My friend Rose bought an 80's vintage Peugeot Bordeaux. It is a steel frame, not lugged, and does not have Reynolds tubing. But it has soul and character that is just not available in most aluminum production bicycles. My Cannondale R1000 can't even touch this Peugeot with regards to soulfulness. The HLE tubing, despite being about on par with high-carbon steel, produces a ride that engenders love.
Because of this love, Rose has opted to put a whole bunch of work and upgrades in this frame. It was a decently operating bike prior, but now it is nicely (I daresay beautifully) modernized.
Among the upgrades are Tektro R730 long reach brakes, Cane Creek SCR-5C short-reach levers, gold Nokon brake and shift cables (crappy website alert), 9-speed 11-32 SRAM cassette, and Xero XR-4 wheels.
Yes the wheels are nothing special, but Rose is lightweight and not a hardcore rider. She can get away with a lesser wheelset in the interest of saving some money now. Later, she will probably upgrade to Mavic Aksium or Ksyrium Equipe wheels.
She still needs a new saddle, but has a Coda titanium rail saddle for now. There is probably a Brooks saddle in store for this bicycle. And the bike will need a new bottom bracket by the end of this cycling season. This works out well because Rose plans on painting her bicycle this coming winter. Rumor has it that a solid metal-flake brown is the goal. I'll keep you apprised.
Overall, this is an impressive and lovable bike with a supple, yet very responsive ride. The bicycle eats up crappy Vermont roads with aplomb. The ride far exceeds the cost of the bike and new parts. Why can't modern bike companies bike companies build a general bike like this anymore? It would seem that they have forgotten how to build a useful, comfortable bicycle.
This Peugeot was not even anything all that special in its day. But an "equivalent" bicycle made today will never be a classic. There is just no love that such a modern bicycle can engender beyond some personal sentimental value. And because of what conglomerate bike builders have forgotten, even the once-mundane has become a righteous classic. Hopefully more bicycle manufacturers will "discover" what they forgot. But I am not holding my breath.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Rose's New Old Peugeot
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3 comments:
Nice ride. I might have that same frame in my future. Thanks for the upgrade tips. BTW did Rose ever get a new BB? What was that like? Replacing BB's on French bikes is interesting at best.
Hi Dane, thanks for reading.
We did get around to replacing the BB because it's still going strong. As it is, the threading on the Bordeaux is English. And if it were French, I would probably use one of the new Velo-Orange Grand Cru bottom brackets.
I just also found out that Phil Wood makes a French-thread cup for their bottom brackets. That will make for a whole lot awesome BB for your French steed.
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