Sactown_Albert 

I approached this build with the idea of building a proper bike for multi day brevets. Not a full on touring bike, but a rando bike with sufficient storage for clothing changes, batteries, and the other tools and gear you would bring with you on a multi day brevet like a 600k. Brevets always proceed even in rain so I made the decision to put fenders on it.

I had a 1977 PRN10 frame that was cosmetically challenged but in good structural shape. Powder coated, straightened, and new decals to get it ready for the build. I wasn’t going for historical accuracy but I did want to stay with a C&V build so the parts are generally 70s and early 80s parts. I stuck with the Stronglight 49D crank but I did use a Red Clover tripleizer to convert it to a 52/42/32 triple crank. (I also had to use a 125 mm spindle to get proper clearance.) The RD is a Shimano long cage Crane that easily handles the 14-32 range of the 5 speed freewheel. It also has sufficient throw to handle the range of the crankset. I did have to thread the Simplex dropout but no further surgery was necessary to accommodate the rear derailleur.

I did have to abandon using the 1st generation Shimano Dura Ace front derailleur I had planned on because it did not have sufficient throw to handle the chainring shifting. I found a NOS Suntour Mountech that was made for early 80s MTB cranks that worked really well, so I used that. Shifting from the Suntour bar end shifters with the front and rear derailleurs is excellent and I have a great range of gearing.

Sharp looking build that functions for it’s purpose really well. I have taken it out on a number of shake down rides and it really fits the purpose well. The straight gauge Reynolds 531 tubing is perfect for the purpose because it is more rigid than butted tubing and the weight penalty is not that bad. The slightly long wheelbase also gives it good stability.

Super happy with this build. Below is a link to a Google album with detailed photos of the build if you are curious about the details.

Bonne route!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/tvVxgEJ8iQMMyKLW7

noobinsf 

Very nice!

bikemig 

Very nice build. No easy thing finding a 125 mm stronglight spindle. Yes this should be Reynolds 531 double butted main triangle and hi tensile fork and stays. That's a fine way to build a bike.

Sactown_Albert 

Looking at catalogs and brochures, I’m pretty certain the main triangle on this frame is straight gauge Reynolds 501.

Classtime 

Nice one. Are you planning to do a SR series! I’m in the process of preparing my 77 Motobecane GR. Is your headlamp battery operated? My plan is to use my bottle dyno. And I notice only one bottle! The top tube cable clamp interferes with placing my frame pump there so I wedged a Top peak along a seat stay so I can clamp a bottle cage on the seat tube.

bikemig 

Catalog link, https://www.bikeboompeugeot.com/Broc...e%20PRN10E.jpg


Reynolds 501 was developed in '83, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynol...%20thicknesses.

Very nice build on your bike.

Sactown_Albert 

I have a few SRs and PBP under my belt. I like doing RUSA events so I will probably just do rides that appeal to me. I may add a second bottle using a handlebar mount come summer. For now I just use one large bottle on longer rides. The PBP bottle was just for looks. I do use rechargeable batteries for my lights. At PBP, I had no trouble keeping everything charged by carrying two battery bricks to charge the lamp batteries, my Garmin and my phone over the 85 hours I was on course. About 2-3 extra pounds of weight but very convenient and a lot of versatility. The trick is to have two rear lights and two front batteries so that you can always have them constantly charging when not in use.

Sactown_Albert 

I actually included a photo of the 531 tubing decal that I carefully tracked down.

Sactown_Albert 

Got the spindle from Justyne at the Bike Recyclery in Oregon.

gugie 

Nicely done!

For those bemoaning the lack of a second water bottle cage, that big front handlebar bag can easily carry one. Brevets aren't non-stop events like a race, it's easy enough to stop and switch bottles, or even on the move. The few brevets I've done included eating constantly, having the bag right there is a very handy place for, say, a bag of macadamia nuts.

dukeofearl 

Really nice work! I've been trying to figure out a very similar build for a 77 PX10LE so this is great to see. So far I've gotten a triple stronglight 99, also 32-42-52, but I've been wracking my brain on the derailleurs. I had wanted to keep it Simplex, but maybe the Crane/Mountech is the way to go. Hmm...

I went for the NECO 127mm sealed BB, hasn't arrived yet.

I had assumed this was a 650b conversion - surprised you could fit fenders on there!

OTS 

Very nice build.
Well thought out and great execution.
Kudos

Sactown_Albert 

The Velo Orange fenders fit really well. I am running 700/28s so a nice comfy gauge with some speed. I got the Suntour Mountech after the 1st generation Dura Ace I tried at first was not up to the task. Got it NOS on EBay for $30. The seller had 8 of them when I bought it two weeks ago so I’m sure he has more.. I am really impressed by its functioning.

The Crane is a superstar. I had it on a previous build so I knew what I was getting into. (Ironically it was a PX10 that I originally had it on. I took it off to install on this bike after I returned that bike to a full French setup. By not using the more aggressive grinding of an RD limit, the Simplex Prestige went back on no problem.) see pictures below.

