig]

Congrats on getting the bike. It is budget model but should give sterling service. It is about twenty years old. Probably just needs some basic maintainance. Check the spokes, are they tight and do the rims run true? I suspect they are chrome so be aware they won't work in the wet! Special blocks will sort that. Check the BB for wear by wiggling the cranks from side to side, just slight movement is OK. Also check the head bearings by holding the front brake on and pushing back and forth. Might be worth buying some cone spanners and re greasing the bearings in the hubs. Hope you are a practical person! The frame looks in good condition so just clean it with T cut or similar. As for bar tape just get a good one that takes your fancy. If you are interested check out mytenspeeds.com for some info on restoring old pugs. Good luck.

Thanks for the advice Cycleops, I might just give mytenspeeds a look. im not so bad with the two roadies ive got now but they are both under 3 years old, not sure why this just seems abit daunting! no idea about the running gear etc. im sure ill find out along the way.
Didn't pay much for her and as shes worth nowt im not too scared of messing up! time to get dirty!!!

 

[Steampig]

can somebody advise me on what tools ill need to remove the cranks and bottom bracket and also wheel hubs. not something ive done on my other bikes. everything else I all ready have.
Also the wheels seem ok but have been painted in some horrible black paint! can this be stripped with paint stripper?
Wanting to keep spends low as its not worth anything and im doing it for myself not to make money.

http://s1363.photobucket.com/user/liammarshy1979/library/Peugeot?sort=3&page=1

 

[tyred]

You will need a puller to remove the square taper crank - something like this

There will be a stud or possibly a nut underneath the cover, remove this (14 or 15mm socket required) and remove any washers fitted, clean the outer threads and thread in the remover as far as it goes.

The cheakskate method or method to use if the threads are damaged on the cranks is to loosen the studs a little and go for a ride up a steep hill and the force will remove them.

It's probably a standard cup and cone bottom bracket. There are tools available but you can get by with a hammer, an old flat screwdriver or small blunt chisel and a centre punch. A pipe wrench can also come in useful.
Remove the lockring and unscrew the adjustable cup (standard thread) and if you want to or are intending to replace the bb, the non-adjustable cup will also have to come out (I wouldn't bother for just cleaning purposes). This will have a left hand thread so unscrews in a clockwise direction. Use whatever you can find to get a grip on it or put a 5/8" bolt through the hole and tighten it so that ti grips the cup and unscrews it. Be warned, the non- adjustable cup is often very tight.

As it's a Peugeot, it will have a high quality Stronglight bottom bracket and I wouldn't bother to replace it unless it's already worn out.

For the hubs, you will need cone spanners which are just like ordinary open ended spanners but much thinner. Most common ones will fit a variety of sizes. Sheldon Brown's website has an excellent guide to rebuilding cup and cone hubs. You should normally be able to get away without unscrewing the freewheel block on the back, but if you do need to, you need a tool to fit (they differ depending on the brand of block), or dismantle it and grip the housing in a bench vice.

One thing to watch for - check the axle of the back wheel isn't bent as it does happen. For a Maillard hub which is what I expect you have, it will require a 10 x 1mm axle in the appropriate width. They are cheap enough.

 

[Steampig]

You will need a puller to remove the square taper crank - something like this

There will be a stud or possibly a nut underneath the cover, remove this (14 or 15mm socket required) and remove any washers fitted, clean the outer threads and thread in the remover as far as it goes.

The cheakskate method or method to use if the threads are damaged on the cranks is to loosen the studs a little and go for a ride up a steep hill and the force will remove them.

It's probably a standard cup and cone bottom bracket. There are tools available but you can get by with a hammer, an old flat screwdriver or small blunt chisel and a centre punch. A pipe wrench can also come in useful.
Remove the lockring and unscrew the adjustable cup (standard thread) and if you want to or are intending to replace the bb, the non-adjustable cup will also have to come out (I wouldn't bother for just cleaning purposes). This will have a left hand thread so unscrews in a clockwise direction. Use whatever you can find to get a grip on it or put a 5/8" bolt through the hole and tighten it so that ti grips the cup and unscrews it. Be warned, the non- adjustable cup is often very tight.

