lorica 

I bought this Peugeot mixte a few years ago. In looking at old catalog photos, it looks like it's UE18. It's a time machine that's had little use as you can see, The only defect is that the Delrin plastic clamp on the FD had snapped. It's time to replace the FD and ride or sell it. I'll likely put a Suntour Sprint on it but other suggestions are welcome. Any information on the model advice on value would be appreciated,

francophile 

Likely an '81 +/- 1yr, would know for sure based on the stamping under the BB, if existing, 2nd character would indicate year, i.e. Y2xxxxxxx or B2xxxxxxx would indicate an 82 year.

That said, I swear the "U" designation on mixtes was abandoned for "P" in the 80s, but may be wrong on that. This could be a PHE18 (E = extra, IIRC) for exact model, later to be replaced by the P18/P18C/P18L/PH18/etc..

Anyway, to the point. I bought a similar one in 2015 for $120 in very unridden shape, like yours. I sold to an extremely close friend of mine after fully overhauling for $180 as a present to his wife. That said, at that time (2016), I could've probably gotten close to $275-325 on it, easily. I suspect yours is sellable in the $225-275 range (edited - just saw the cottered crank) if fully serviced and ready to ride with fresh tires. Granted, mine was fully original which is why I felt I could get what I could.

Pics of mine, for comparison, first two as-bought, third pic the paint after correction, last two as-sold, all period-correct OEM-correct except the seat and grips:

zukahn1 

I would agree that it is a 80 or 81 UE18 or PHE18 considering the good condition there is a very good chance that it still has the model sticker on the bottom of the drive side chainstay. Very nice basic utility bike I would not change stuff on it just a full service new grease and bearings. I would also suggest getting some new kool stop brake pads since it has chrome rims which tend not to brake good.

francophile 

Kool stop is definitely cream of the crop. If you need something a bit more budget-friendly with good stopping power, the Jagwire X-caliper units are a good buy and are rated for use w/steel rims. You can buy 20 pairs (10 full sets) for less than 2 pairs of Kool Stop pads: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001GSSHKK

Or they have the X-calipers in 1-pair packs for $7, but it's not really as cost-effective to spend $14 on a full set (2 single pairs) when you can have 10 full sets for about the same price as 2 full sets bought individually.

lorica 

Thank you for the info and suggestions francophile and Zukahn1. I'll definitely upgrade the brake shoes along with new cables, bearing grease where needed and fresh lube. The chain cleaned up beautifully. It will be easy to get this bike in a like new condition.

Do you think it's worth getting a French FD to replace the broken Simplexe? I have a couple of nice Suntour FDs that would function well and that has been my plan.

zukahn1 

I would just go with the Suntour FD they work much better you may need to use a shim since the French tubing is about a mm smaller than JIS.

juvela

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keep in mind that the Maeda Spirt model front mech you mention works "backwards"' i.e. it is "top normal", the chain is on the large chainwheel when the lever is forward

this mech was not offered with a clamp intended for 28.0mm tubing

when supplied OEM on French bicycles it was fitted with a soft clear plastic shim affixed to the clamp with adhesive

this version with the shim was not offered to the public AFAIK

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3alarmer 

...I use Suntour derailleurs a my standard replacement for Simplex Delrin front derailleurs. They work well, and most of them have the stop I need for the cable housing that was the standard setup for Simplex. Maybe I've just been lucky, but the ones I've used have never required a shim for the metric tubing. No, I don't think you are doing anyone a favor by looking for a new Simplex front mechanism.

bikemig 

+ 1 on this. A Japanese front derailleur usually works fine on a French bike. Using electrical tape can help as well.