Rode a Vintage Peugeot today

[Hip Priest]

For the first time, I got to try a road bike that wasn't my own! Took my father-in-law's old racing Peugeot for a few laps of the village. Quill stem, down-shifters, toe-clips...etc

There was a clear absence of 'easy' gears, which made me question my fitness, but on the plus side, I found it much more comfortable in the drops than on my own bike.

I didn't go far because I was wearing normal clothes, but I felt very cool and very French. Bonjour!

 

[mrandmrspoves]

They made some lovely bikes back in the 70's and 80's. I had a Chamonix that I bought in 1985. I gave it to a friend earlier this year. Apart from tyres, brake pads, a couple of chains a near rear cluster and bar tape, it was completely original. I recently changed the QR axle on rhetoric rear wheel and put new bearings in the bottom bracket foe him - that bike is still a lovely bike!

 

[Firestorm]

Ive got one!

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I'd love to switch the shitty Claud butler frame on my single speed for a lovely old pug frame.

 

[RWright]

When I first started riding again I was given a Peugeot Record du Monde(at least that is what the decal on it says) and a Raleigh...what looks like a Sports DL22 but I am not sure.

I just did some brief searching online but I think they are both from the 70's. They are both fun to ride but the Peugeot is just too big for me. It is really smooth riding for a drop bar bike, I sure wish it was just a little smaller. The Raleigh is what I sometimes use as my rain bike since it is the only bike I have with fenders on it. It also has a Sturmey-Archer three speed.

After seeing the cool bikes on the vintage section of the forums I might try to clean them up some and take better care of them. I already broke and maybe lost one small part on the Peugeot.

 

[sidevalve]

Not really so bad in the "old days" was it ? {GRRR, Kids these days, don't know their born, now in my day, mumble mumble}.

 

[nathanicola]

Love the old steel frame bikes. Just been given one, trying to buy some second hand wheels at the moment on the bay as mine are rusty but i cant make up my mind as to wether or not to respray the frame of keep original. Can't belive how much different they feel to ride from a carbon bike. The wife doesn't get it, why i'm riding round on it with a 2k bike in the shed.

 

[biggs682]

picked up a 531 Main framed one yesterday always wanted a Reynolds framed Pug since childhood just hope when i get to ride it , it lives up to my expectations . ridden many a std Pug and they make great solid commuting machines .

and lets not forget steel is real

 

[Boris Bajic]

Aren't they lovely!

I rode (owned) several Peugeot road bikes in the 80s (fairly budget models, but still nice).

The only steel frame I now have is a Claud Butler Criterium from around 1991, changed to fixed-gear.

I do like to ride on good steel frames.

What I do not miss are downtube-mounted levers. They were fantastic when we didn't know things could be better.... That's the nicest thing i can say about them.

 

[Davidc]

I had a Pug from 1976 to 1996, and it sounds similar to Hip Priest's.

It was a lovely bike, and the only things I changed on it in 20 years were the saddle, the freewheel block (from a 5 to a 6) , a smaller small chainwheel, and the wheels (from steel rimmed to alloy rimmed). I did over 250,000 miles on it and in the end the sea water spray it had been out in 3 or 4 days a week in Brighton for 7 years got it.

Not the best bike I ever had but very good and the longest serving. Little original equipment on it by the end!

 

[RWright]

Aren't they lovely!

I rode (owned) several Peugeot road bikes in the 80s (fairly budget models, but still nice).

The only steel frame I now have is a Claud Butler Criterium from around 1991, changed to fixed-gear.

I do like to ride on good steel frames.

What I do not miss are downtube-mounted levers. They were fantastic when we didn't know things could be better.... That's the nicest thing i can say about them.

Agree on the downtube shifters, they leave a lot to be desired.

 

[sidevalve]

Agree on the downtube shifters, they leave a lot to be desired.

Using downtube shifters now and don't really see a problem, unless you are going back to the pre indexed days [which could be a bit of a pain]. A very fast direct change with almost nothing to go wrong, less pivots to wear, less cable to stretch and usually if the indexing failed you could always switch back to friction to get home.

 

[mrandmrspoves]

Despite having Tiara shifters on 2 of my bicycles, I still frequently find my hand has gone instinctively to the downtube to change gear.

 

[Milo]

I find down tubes fine and prefer to use them on friction tbh. although I am still on 7 speed. I would imagine it would be tricky with 9 speed and up to shift accurately.

 

[youngoldbloke]

Here is my Peugeot 525 Comp - 1992 vintage. Biopace rings replaced with Stronglight, cassette replaced, new brake levers (and tape!) and saddle, tyres, and Crud Mk2s. Otherwise as bought new. Used as my bad weather/winter bike until very recently. And downtube shifters are no problem at all