As it's a Peugeot, it will have a high quality Stronglight bottom bracket and I wouldn't bother to replace it unless it's already worn out.

For the hubs, you will need cone spanners which are just like ordinary open ended spanners but much thinner. Most common ones will fit a variety of sizes. Sheldon Brown's website has an excellent guide to rebuilding cup and cone hubs. You should normally be able to get away without unscrewing the freewheel block on the back, but if you do need to, you need a tool to fit (they differ depending on the brand of block), or dismantle it and grip the housing in a bench vice.

One thing to watch for - check the axle of the back wheel isn't bent as it does happen. For a Maillard hub which is what I expect you have, it will require a 10 x 1mm axle in the appropriate width. They are cheap enough.

Looks like the wheels need replacing! the goon who had it before painted them black and both inertubes have been painted into place! both wheels under further inspection are misshaped and very well worn! spokes are also painted into the rims making it difficult to do anything with. cassette also weaves from side to side when wheel spins? going to have to try get that off and see if its worth saving.

everything else seems to be ok and can/has been cleaned and sorted.

few little rust spots on the frame and quite a few on the forks. frame is a pearl type colour, any tips on what to do with the rust spots? really don't want a re spray?

also cheapish 6sp wheelset needed, again any ideas?

 

[tyred]

Looks like the wheels need replacing! the goon who had it before painted them black and both inertubes have been painted into place! both wheels under further inspection are misshaped and very well worn! spokes are also painted into the rims making it difficult to do anything with. cassette also weaves from side to side when wheel spins? going to have to try get that off and see if its worth saving.

everything else seems to be ok and can/has been cleaned and sorted.

few little rust spots on the frame and quite a few on the forks. frame is a pearl type colour, any tips on what to do with the rust spots? really don't want a re spray?

also cheapish 6sp wheelset needed, again any ideas?

Depends on what you are planning on using it for. You should be able to buy a budget wheelset from ebay in either 27" or 700c depending on what is currently fitted for around £50. It will have Weinmann rims and Quando hubs and they are fine in service for normal day to day riding. The tip is to put extra grease in the hub bearings and adjust the cones correctly as they don't seem to do so at the factory. Just make sure you get a hub for a traditional screw on freewheel block and not a modern cassette hub which is different and you will need to bend the frame to fit it.

Most freewheel blocks have a little side to side movement. It can be adjusted out in some cases (look on the face of the block and you will see two holes for a pin spanner to adjust the bearing race. It tightens anti-clockwise but don't overdo it and dribble in some oil into it as well. If you really want to, unscrew it clockwise and take it apart and remove one of the shims and build with fresh grease. Not too difficult but fiddly and don't drop the pawls/springs or lose any of the ballbearings) but it won't have too much effect in reality. If you do replace the freewheel, you will also almost certainly need a new chain as a worn chain won't mesh with the new freewheel.

If it's only small rust specs, give the frame a good going over with T-cut or similar and then polish with a good wax car polish. You'll be surprised how well it will look.

If you are replacing the wheels, look carefully at the hubs in the existing ones. If they are Maillard/Sachs as I suspect they might be and are in useable condition, cut them out of the wheels and sell on Ebay. They seem to be getting valuable.

 

[Gravity Aided]

If the cups and cone in the hubs are still good, they are worth some coin, as some folks have ridden their maillards to dust over the years. I would probably suggest new wheels as well. May improve performance and reliability greatly. You'll find, I think, that HLE is a very special alloy, indeed. Peugeot give good value for money in their bicycles. I think you will find this a very likable bicycle for a general purpose sort of riding .

 

[biggs682]

these old pugs are great machines , and have a good following . i have a couple of plastic (no padding at all) saddles from same era but both black if any good to you @Steampig