c1973 AO-8 Revamp
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c1973 AO-8 Revamp
While on a Saturday bike ride in October, I crossed paths with another cyclist and he gifted me his wife's circa 1973 Peugeot AO-8. But for some scratches on the fork blades it was very clean and original and likely had very few miles on it. I decided to rebuild and revamp it into a townie bike for my son to take to college... I just finished it up this morning. It started out at 29 pounds and now comes in at a svelte 24 pounds. Modifications included new (used) rigid alloy clincher wheels to replace the normandy/rigida chromalux wheels, Sugino AT crankset with 45/36 chainrings, front and rear derailleurs, simplex alloy shifters, Velo-Orange bars, Did-compe brake levers, modern brake pads, Selle Italia saddle, SRAM chain, Shimano 6spd fw (I spread the rear for 126 OLN axle). I rode it around the block this morning and it is a big improvement over stock (rides great, shifts great, and the brakes are phenomenal. More pics in my Flickr album.
AO-8 after
AO-8 before
AO-8 after
AO-8 before
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Looks great, and yellow is one of the faster colors! I'm always curious as to how others go about swapping out the old cotter crank for a newer alloy crank (on these 70's vintage French birds)... what was your process on this one? (If you don't mind sharing your secrets.)
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c1973 AO-8 Revamp
Looks great, and yellow is one of the faster colors! I'm always curious as to how others go about swapping out the old cotter crank for a newer alloy crank (on these 70's vintage French birds)... what was your process on this one? (If you don't mind sharing your secrets.)
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Nicely done, I had one of these in that colour as a teenager and have fancied buying one for nostalgia's sake and putting it on a diet like you have sometime.
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Most importantly, you got rid of the dork disc and turkey levers. Are those Atom aluminum hubs? I love up-grading mid-range models.
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Minor surprise the saddle is as far forward as it is even with it being adjusted all the way aft.
I guess a steep seat tube. Maybe a seatpost with greater setback?
Peugeot branded rear mech, styling.
bike is looking good, maybe too nice to park at campus. The lock will need to be Fort Knox.
I guess a steep seat tube. Maybe a seatpost with greater setback?
Peugeot branded rear mech, styling.
bike is looking good, maybe too nice to park at campus. The lock will need to be Fort Knox.
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I am a drop bar man myself, but I like all of the other component changes you made, particularly the crankset and the derailleurs. I did a 2x6 conversion on my UO-8, as well, but I used a Shimano "ultra"-spaced freewheel and needed to spread the rear triangle by only about 3 mm, to just under 123mm.
That paint is in great shape.
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Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
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Beautiful job! I especially like the colour. I suspect though that this was originally a UJ10 not at AO-8: the lack of “Aztec Lugs”, the super small frame size, and the full length rear brake cable with clips are signs of the UJ10.
Not that it’s a big deal mind you: they all ride extremely well.
Not that it’s a big deal mind you: they all ride extremely well.
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UJ10 vs AO-8
Beautiful job! I especially like the colour. I suspect though that this was originally a UJ10 not at AO-8: the lack of “Aztec Lugs”, the super small frame size, and the full length rear brake cable with clips are signs of the UJ10.
Not that it’s a big deal mind you: they all ride extremely well.
Not that it’s a big deal mind you: they all ride extremely well.
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That looks like a 19" frame. Peugeot made some tweaks to their normal geometry to make that small a frame work with 27" tires.
I am a drop bar man myself, but I like all of the other component changes you made, particularly the crankset and the derailleurs. I did a 2x6 conversion on my UO-8, as well, but I used a Shimano "ultra"-spaced freewheel and needed to spread the rear triangle by only about 3 mm, to just under 123mm.
That paint is in great shape.
I am a drop bar man myself, but I like all of the other component changes you made, particularly the crankset and the derailleurs. I did a 2x6 conversion on my UO-8, as well, but I used a Shimano "ultra"-spaced freewheel and needed to spread the rear triangle by only about 3 mm, to just under 123mm.
That paint is in great shape.
‘they steepened the seat tube, slackened the head tube and raised the bottom bracket.
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Beautiful little bike! As someone else said, probably too nice to just leave sitting around a college campus these days without some beaucoup security attached to it. But like anything else with kids the best you can do is warn them and tell them not to come crying to you when...well, you know the rest.
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