Mastodawn

Jemaleddin Cole

I got a fixie today and rode it around a little. It’s an old Peugeot steel frame with a Deda stem, narrow flat bars with wooden grips(!!), Sugino messenger cranks, Origin8 chainring, 42/15 gearing, flip-flop hub, and a front brake. Took it for a short ride and it’s a lot to get used to! I welcome tips!
#cycling #BikeTooter

Jemaleddin Cole Mar 2

Here's the bike in question. The serial number is 4034614 and the sticker says it's Reynolds 501 tubes if anyone wants to help me figure out the year/model! :-)

#cycling #BikeTooter

Wowwww! That is such a cool looking ride.
I loved steel lugged frames and the deep well wheelset is really nice. The flip flop hub makes it into a single speed with coasting ability right?

And the wooden grips? What do you think of those? Seems like they would transfer the knocks and bumps a little more than spongey grips.

Jemaleddin Cole Mar 2

@Birdie Yeah, it came as a singlespeed and I flipped the wheel around to make it a fixie.

As for the wooden grips, they're hard and not very grippy, so I'l be looking for a replacement as soon as I get new brake pads to replace the current ones which are also hard not very grippy. 😂

@jemal
Eeesh.
Not grippy handlebar grips --> bad.
Not grippy brake pads --> very bad.

Several years ago I built a single speed from an old Raleigh Sprite 27 frame. It unfortunately was way too tall for my short legs.

I kept the head tube emblem though.

Jemaleddin Cole Mar 2

@Birdie that’s a lovely badge! Mine is… white paint. 🤣

The brake works, just not as well as you’d like. Will replace soon!

The weather here in Baltimore just turned cold again, so my only biking will be commutes for a few days and I’m trying to decide if I can ride it as a fixie in traffic or if I should switch back to singlespeed for the time being.

Roth Child Mar 2

@jemal The sages over at https://www.retrobike.co.uk/forums/ would likely be able to ID it for you (as well as tell you which plant it was made in, when, and how many Gaulouise would have been smoked on a weekly basis by the staff there at that time (maybe...) ;-))

Forum list

Retro, Vintage & Classic Mountain & Road Bikes

Retrobike

Jemaleddin Cole Mar 2

@thechildofroth I’ve already asked the RetroGrouches in the Classic & Vintage section of Bike Forums and gotten one wrong answer. 😀 However, I think it might be a March 1984 PGN 10 based on the serial number starting with 403 and the tubing, forks, and seat tube screw matching this description:

@jemal the decals place it between 1985 and 1988. I don't remember any 501 frames in dark brown with chromed forks and non cantilever brakes though. The Perthus has the colours but was 753. The Bretagne was a 501 tourer but had cantilever brakes and a more maroon colour. Puymorens looks visually like a match but was 531pro. By 1989 the colour schemes had changed and they had a lot of their HLE and Carbolite frames. This is all UK stuff though so might have been variations for other countries

@jemal of course it might have been just a frameset or a respray of something else. I very much doubt it's got many original components if it was a complete bike

Jemaleddin Cole Mar 2

@Pionir well, first off it’s a very dark gray metallic paint, and I don’t think it’s a respray. The only original parts are the frame, fork, maybe the seatpost and maybe maybe the BB. It looks a lot like an ‘85 501, but those weren’t lugged.

As far as I can tell, after poking around Bike Boom Peugeot catalogs, given the color, the lugs, the 501 tubes, and the bolt screwed into the seat tube holding the seat post, it’s a 1984 PGN 10. That fits the visible features and the fact that the frame number starts with 4, probably the year of the decade the frame was built.

Jemaleddin Cole Mar 2

@Pionir also, I’m pretty sure it’s a US model given the local bike shop sticker. Check the options here and see if you think it matches the PGN 10:

https://www.bikeboompeugeot.com/Brochures%20USA/Peugeot%201984%20USA%20Brochure/Peugeot%201984%20USA%20Brochure.htm

Peugeot 1984 USA Brochure

@jemal aha yes. 1984 was just before I got into cycling but I agree, it does look right.

vandenberglegs Mar 2

@jemal Practice, practice, practice. And remember, don't stop pedaling.

Jemaleddin Cole Mar 2

@vandenberglegs It won't let me forget! :-)

Sieva 🚴🚇🏙️🌹Mar 2

@jemal Uphills are exciting, downhills — terrifying 😅

Jemaleddin Cole Mar 2

@Anibyl Just riding it a little, that's VERY CLEAR. Glad I have a front brake even if the pads are a little old.

@jemal Sweet ride!

Jemaleddin Cole Mar 3

@RayKuntz thanks! Now if it would just stop snowing so I could ride it!