RALEIGH_COMP 

Yep that's definitely the original color, I owned a grand sport deluxe before in the same color too.

Yes sir that's a cottered triple. "Durax" is the manufacturer, I'm not sure if its supposed to be a TA copy but it sure does look similar.

And special thanks to francophile for help with replacement cotters and a replacement simplex plastic levers! BF C&V is the best community!

Chombi1 

Definitely a 1982 model, based on the frame's graphics. Most of their bikes back then, came in this blue color or in pearl white.
That looks like a Stronlight 104 crankset. You can mod that up to be a Stringlight 104bis model by changing out the chainrings to the drilled version that Stronglight made for the crankset. It will vastly improves the looks of the crank and will definitely add to the classic flavor of the bike.

jimmuller 

Thanks for the note. I think I believe I remember that this was sold to me as an '83 but if you are sure it is '82 I will change my bike list to reflect that.

You can't see it on the black chainring in that pic but that is a 104BIS ring.

I found the frame and almost all the components, including the uber-unusual SJA222 FD, all within a few hours. I had a pair of black pedals (not French though) and thought they'd go well with the black ring, just a little vanity customization. The SJA222 is unusual in that the mounting screw goes directly into the ST.

Another feature I was delighted to find. They work well.


Additional trivial details - When I got this frame (fairly cheap) the fork blades weren't matched well. It happens to be one of the bikes I did a fork resonance study on a few years ago and its resonance was decidedly wonky though the bike rode well. So I took the fork to Peter Mooney to straighten. He observed the weld seam along the back of the blades and commented "Made with passion, not precision!" But he did a nice job getting the DO's to match and the wheel to line up straight. The fork resonance after that looked much better, more consistent and in character much like my other good bikes. FWIW, it rides like a dream.

classic8tubes

here is my 1994 Castorama Maxi Sports in almost original team specification.

classic8tubes

and some older ones
Bernard Carre for cycles Laurent (bikeshop in Paris)






Daniel Cattin Randonneur, fillet brazed with 100% japanese parts (original)
D.Cattin ist still building Bikes but he is not very well know out of france



D. Cattin Randonneur

classic8tubes

Bernard Carre Randonneuse

classic8tubes

Alain Michel, reynolds 531.
has been converted to cable routing inside the toptube by A. Singer bikeshop in Paris, thats why it's wearing Alex Singer Decals.
built up with campy nuovo record derailleurs,brakes, headset and seatpost. Simplex shifters and Pelissier 2000 HF hubs laced into Super Champion Arc-en-Ciel rims (28h)

due ruote 

Wow, stunning group of bikes. That fillet brazed one is amazing. Very organic.

ultrarider7

Chombi1 

Now I see the drillium on the big ring!
The SJA222 French braze on mount FD is cool, because of it's clean, minimalist mounting style, but at the same time disappointing, because it's the only French brazed on mount FD that Simplex made and they skimped on the construction, being that it is mostly made from stamped and folded metal plates. They combined this FD with even their top of the line RDs, if the bike had a brazed on boss for the FD. You would think that Simplex might have made an SLJ version of the FD with more sophisticated construction, but nooooo!...
I remember seeing the SJA222s even on some Gitane team bikes that Fignon LeMond and Hinault rode in the TDF, so at least, the big pros liked them enough.

Hproduguidon

Motobécane 1983 vélover

Krov9

That would make you the coolest kid in a 80's Parisian suburb!

Here's my humble project


198x (?) Mercier mixte, 51 cm

What components should I outfit it with?

I also have the original fork if you wonder, trying to find a replacement for the "map logo" forkblade decals

jimmuller 

Well, now I'm feeling ambiguous, or ambivalent, or ambidextrous or something. Uncertain at least. I looked at the USA catalogs in bikeboompeugeot.com (I am forever grateful for people who maintain online catalogs) and the '83 shows what appears to be this color scheme and graphics for the PFN10. The 1982 catalog has seemingly different DT lettering and pearly paint, though you did mention that they used either pearl or that silver blue. But to judge from the pics and the stated specs neither year had the bis crank. Of course the catalog might not be all that accurate.

