My Old Peugeot Bike - what was it??

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Hi all

When I was about 13 or 14 - i.e. 1973/4 my Dad said he would upgrade my bike from the old Raleigh Elite (total rubbish - Sturmy Archer 3 speed hub and weighed about the same as a main battle tank) as long as I agreed that it would be a combined Christmas and birthday present

Of course I agreed

We went to a local(ish) bike shop (Alec Green on the Wirral if anyone knows it) - we were well know there as they also sold 'N' gauge model railway - my other passions. Looked at some bikes and he said he had something new.
He pulled out this Peugeot bike - steel frame (normal at the time) dropped bars full mudguards made from chromed steel (I think) and a narrow rear rack with a bungy cord to hold stuff down

I think it was purple - but I could be wrong - something like that

10 speed - 5 on the rear hub and 2 on the front
PROPER gear shift on the frame - the sort where you find the gear using 'The Force' - or black magic probably) and non of this namby pamby modern indexing stuff
Normal (at the time) horizontal cross bar - not angled down - like some I have seen on the WWW

I remember him saying that Peugeot had only just started bringing bikes into the country and hence he knew very little about this bike - but they had a good rep abroad
What he meant by that I don't know - maybe he meant this was the first 'normal people' bike from them - or maybe he was literally correct - dunno

Anyway - it was about £50 (when £50 was £50!!) and I had never even heard of a bike with 10 gears - I was insanely jealous of people with 5 speed derailleur - never mind 10 gears


Clearly we got it

$deity knows how many miles I did wandering around on it - I could get it up any hill I found and followed any track or path that appeared
Many years later my Dad asked me about where I had gone on it - he was rather shocked to find that instead of the 10 miles or so that they thought I might have gone - I was WAY further away than that!!!

I loved it - My body basically grew to fit the bike - especially the leather saddle
Then some toe rag nicked it from my garage one night

Anyway - enough of the History

I was wondering if anyone has any idea what the actual bike was in terms of model and stuff

I'm sure I found a picture of it on the WWW a few years ago - but it would be nice to know the details
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
Nice story. Could have been one of many. Have a Wade through this 1973 UK catalogue and see if you recognise it:
https://www.bikeboompeugeot.com/Brochures UK/Peugeot 1973 UK Brochure/Peugeot_1973_UK_Brochure.htm
 

si_c

Guru
Location
Wirral
I had a 1973 Peugeot AE8 as shown in this picture below. It came with a mudguards and rack (both stainless steel I think) which bolted together to give a single structure with the mudguards being held up by the rack.

I decided that I didn't like the rack and as it helped support the mudguards I took them off too.

IMAG0178.jpg


Mostly used as a commuting bike for a couple of years before being passed off to a friend who wanted something suitable for a fixed gear conversion and as it was a little too small a frame for me I offered it to him.
 
OP
OP
E
Location
Z’ha’dum
Thanks to all - I will have to go through them all

I know mine didn't have integral lights which eliminates a few
And looking at them - it also only had bar tape up to the brake levers

Problem is that I am working off a very clear image in my mind - but the mind can be tricksy !!!!
 
OP
OP
E
Location
Z’ha’dum
After looking through the old catalogues I think it was an AE8

seems to comply with my memory - it would probably kill me to try to ride it on the drops nowadays - but I'm very tempted to get one if it appears somewhere!!!
 
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