I just won a 1970s Peugeot UO-8 , what fun awaits me?
11-10-21, 12:04 AM
#26
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https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...ugeot-uo8.html
1973-1974 Peugeot UO8
Those old Peugeot UO-8 ten speeds are beautiful, comfortable, great riders but the derailleurs are really crummy (NOT DURABLE AT ALL) and many from the bike-boom era have an aluminum stem that is known to break, thus, the aptly named "Death Stem".
IT IS SIMPLE ENOUGH TO REPLACE THE DEATH STEM & TO DISCARD INTO THE TRASH BIN THE SIMPLEX DERAILLEURS IN FAVOR OF 1970's ERA Maeda SUNTOUR units --OR-- 1970's /early '80's SHIMANO units!!!
Many take the short-sided view of keepin' it all French but if you want quality, you cannot beat the JAPANESE derailleurs. You could take the "If it Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It Philosophy", but the early Seventies era SIMPLEX derailleurs are JUNK when compared to anything from SHIMANO or Maeda SUNTOUR. Yeah, the SIMPLEX units do function but they aren't durable and are no match for anything the Japanese made from 1968 onward!
1973-1974 Peugeot UO8
Those old Peugeot UO-8 ten speeds are beautiful, comfortable, great riders but the derailleurs are really crummy (NOT DURABLE AT ALL) and many from the bike-boom era have an aluminum stem that is known to break, thus, the aptly named "Death Stem".
IT IS SIMPLE ENOUGH TO REPLACE THE DEATH STEM & TO DISCARD INTO THE TRASH BIN THE SIMPLEX DERAILLEURS IN FAVOR OF 1970's ERA Maeda SUNTOUR units --OR-- 1970's /early '80's SHIMANO units!!!
Many take the short-sided view of keepin' it all French but if you want quality, you cannot beat the JAPANESE derailleurs. You could take the "If it Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It Philosophy", but the early Seventies era SIMPLEX derailleurs are JUNK when compared to anything from SHIMANO or Maeda SUNTOUR. Yeah, the SIMPLEX units do function but they aren't durable and are no match for anything the Japanese made from 1968 onward!
11-10-21, 06:03 AM
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11-10-21, 07:40 AM
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I've seen the comment farther up in the post about the Simplex parts being junk many, many times. All I can say is I still had the original Simplex ones on mine and they never failed me. Really to me not something to worry about. These are friction shifted so if one failed I would have just put on any ol' derailleur that would do the trick.
Maybe the comments about Simplex parts always failing is in the same vein of Campagnolo delta brakes " don't work". I know for a fact that isn't true if you know how to actually set them up.
Only the 3 pivot version and work exceptionally well.
Maybe the comments about Simplex parts always failing is in the same vein of Campagnolo delta brakes " don't work". I know for a fact that isn't true if you know how to actually set them up.
Only the 3 pivot version and work exceptionally well.
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Steel is real...and comfy.
Steel is real...and comfy.
11-11-21, 10:13 AM
#30
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Looks good from here. They were good bikes. If anything does not work well, disregard those who say “they are just like that”.
Most bike boom Peugeots were assembled by minimum wage high school or college students who worked basically without supervision. For many years I thought Oscar Wastyn and Al Stiller had to have some sort of old friends arrangement with the factory because their Peugeots were head and shoulders above anyone else’s. Nope, same bikes from Franklin Imports. But assembled by adult mechanics. Go over your bike thoroughly.
Particularly the brakes work extremely well. 70 years later at least three mfrs make copies of those brakes. Typically Mafac brakes make lots of noise and do little to stop the bike. Set them up as intended and they are quite smooth and powerful.
Many bikes and especially French bikes from that era have very short seatposts. Before raising the saddle take the post all the way out and see how much you have to work with.
What jamesdak said about Simplex derailleurs. They work very well. If not, get to work. Be gentle with the small screws.
Should be a rewarding bike and a wonderful experience. When it doesn’t seem that way be ready to seek help.
Most bike boom Peugeots were assembled by minimum wage high school or college students who worked basically without supervision. For many years I thought Oscar Wastyn and Al Stiller had to have some sort of old friends arrangement with the factory because their Peugeots were head and shoulders above anyone else’s. Nope, same bikes from Franklin Imports. But assembled by adult mechanics. Go over your bike thoroughly.
Particularly the brakes work extremely well. 70 years later at least three mfrs make copies of those brakes. Typically Mafac brakes make lots of noise and do little to stop the bike. Set them up as intended and they are quite smooth and powerful.
Many bikes and especially French bikes from that era have very short seatposts. Before raising the saddle take the post all the way out and see how much you have to work with.
What jamesdak said about Simplex derailleurs. They work very well. If not, get to work. Be gentle with the small screws.
Should be a rewarding bike and a wonderful experience. When it doesn’t seem that way be ready to seek help.
11-11-21, 08:56 PM
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The Maeda SUNTOUR and SHIMANO rear derailleurs are light years better than the original SIMPLEX rear derailleur. That is a fact. Only a fool would want to believe that is not true. An even bigger fool will continue kidding himself that the SIMPLEX rear derailleur from that era will perform as nicely as a SUNTOUR or SHIMANO unit.
IT APPEARS that Lman 's blue Peugeot already was upgraded by a prior owner to the much better SUNTOUR rear derailleur!!
You can see more pictures of Lman s blue Peugeot in this thread below:
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...ot-ou-8-a.html
Only a frikken idiot would go backwards and install the correct oem SIMPLEX rear derailleur on one of those early seventies Peugeot UO-8 ten speeds. That is why most all of them ridden often on the roads have likely had owner installed SUNTOUR rear derailleurs at least since 1974. Yeah, the SIMPLEX unit is that inferior to the Maeda SUNTOUR & SHIMANO rear derailleurs! The Japanese did build better rear derailleurs.
IT APPEARS that Lman 's blue Peugeot already was upgraded by a prior owner to the much better SUNTOUR rear derailleur!!
You can see more pictures of Lman s blue Peugeot in this thread below:
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...ot-ou-8-a.html
Only a frikken idiot would go backwards and install the correct oem SIMPLEX rear derailleur on one of those early seventies Peugeot UO-8 ten speeds. That is why most all of them ridden often on the roads have likely had owner installed SUNTOUR rear derailleurs at least since 1974. Yeah, the SIMPLEX unit is that inferior to the Maeda SUNTOUR & SHIMANO rear derailleurs! The Japanese did build better rear derailleurs.