Today's ride was on a different French bike. When I first found this frame I had a devil of a time identifying it. It matched nothing perfectly. The wrap-around seat stays and a few other details matched the '74 Champion Team. Some details like the dark blue color (Night Blue?) suggested '82 or later. The DT lettering is a near-but-not-quite-original font and the letters are not a decal but individually stenciled. That suggests a careful repaint to match a newer model. There was not a hint of orange anywhere. The chrome on the fork suggested earlier than '82. The wheels were claimed to be what was on the frame when it was sold by the original owner and then parted out. The front wheel wheel could have been from a '74 Champion Team. The rear rim was a Nisi from what could have been an '82, not produced as early as '74, but the wheel was built with plated spokes of the original gauge (2.0x1.7x2.0mm) instead of stainless. That indicates a preference for performance but on a budget. Both hubs match a '74 Champion Team. The pin striping on the fork would have been from the 70's, not the no-chrome Night Blue '82 fork. Or course I couldn't see all of this before bidding on the frame on eBay, but it was a local seller and I could avoid shipping charges. So I took a chance on it. That's when I found that the fork was out of alignment, easily fixed by a local frame builder. When I took the hub apart I found '74 date codes. Everything else, like the American flag decal and the sticker where it had been registered with the local police department, pointed to the bike having been lovingly cared for and possibly raced. Then he had a crash around '82, had the frame painted (with great attention to detail) to match the then new '82 factory color, and the crunched rear wheel rebuilt but on a budget. So the circumstantial evidence is that it is a '74 Champion Team. But we will never know or sure. I built it up with mostly French components and of course sewup tires. I rode it for my second century.

From today's ride, definitely not a century:

MarkinOz

Went and had a look at this frame as I still wasn’t sure on the “model id”. The groupset has been heavily modified running an interesting mix of 105, Ultegra and DA parts!
The BB serial number shows Y1054437. The fastback seat stays say 1991 to me as I don’t think they had evolved as a design feature in 1981?? Thoughts on this one appreciated.

styggno1

Sorry for cross posting this bike today but I believe with the new wheels this Méral Super Randonneur needs to meet its French relatives again.

mountaindave 

Wow, that is one super randonneuse! I’ve never seen a low rider rack attached to the rear, that’s genius! (If you’ve got the mid-stay braze on.)

Jon T

'84 PH10LE. Bought it brand new.

styggno1

Thank you! The racks/panniers are Blackburn and I made my own rear lowrider out of a front version for bikes without brazed brackets - using only one straight chromemoly rod (the diagonal in the picture below) as "extra" nothing else is modyfied. Has worked perfectly over the years. The mounting brackets on the frame are original. At the time I did not buy the original Méral racks - because I liked the looks of Blackburn better. Today I would of course have bought the Méral chrome racks just to have the originals for the bike. But this was in the 80ies...

mountaindave 

Brilliant triangulation!

rmfrance

In fact, PF10s had tubulars (boyaux) and PFN10s had clinchers - the 'N' denoting 'normale'.
Nice bikes! I have an '81 PF10, with wheels for both tubulars and clinchers (as below). They ride really well, particularly on tubulars, obviously.

Hproduguidon

styggno1

That seatpost is heading for a disaster! Please check the limit line on the seatpost - before an accident happens.

Hproduguidon

hello yes thank you I know about the seat post, the picture was taken as I got it when I bought it

styggno1

Good to hear as that really looks dangerous for both cyclist and frame.

1simplexnut

Greetings from across the ditch ! :-)
Dont recall seeing a pug with top tube cable guides like that ?
In saying that my interest in peugeots runs out in the late 1980s .
Also a lot of odd stuff made all over the world that was "different"
Saw a South African made Peugeot recently with Tange tube set .
Was there a brand on the dropouts ?
All good fun . Looks like a nice frame .