highwayzero

So I picked up a BOGO pair of Peugeots, one a later yellow 70's Mixte (mainly for parts), and an earlier white probably UE-8 that I'm refurbing for myself. I'm looking for whatever fun facts anyone can provide on the white bike (sorry, I'm a noob and can't post a pic yet).

Based on all the googling I could do, I I believe it to be a 72/73 vintage, but a couple details are throwing me off...namely the mudguards (rounded with the two black racing stripes vs. the usual Peugeot squared) and it had the big Huret wing-nuts on the rear wheel. I've been trying to date-code some of the components, but am coming up short. I've dug thru Sheldon Brown's stuff and the BikeBoomPeugeot brochures, too.

It has a 6-digit serial (5XXXXX), chromed lower forks, headstock decal (vs. the riveted badge), cottered crank, SImplex Prestige shift group with the red badge on the rear derailleur, braze-ons for an air pump on the downtube, round ATAX stem (vs. the square style on the Mixte), braze-on for the dynamo on frame near the rear brake, Mafac Racers & brake levers, Rigida Chromix wheels w/Normandy high flange hubs/Simplex skewer, stock rack on the rear only, worn-out leather Brooks-style stock seat. The wheels are mismatched, so I'm assuming the front Rigida is correct, as the Mixte is outfit with Rigidas/Normandy.

The dynamo and rear taillight on the white bike have been changed out, so I'll be swapping the correct style over from the Mixte and looking out for an earlier oval-shaped Soubitez rear. I'm also going to hot-rod it a little...I'm swapping the stock cottered crank and shift group with a Stronglight crank and newer Simplex group from a '79 Peugeot road bike for some upgrades, yet keeping the Peugeot heritage. The right drop bar on the white bike has been bent out horizontal, so I'm going to put the Mixte commuter bars on...make more of a touring-style bike. And swapping to Peugeot stem shifters...I grew up in the '80s with stems, I'm 48 with a bad back and dad bod, I've got no business reaching way down there to shift!!!

I do know that an Army cat brought the bike back to the states after his tour in Berlin sometime in the '70s, are there any 'tells' that this would've been a foreign-market bike, like a J8E or PX-something?

Thanks for any ideas here!

Quick edit, it looks like my pic of the bikes may have uploaded to an Album under my username?

markk900

Hard to tell from the picture, but the white one appears to be a UO8 (if the fenders are original to the bike) or a UE8 (if they are, which appears to be the case), from 1971-1973 timeframe. The Rigida rims often have a date code on them so look for either a 4 digit year or a 2 digit number in a diamond. The Huret wingnuts on the back wheel would be appropriate for an AO/AE8 (small flange hub and no chrome on the forks). One unique thing is I have never seen the back brake mounted that way......

The yellow mixte is approximately the same age based on decals that I can see; again the rims should have a date code on them. It would be the UE18 if it has chrome socks on the forks.


Pic assist:

markk900

Also FWIW, in my opinion the mixte is the more interesting bike (nice details such as lining on the stays); perhaps try to save them both!

guy1138

I love mixtes more than the average bear, but I think a lot of us forget how absolutely miserable these low-end Peugeots were to actually ride.

Steel rims, cottered cranks, all steel components, plastic Simplex gear that approximated shifters until it broke, gas pipe frame with the same gear ratios as race bikes of the day.

Honestly, the only thing cool about these are the rack and full fenders with the integrated lights (which would be awesome to swap in USB powered lights and ditch the generator).

These really need a full rebuild with "modern" parts to be enjoyable, and you still have the slight headache of the french stem and bottom bracket.

highwayzero

markk900, thanks for the pic assist! I believe the mudguards to be original, and I'm pretty sure the rear brake has been reinstalled wrong at one point or another, I'll fix it during reassembly. I'll take a closer look at the rims and see what I can find...that rear wheel is probably off of a different bike at some point in it's life, I guess the wingnuts could've been carried over, too.

Mr. 66

I'm a little more on favor of the yellow, for the only reason it being yellow. I think that both are redeemable.

I had a white one like that it was a rolling rattle cage, or so I thought. I pulled the rack, fenders, and generator, eventually trashed them. I'm pretty sure I trashed the bike as well. I think I tried to update the cranks unsuccessfully, as a 14yr old I just didn't know English French Italian tendencies. I was jamming bb cups cross threading, pounding seatposts. I had so many Frankenstein.

I don't think I had that one very long, the Simplex stuff, mainly the plastic shifters soured me, the was derailleurs were replaced with Suntour 7.

