ehcoplex 

'72 650b conversion.

IdahoBrett 

I recently came into owning a 1977. Bought from the original owner. Originally I wanted a blue one, but was happy to find one in my size in black. The best part; it was local to me. My intention was a complete rehab before ever riding it. After getting it home and looking it over, the urge to make it rideable as is was overwhelming.

I replaced both RD jockey wheels and installed tires/tubes. (Yes the valve stems are stupid long. Probably why the ebay seller was selling them so cheap) My first ride was unlike any of my other bikes in every way. I can hardly wait until I give it a proper rehab. When I finish I plan to surprise the original owner with a visit.

BertoBerg 

Gorgeous! Love the black.

ascherer 

Can you say more? I'd love to hear it.

IdahoBrett 

It started with mountain bikes last summer. There’s a forum that preached “geometry, geometry, geometry”. Followed with “the old bikes do not compare with the new.”

I quickly moved on to “older” road bikes. First aluminum then steel. Again”geometry, geometry, geometry.” After tinkering on a few bikes. Yes, new probably have better components.

I’ve read the charts. The numbers. I’m only half engineer. So maybe I don’t get what a half degree in seat tube or head tube angle difference actually means. I finally gave up trying to understand rake and trail. At that moment in time I just pedaled.

I did my first rehab with upgraded parts on an $80 Cannondale. That very first test ride I pedaled ‘til my legs and lungs were on fire! As I approached the hill that would give me some speed on the down side I tucked my head and gave ‘er hell. For a moment I was 14 again. And I swear I heard it just like 1982 “Ride like the wind Boy! Ride like the wind.”

What followed was a rapid succession of this and that road bikes. Reading and looking in awe at bikes here on BF. I began to tinker on more and riding more. Different generations of Cannondale’s. They were the fastest bikes I’d ever ridden. The Criterium framed Black Lightning! Hardly a few pedals and I was cruising. The steering! My God! Twitchy! Watch that single hand grip while giving a nudge on the down tube shifter! Good thing I ride alone when going fast.

I came to admire the finer race bikes tubed in steel from yesteryear. I learned how the French put them together on a pair of A08’s. Man would I like a PX10 in blue! Black will do just fine.

The day I first rode the PX10 it just felt like it fit. The reach. My posture. My pedal stroke felt natural. The others are fun. But I feel like I fit the Peugeot. Not the other way around. Shifting the down tube shifters was instantly more confident feeling. The bike didn’t leave “my lane” with a one haded grip. At one point I felt confident enough to pedal as I leaned into a fast corner. The other bikes I’d just coast.

Not a lot to nail down on specifics. It just feels better. Hope all that came out as a coherent read. My fingers couldn’t keep pace with the emotion. Sacre Bleu! That’s it! That Black PX10 evokes emotion!

cheers

Sierra

^^^ That's pretty much how I feel riding my early seventies Gitane TdF.
I do have a blue PX10LE though that feels very similar.

ascherer 

Thank you! That's it right there. I have 6 vintage road bikes that all fit correctly and ride beautifully, each in a different way. My Mercian delivers the intangible yet unmistakable sense of "rightness" that literally makes me smile every time I push off to start a ride. Wishing you many happy adventures on your PX!

Andy Antipas 

I purchased the framesest from C&V participant 75lechamp back in November. The frameset has been refinished. I hand painted the lugs, lug lining, and installed new decals from Cyclomundo. The component build is an upgrade featuring the SLJ derailleurs, retroflection shifters, Maillard 700 “Professional” hubs/Mavic tubulars, and Cinelli bar and stem. I'm looking for an affordable Ideale 2001 saddle and SLJ seatpost. Spring comes slowly to Durango and I haven't had a chance to ride it yet.

mrcurly

Nicely done PX10, very pretty. The combination of an affordable Ideale saddle in decent condition and SLJ post could be interesting to find, all the SLJ components seem very expensive now. Fortunately there are many other options. What are you (and others) using for clusters/cassettes on PX10s, mine still has the french threaded hub, and the narrow spacing on the rear stays.... which I didn't really want to reset with this frame to allow a more modern hub/cassette combo, which makes replacement options, even in 5 speed, difficult to find.

Andy Antipas 

The Maillard hub I'm using has English threads. So no problem with finding freewheels. Thank you.

AdventureManCO 

Dang what a frickin gorgeous bike man. Well done. And knowing several of (the other) Andy's rides, you probably already had a fantastic, well sorted base to start with!

AlanC8

It might not appeal to everyone, but when building up my 1980 CFX10 frameset, I was starting with a blank canvas. For the wheels, I went with Shimano 600 Hubs (Rear : FH-6401 with 126mm spacing & the later ones accepted HG cassettes as well as the original UG) so I got a modern 8 speed HG cassette and removed one sprocket to make it a 7 speed. Works a dream, gave me some choice of old-man gears, and was very cost effective.

mrcurly

Interesting solution. Mine is a '59 model PX10 frame, thought the rear hubs were 122mm though will check. I have some pretty looking hubs including normandy and pelissier for the wheelset, though the threading is french. Thats fine if an Atom or Maillard vintage cluster was available for a reasonable price. I do have a 70s dr10 with Shimano arabesque throughout - must check out the hub spacing with a set of calipers..