bikerosity57

whatever you do, don’t strip and repaint it! It’ll clean up beautifully. Isn’t that a Reg Harris decal?

gaucho777 

Well, I literally just saved this one from the dump. I was driving to the post office a couple of hours ago to do some last-minute holiday shipping, and spotted this in a curbside trash pile a couple of blocks from my house. Funny how a 531 sticker jumps out from your peripheral vision. Figuring it's late-70s and a step or two below a PX10. Anyone have advice for pegging down the exact year/model? @verktyg ? Maybe '76 PR10?







Who throws something like this in the trash?! (Answer: Wives and landlords )

rustystrings61 

PR-10, 1975-78 or so, and odds are there will be a date code on the rear derailleur or somewhere else. NICE save!

verktyg 

Good eye! Usually find these kinds of gems at the end of the school year at UCB (and colleges around the country). Also at the end of the calendar year like now.

As many students graduate and leave town for parts unknown they abandon the steel steed they used while attending school. In their dreams, a BMW awaits them.

This year with all of the COVID-19 restrictions, many apartments sat empty. Now is the time when landlords and property managers are cleaning them out with hopes of future rentals in the coming year so there are probably a lot more bikes suffering the same fate.

It must have just been put out on the curb and/or located some distance from the homeless encampments around town. Otherwise it probably would have been grabbed and stashed under one of the I80 overpasses.

Now to the bike: It's a 1975-77 56cm Peugeot PR-10L with the 3 main tubes made of butted Reynolds 531. The forks and stays are made of the standard Peugeot seamed tubing. While 56cm (22") isn't listed US catalogs from that period PR-10 bikes were produced in 52cm to 64cm.

The Simplex Criterium rear derailleur has been replaced with a rare direct mount long arm Simplex Maxi-Prestige with a 13-30T sprocket capacity. The standard but rare Simplex Maxi-Prestige RDs had a non-interchangeable "claw" attachment.





The shift levers were changed to ratcheting stem mounted Suntour Power levers.

THE STEM IS WAY TOO HIGH! Check the quill and top of the steerer for any sign of cracking!!!

The Suicide Brake Extentions may have been an aftermarket addition to the MAFAC levers. MAFAC had their own version which were much safer.

With a little cleanup, should be a nice riding bike. That oversize front tire looks like it will have a lot of pedal overlap.

The saddle is an Ideale 80 "bacalao" dried codfish model:



They are either hard as plywood or have a sag that will make a proctologist cringe!

Solution, soak in water for a week, throw away the saddle and drink the juice!



Lastly... The Horror, the Horror... everything will have GAWD!!! metric threads except maybe the FW which could be inch that was forced onto a metric Normandy Luxe Competition hub. Hopefully the cones in those hubs are in good shape. They became unobtainium in the mid 70's.

verktyg from down the road

gaucho777 

@verktyg
Chas.,

Thanks so much for your detailed and helpful reply. Much appreciated!

I'm experienced in the arcane arts of French threading and metric tubing, equipped with a proper Stronglight crank puller to boot!

Interesting note about the Maxi-Prestige RD. I did notice and was surprised by the large FW range. Glad to have that 30t capacity in these parts.

You're right about the saddle. It looks worse in person. I've managed to bring some life back to other Ideale saddles, so we'll see if I can salvage this one.

I pulled the stem and saw no signs of cracking. Good thing, because it's a neat stem with a cool window revealing an AVA logo on the bars.



Thanks again.

-Cheers, Randy

verktyg 

Randy,

For some odd reason, Peugeot provided 52-45T chainrings on their performance models. The 7T difference doesn't provide 1/2 Step Gearing.

I have some 42T Stronglight chainrings. PM me if interested.

A 42T with what looks like a 14-34T FW will give you mo betta gears for the EB hills.

You can get smaller than 42T 122mm BCD inner chainrings for Stronglight cranks but they get "spendy". 40T - 38T -37T

verktyg

Barchettaman

I don’t want to be That Guy, but does the front wheel look a little close do the downtube on that blue Peugeot?

Or is it just the size of the tyre/ camera angle?

maybe just worth checking the front fork.

jaknudsen

I was going to ask the same thing.

shadoman

I think it's because the wheel is turned away from the camera, and the angle of the shot is slightly downwards.
Having more time on my hands than good sense, I opened the pic in photoshop and it' looks pretty darn straight there.

verktyg 

gaucho777

Looks like a 700 x 35c front tire. The standard tires for US model PR-10L bikes during those years were 27" x 1 1/4".

The is a little "wheel flop" that gives the appearance that the fork is bent back. Looks OK to me....

verktyg

asalt

That's some flea market hah.

brandenjs

I think this was a pretty good grab today. Not much luck with bikes in the thrift stores recently, but this was at a Goodwill for $30. 1993 Miyata Triple Cross. I found out why they probably donated it. The rear shifter was just freewheeling, but a little shot of WD40 on the paws and it works like new. should clean up nicely.

thumpism 

All from the same dumpster today. Gitane Grand Sport de Luxe mixte.


26" alloy QR 7-speed cassette wheels with Kenda Slicks.


Sturmey-Archer high flange alloy front hub on a 27 no name steel rim.

merziac

H**Y CRAP!

Nice score.

Kevin stafford

Found a Miyata 215 st mixte tourer at the local Goodwill today, first vintage find in months. I’ve never found a mixte tourer before, has spline triple butted frame with mangalloy fork, 3x6 Shimano light action indexed DT shifters, Dia Compe canti brakes, o.e. rear rack. Looks like it will clean up nicely.

J.Higgins 

^^^nice find^^^

Smokinapankake

My local thrift coughed up this step thru Schwinn:

Like new, so come spring time should sell pretty easily.

merziac

Paging @Korina

Nubra 

Those are actually really nice saddles and comfortable too. Great score. Real leather too!

rustystrings61 

A friend we helped get out of homelessness last year has furnished his apartment with stuff salvaged from dumpsters. He scored this c.2012 Trek Skye last week and passed it on to me last night. I think it needs a rear quick release skewer (I probably have one that will fit), a woman’s saddle (I know I have one of those on the shelf!) and general lubrication and adjustments to be a running bike again.

Nubra 

Is that an Ice Block clamp in the background, by the door? Haven't seen one of those in ages! Really nice bike too!

curbtender

Saw that also. My father delivered ice in Oakland. He had the ice tongs, a leather pad for his shoulder, a scale and a collection of ice picks.

brandenjs

Sure is. I got those from an auction a few months ago. I like old tools like that. You can see a Holland pipe vise sitting next to them. Heavy duty stuff.

mirfi

1980 German folder "Exclusiv"


Put air in the tires and rode it around. Missing front brake, rear fender and could use some tlc/grease.

3speedslow

The Folder sub Forum would love to see that in detail, or maybe it’s just me...