Excuse me while I ramble on, I then updated my bike with a new frame, saved up my pennies and bought Suntour ratchet barend shifters. Then my hoarding started, I felt the need for a second set of wheels (just in case of emergency) I bought an abandoned Raleigh off the fence from some neighbors. I still have the Brooks saddle now 40 later. I don't know what I did with the Raleigh it was an International model that was to small for me.

highwayzero

@ guy1138, from my research on vintage running gear (I'm just getting into this hobby), agreed...I've already swapped out the cottered crank with a newer Stronglight, and newer alloy/metal Simplex shifters...keeping it Peugeot lineage! I'll probably run the steel wheels until I come up with a full set of Rigida blue label alloys (I already have a rear).

guy1138

Nice, sounds like you're well on your way! Also, FYI, the "@" doesn't work here, but the "QUOTE" button at the bottom will alert someone that you responded. If it is a long post, or has pics, the etiquette is to trim the quote to only the relevant part, otherwise the thread quickly gets confusing with multiple stacked quotes.

markk900

Well, I may be biased since I still have my AO-8 that I bought used in 1973 and still ride, but I think your assessment is a little harsh. Sure the lower end bike boom bikes of any make were not as good as their mid to high end counterparts, especially when kitted out with all the heavy steel stuff that was common. However my experience over almost 50 years of ownership is that they ride decently when stock, can be modified without concern in a huge variety of ways (mine was my first race bike after lots of parts substitution, then a tourer, then a city bike, then the basis for my first IGH experiments, and now back to drop bar bike with steel cranks back on but alloy wheels). Yes the forks are made of damp pasta, and the geometry is "slack", but they are measurably better riding than any of the other 3 bike boom era bikes I currently have.

Anyway, a Cinelli or Mariposa they are not, but for what they are they are great fun to own and ride. Definitely worth saving IMO.

juvela

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the Union 40U pedals on the AE8 are not original

originals would have been Lyotard model 36 or model 36R

otherwise looks pretty much original

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the plastic MAFAC tourist brake levers on the UE18 have broken just like they always do

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does anyone know the significance of "SP5 BRAD SCOTT AFN-TV BERLIN" ?

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thumpism 

Sounds like Brad's rank and name and post (Armed Forces Network in Berlin).

It was not uncommon for U.S. troops to have access to the French PX in certain areas. A buddy of mine was stationed at Zweibrucken while in the Air Force and bought his PX-10 that way.

hokiefyd 

I think the ride quality of these bikes is what makes them worth modernizing. I have a '70 Peugeot mixte that I've upgraded with a 7-speed cassette (with a pair of 700c wheels from the co-op), a single 40t chain ring, and index shifting with a thumb shifter. I used the original French BB cups with a modern spindle and a square taper crank. A 22.2mm stem fits tightly in the steerer (I do need to continue to work on that). The original MAFAC Racers work great with Kool-Stop salmon pads.

It's a real treat to ride and I think I have only 100 bucks into it total. The frame compliance makes it very comfortable to tool around on. I've got a Wald saddle bag rack on it and it's our primary yard sale picking bike.

markk900

The OP said the bikes came via a military type from Berlin so I would bet that he tagged at least the white one.

highwayzero

Hopefully I got the hang of the "Quote" button with this post

Well, I did some cyber-stalking using that name and info, found a bio, that's how I know a troop had the bike with him in Berlin in the '70s, and apparently brought it back to the states. I've been trying to get in touch, but so far no luck.

The Mixte is in decent shape, too...and while it's a cool frame setup, so far hasn't screamed 'ride me' yet. Probably because it's yellow!!

thumpism 

Yellow bikes don't need to scream. You want to ride yellow bikes.

guy1138

Yeah, I agree! I wasn't implying that the mixte should be junked, just that the stock components need to go

Agreed! here's my Peugeot that got much the same treatment:

markk900

guy1138 : lovely bike!

highwayzero

Looks great!

thumpism 

OP, it appears that both headlights and taillights are unbroken. Most unusual in fendered Peugeots of this age. You're pretty lucky.

juvela

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a most excellent job of research you have performed prior to posting!

the saddle on the white cycle is likely to be an ADGA model 28A



https://velobase.com/ViewComponent.a...d8b49&Enum=106

ADGA is a kind of acronym formed of the company founder's name: Adrian Gallet

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date confirmation -

on both machines the Simplex Prestige gear mechs may bear a date marking

on the rear mech it is on the back side of the inner gear cage plate

on the front mech it is on the underside of the body




all best wishes with this project!

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merziac

Actually the @ will work if you add it after the fact and don't let it auto populate.

merziac

@guy1138

Like this.

VinCox

I have a couple of Peugeots. One with Columbus SLX tubes and the other with Reynolds 653. Both have Mavic group sets from 1990-1992 period. French kit on French frames. Obviously the rims are French Mavics too; SSC tubluar on one and Open Pro clincher on the other. I'll share photos when I can - this is just to say they are coming :-) .

highwayzero

The white bike has had the generator and rear light replaced, and the headlight is broken...I plan on cannibalizing from the Mixte and hunting for a correct earlier taillight.

I ended up scoring a set of Lyotard 82s that should compliment the newer Stronglight crank well, and keep it French. I have yet to understand the lack of safety-forward thinking with plastic brake levers!

Appreciate the tips for date codes...unfortunately, the rear derailluer has had some chain derailments that wiped out any existing stamping, and the front derailleur is marked with a " 1 " but below where the year should be didn't stamp...slipped thru QC!

Looking forward to seeing them!

John E

Nothing wrong with a UO-8 with aluminum cranks and rims and SunTour derailleurs.

My UO-8 with barcon cables routed between the rack and the cylindrical Bellwether front bag.