hubgrub

Picked up my first bike. Found a Peugeot Triathlon that seemed to be in good shape from craigslist. I looked around and figure it's a model from 1987. Seems to be completely original, with nothing replaced. The frame is Ishiwata EX 4130 Triple Butted Crome moly.

When I got it home, I noticed a bit of rust and possible corrosion on one part of the lower triangle. You can sort of see it in one of the photos below. No cracking, but the hole itself seems to be corroding a bit. Will this be much of an issue?

I plan on possibly converting it to a single speed for commuting. I was reading some of the Peugeot bikes are a pain because of french threading. Mine is made in Canada, and appears to be late 80's. Will I run into these issues?

Still new, and don't know much, but wanted to pick up something to get going now. Hopefully I didn't make a mistake.

Thanks, here are some photos (bad quality, I apologize).




(hole with rust, and some white corrosion on the inside)

RobbieTunes

That is a potential gem, and welcome to the forum.

That model should have no problems with the French issues.

I've been maintaining an '86 for a few years now, and it's pretty much all standard stuff, so I'll predict it's English-threaded and "normal."

I've never seen one with those graphics, and I think it's super-cool. Canada-made? Could be by Marinoni; I'm sure someone will chime in.
Done right, that could be a heck of a bike. Converting it to single-speed would be your choice, but a shame, with those nice 105 components.
Those hoods will clean up well, and the frame will, too. Really, a chance to restore a really nice bike.

eschlwc

are you talking about the hole in the little bridge that connects the chain stays right behind the bottom bracket shell? i would put some naval jelly around it for five minutes, then wipe it clean. you might do this on the bottom of the frame first to ensure it won't goof the paint. if you overhaul the bike completely, that would be your best chance to spray some boeshield in the tubing and tip the bike all around allowing the protectant to coat the steel and help prevent any further rusting.

if there's rust there, you're likely to have more in the inside of the bb shell that you can clean with wd-40 and a brush or scouring pad.

markk900

Ding! I believe these were made by the Procycle group in Quebec - they are still around but no longer make some of the older brands.
@hubgrub - that's a nice find and I agree with @RobbieTunes that it will clean up really nicely and be a fun ride.

Torchy McFlux

Yeah, they were built by ProCycle back then. Nothing to do with Marinoni, who were a small independent pro-quality hand-built frame shop at the time.
That bike is in great shape. Looks very low mileage. The little rust there isn't something to worry about too much, IMO. A squirt of oil and rub with a rag will help keep it from getting out of hand.

20grit

That seatpost looks slammed. Make sure it's not stuck in that position.

JamesRL

If you are going to throw those parts away....

I bought a late 80s Peugeot for my then GF(now my ex wife). It was pretty much the same as a Norco, which ProCycle also made, so you won't have issues with french threading.

I like the graphics.

Personally, I'd not do the conversion.

Lascauxcaveman 

Cool bike. My mid-80s Canadian peugeot is all English threaded; yours should be too.

Be a shame to throw away all that nice running gear just so the world can see another silly single speed bike. When I made mine, I started with a much lesser bike.

WNG

Welcome to the C&V Forum! And thanks for sharing your cool find. Not often do we get to see a French-Canadian Peugeot. And this one is a nice one, cool finish. And check out the quirky Peugeot touches....the bottom cable housing guides, the use of a normal/standard reach nutted rear caliper. This is the first time I've seen a 1050 series 105 side pull that's nutted and not a short reach version.

It's your ride and you can do as you please with it. It will make a very good single speed commuter, but it'll make an even better geared road bike commuter. You have an excellent performing tier-3 Shimano group. SIS, SLR brakes, and I'll assume you have the 105 Uniglide freehub too.
With that tubeset, it should be a light and agile bike.
It will definitely turn heads in any group ride. Spend some time with the present set up, I bet you're going to love the performance.

hubgrub

Thanks for all the information everyone. Feeling better about the purchase now to say the least.

I guess I will try and restore it/clean it up instead of converting it to single speed.

