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Introducing the Peugeot

The Peugeot, as found.

For awhile now I've been on the hunt for a nice step-through framed bike. My criteria weren't that tough: be pretty, and not terrible. Apparently in the world of step-through frames that seems to be a tall order.

The fact is step-through frames -- even mixtes -- still have way too much of a "girl bike" stigma, and cycling in general has a tendency to treat women (and "girl bikes") as second-class members of the community. You see it all the time: some guy is out front with the latest carbon-fiber Terminator 6000 SEX 40-speed wonder while his girlfriend/spouse lags behind on a 500-pound cruiser, struggling to keep pace, 'cause he's much more serious a cyclist.

Hang on, it's hard to type with my eyes rolling so far into the back of my head.

Anyways, now that I have that little rant out, back to the subject at hand: the difficulty in finding a decent step-through frame. I had been looking awhile, but nothing quite worked.

I narrowly missed a pair of nice Bianchis, much to my chagrin.

I had one eye on two different Raleighs, but neither quite spoke to me. And I suspect both may have been real heavyweight bikes -- not what I was after.

I spotted a nice Miyata and a Univega, but both weren't really priced like project bikes (although the Univega should have been).

Finally, on a whim I inquired about this forlorn Peugeot that had been listed on the local marketplace a full year ago. Astoundingly, it was still available, and at couch-cushion money. So I grabbed it.

To be honest, it's not a great Peugeot. It's an OK Peugeot. I thought it was pretty and nice enough. After some research (and discovering the paper tag still intact on the bottom bracket) I learned this particular Peugeot is something of a rare bird (or lion, as the case may be): it's a circa 1982 PH19, as seen on this catalog page and this ad.

While the PH10 lasted a few years, I can't find any reference to the PH19 mixte variant after 1982. My guess is that Peugeot had too many mixtes in the mix and the PH19 was squeezed out.

The PH10 and PH19 are a bit unusual for the era, too. Where their contemporaries would have had lugged frames, these Peugeots were lugless and internally brazed. Peugeot made a bit of a fuss about it at the time, claiming a step forward, but I could also see where it was simply a cost-cutting measure. Hard to say nearly 40 years later.

The carbolite sticker tells you a lot about this ex-California bike: This was a high-tensile steel bike, sitting at the upper part of the lower end of the Peugeot line-up. It's not as heavy as one would think: The frame weighs in at 7 pounds even. You can also see the grime and rust on the frame.
The carbolite sticker tells you a lot about this ex-California bike: This was a high-tensile steel bike, sitting at the upper part of the lower end of the Peugeot line-up. It's not as heavy as one would think: The frame weighs in at 7 pounds even. You can also see the grime and rust on the frame.
One reason it was so cheap: the chain was so rusty the Simplex derailleur had a broken jockey pulley after someone had attempted to force it to move. Luckily the prior owner had kept the jockey pulley remnants in a ziploc bag helpfully taped to the rear wheel.
One reason it was so cheap: the chain was so rusty the Simplex derailleur had a broken jockey pulley after someone had attempted to force it to move. Luckily the prior owner had kept the jockey pulley remnants in a ziploc bag helpfully taped to the rear wheel.
The hubs are Maillard, laced to pretty Rigida alloy 27
The hubs are Maillard, laced to pretty Rigida alloy 27" rims. Not terrible stuff, if I can get it to clean up. If not, it will end up with a 700c conversion, but I would rather keep the original French parts.
There's a pretty nice Stronglight crankset, with a functional plastic chainguard. A Peugeot-branded Simplex derailleur handles shifting. It should clean up OK. The very rusty chain, however, is a goner.
There's a pretty nice Stronglight crankset, with a functional plastic chainguard. A Peugeot-branded Simplex derailleur handles shifting. It should clean up OK. The very rusty chain, however, is a goner.
This corrosion around the BB isn't nearly as bad as it looks here. It's really just surface rust and should be easily dealt with.
This corrosion around the BB isn't nearly as bad as it looks here. It's really just surface rust and should be easily dealt with.
A good look at the lugless construction and clever Peugeot cable routing.
A good look at the lugless construction and clever Peugeot cable routing.
The original celophane bar tape. Almost everything in this photo will be dustbinned.
The original celophane bar tape. Almost everything in this photo will be dustbinned.

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See all the 1982 Peugeot PH19 mixte posts.

Tags: peugeot