Two things to make the Crane work on a Simplex dropout. You do have to thread the mounting hole but it doesn’t require any additional “surgery” so you can return to a Simplex RD without an issue. Critical for something as nice as a PX10 frame. The other trick is that you have to rotate the limit before you screw in the mounting bolt on the Crane. This will make the RD pulleys stand further from the freewheel when the chain is on so you can easily run up to a 34 tooth large cog. I went with a 32 since the front small chainring is a 32 so I have a 1/1 climbing ratio. You use a flathead screwdriver to rotate the limit clockwise and then you use the hex to screw the RD onto the dropout while holding the limit pin to the right side of the dropout.

Hope this helps!


Was able to return to historical configuration with no trouble since there was no aggressive surgery.

Initial set up when I was using it with a Crane long cage RD. You can see how the pulley wheels sit lower because of the pre-tensioning.

SurferRosa

I'm so confused!

dukeofearl 

nice, thanks. i'll look into that mountech. and definitely consider the crane.

did you have that px10 powder coated as well? maybe i should look into that. my px10le has seen better days.

RB1-luvr

you win just by showing up on that bike. It's beautiful.

romperrr 

By "limit" I assume you mean the limit the derailleur mount (as this is a Crane RD with a built-in limit) and not the limit screw that effect the range of motion on the RD. It might seem obvious to some, but I want to clear up any confusion that I, or others, may have.

Great, thoughtful build.

Oldairhead 

I'm not trying to disrespect this bike in any way as it is a very nice looking machine. It seems to me though that this is more of a light tourer than a rando bike. In my experience "rando bikes" are built for speed and efficiency along with an ability to carry some extra gear. They need to be both fast and comfortable to allow a rider to cover the many miles in the time allotted. Most rando riders are minimalists and carry as little as possible during the ride, just enough to cover the conditions that they may expect to encounter, and rely on grit, tenacity and resourcefulness to get them through.

You will see all kinds of setups at different brevets and it varies regionally as well. Randonneurs from Arizona will rarely have fenders while in the PNW they will sport not only full fenders but mud flaps that nearly touch the ground! For rides over 300 km dynamo hubs are nearly universal and two water bottles are almost mandatory unless you wear a Camelback or use other supplemental water storage. Probably the most "typical" rando bikes are those from Rene Herse which were light, fast and minimalist. This bike, as nice as the build is, is not really a randonneur to my eye.

Sactown_Albert 

This is a helpful clarification. I am not talking about the upper and lower limits.

Sactown_Albert 

This bike will likely see duty as a light or credit card tourer, too but I do plan to use it regularly for RUSA brevet events. I agree with your point that rando bikes can be set up to be even more light and efficient. Below is a picture of my 2019 Paris-Brest-Paris setup which reflects the minimalism philosophy you are accurately describing. All things being equal, it would probably have taken me two hours longer to complete PBP on this Peugeot than on the Trek Domane that I used. I still would have completed PBP successfully and I probably would have struck up a few more interesting conversations slowing down and enjoying the ride more. I might use this one on a future grand randonnee just to see how it plays out.

As I am getting older, my philosophy has been shifting from blasting through courses as fast as possible to enjoying the ride more. This bike is part of that shift. My son has inherited the Domane since he is in his prime “go fast” years.

Sactown_Albert 

The PX10 is the original paint and Peugeot decals. The Reynolds decals are replicas from Velocals. I did do some touch up spray paint on the white parts of the frame that had bad paint damage. Had an automotive paint supply shop make me a small spray can with matched paint and a close match on the satin finish. A lot of careful sanding and taping, then a judicial application of spray to just cover the repairs. Multiple coats of carnauba wax before reassembly to even out the sheen.

The PRN10 is powder coated and the externally applied decals are from Greg Softley at Cyclomondo.

ironwood

Very nice. I like Stronglight 49D cranks as they take TA Pro 5 vis chainrings. You could have kept it as a double with a 46- 30 combination, or something like that. Randonneur or light touring? Neither word is that precise. I first came across randonneur meaning hiker. I also think a lot of French touring bikes were labeled Randonneur, and had cantilever brakes and racks. To quote Humpty Dumpty "When I use a word, it means exactly what I want it to mean, nothing more or less."


I once heard a song about Peugeots to the tune of "I Ride an Old Paint"


"I ride an old Peugeot, I don't speak French
Yippee ki yi yi, won't you lend me a wrench...."


or maybe it was "I drive an old Peugeot..... Maybe someone could make new words for it.

Sactown_Albert 

i initially described the tubing, incorrectly, as 501. I know better that it is 531. The correction was made but in that correction it was suggested that the 531 tubing was butted. I pointed out it was straight gauge but I should have also pointed out my initial error. Bottom line is that the PRN10 has a 531 main triangle with straight gauge Reynolds tubing.

SurferRosa

That surprises me. I would have thought it is double-butted or at least butted.

Sactown_Albert 

I have felt both the PRN10 and the PX10 completely stripped down and the PRN10 is a noticeably heavier frame. The plus side, especially when carrying weight, is that the PRN10 is much stiffer and less flexy. When I sprint, I can feel the PX10 flexing under me and I have made it ghost shift, on occasion. I have not experienced that with the PRN10, even when trying to recreate the circumstances when it happened with the PX10. I think this is why the humble UO8 has a reputation as a good touring bike, although that frame is substantially heavier than a PRN10.