What would be the best way to clean up some of the tiny rust spots on the frame? Is there any videos/articles I could check out for really cleaning up the bicycle?

I will also look into the Naval Jelly as suggested to take care of the corrosion/rust in the bottom photo. If anyone else has suggestions on what to do with that area please let me know.

I really am a complete beginner when it comes to this stuff.

eschlwc

for tiny rust spots on frame, clean them as well as you can with whatever* and then use nail polish or enamel (like that packaged for model toys) to spot fill the paint. you can use a clear application or a color match.

* whatever = naval jelly, wd-40, elbow grease, steel wool, whatever you see fit to use in order to prevent further damage and protect paint in surrounding areas. cleaning and waxing the frame afterwards helps in multiple ways.

Clang

I'd encourage you to give the 105 group a fair shot. I recently got a similar bike (full 1987 Shimano 105, triple butted 4130 Cr Mo, unicrown fork). It's a missile.

I'd also love to see some more photos taken in better light. I'm lovin' the paint job on your Peugeot.

jimmuller 

Very cool. You find a cool bike like that, you should try to keep it whole!

hubgrub

Thanks again for the help guys. I took it for a spin tonight. I have not rode a bicycle in about 14 years, and I have never gone so fast in my life. I felt a bit wobbly, but I will get it down eventually (never once used a road bike before).

I need to get used to downtube shifting. I also took the bike to my LBS, and got new pedals. They are heavy, and not really good, but are platform pedals which will allow me to get used to riding again. I will eventually replace them with the original rat trap pedals, and maybe clipless one day.

The guy at the LBS found a couple issues with the front tire and rim, but said I should be ok for a little while, but should think about replacing at least the tire sometimes soon.

I will try and get some new ones in the next day or so.

eschlwc

panaracer pasela tires are a great value and come in a gum sidewall. they're fan favorites in c&v. amazon sells them for $40ish/pair. they come with kevlar flat protection, called 'tourguard,' for $5 or so more -- well worth it.

Bledfor Days

That is a sweet looking bike. Have a look at Shimano M-324 pedals. They're SPD clip-on one side and platform on the other. i have them on a couple of my bikes and swap them around frequently. Being clipped in gives me at least a 20% increase in performance. I'm old and fat and clip in on exercise bikes.

hubgrub

I will check out those pedals for sure.

In terms of tires, mine are 700c, but when I look them up, I see things like 700c X 32, 700c X 28. I assume the smaller number is the width? If so, what is a good, standard one to go with? Will they all work on 700c rims?

eschlwc

the bike probably came with 23mm tires originally and will probably support a 28mm tire.

i only buy 23mm tires, 'cause i like to go fast and they 'feel' fastest to me, but the choice is dictated by rims size, road conditions and riding style.

many tires feel hard, but paselas, even in size 23mm, feel cushy and grippy.

you must keep at least 100psi in them at all times.

leecycle

Yes, all 700 tires will fit on your rims and the other number is the section width. I suggest you get 28mm wide tires, as I don't think your frame has enough clearance for anything wider.

David Newton

Great bike.
Single speed bikes aren't "silly" they are a practical option for simplified riding, based on your home terrain.
If the land you'll be riding is flat, single speed is the way to go, removing all the heavy bits that need shifting, wear, get dirty, and take extra care & adjustment. You should save the twiddly parts in a box, not throw them away.

WNG

Your bike was designed for sporting road/race usage. Therefore, it uses the narrower tires, not the wider ones mostly found on hybrids.
Narrow means less rolling resistance and weight, but more harsh a ride and less load capacity and more fragility.
Wider gives a more compliant ride due to the larger diameter and more air volume.

You can use a width up to 28mm for this bike from the photos. Since it's a commuter, that's what I recommend. Especially if you are getting back into cycling and familiarizing yourself with the controls.
28mm will be more comfortable, still be sporting, handle poor roads better and take more of a beating. Plus, the wider tire will allow you to venture off pavement and onto packed dirt and small stone trails.