(Photos by J. Maus/BikePortland)
Welcome back to Locked Up. It’s been two years since we last shared a beautiful and/or interesting bike we found parked in a Portland bike rack.
Today’s subject is a gorgeous, green, single-speed Peugeot mixte that caught my eye as I rolled into my office this morning. I love the classic and simple lines of these bikes and this one in particular has some very nice custom touches that made me loop back and take a closer look.
As you can see in the photos below, the owner of this bike has added key upgrades including: a chromed chainguard (I don’t think it’s stock), a hub dynamo powered headlight and tailight, a durable set of tires, a wire front basket, a bell, a new pair of stout, metal fenders, aftermarket handlebars (wrapped in white bar tape to match the white saddle of course), and even a DIY frame strap near the bottom bracket to make it easier to carry.
It’s obvious that the owner of this bike knows what he/she is doing. I especially liked the spoke card in the rear wheel from a past Pedalpalooza ride.
The result is a bike that oozes class and manages a nearly perfect balance of form and function. Take a closer look via the photos below…
Nice huh? I love seeing old bikes still going strong and serving their owner’s well.
— If you liked this feature, check out past editions on the Locked Up archive page.
Thanks for reading.
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Nice bike.. And even Sheldon Brown approved locking technique.
Thanks for noticing that John. Just another sign that this bike belongs to someone with a very high bike IQ.
Sheldon’s method is elegant, using a puzzle strategy to make locking a wheel into a seemingly secure technique. Unfortunately, especially since any comment opposing his theories feels like blasphemy in his absence, the method is flawed. Sheldon had assumed that the tension in the spokes would pull the rim together, binding a hacksaw blade and preventing anyone from simply cutting through the tire and wheel. That turns out not to be true: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9fLtdZyX-A.
I think VO Zeppelin fenders with a second stay on front for mounting the headlight? I dig the generator setup and chain guard. Nice brake lever / handlebar matchup as well.
The thumby/downtube shifter hybrid is my favorite.
Let us not forget a key upgrade: what appears to be aluminum-alloy rims instead of the original chromed, dimpled steel deathtraps — so the brakes have a fighting chance of doing their job when wet.
Add salmon pads, dial in the rate of mechanical advantage with those old Mafacs’ adjustable transverse cables (no picnic), and it’ll stop as well as any modern rim-braked bike.
Gorgeous bike. I have a Portland Peugeot Project group on Flickr, JM, if you want to contribute.
I think this is an internally geared hub (not a single speed) based on the looks of the hub and sprocket, and also the presence of a shifter.
Definitely internal gear hub, Sturmey Archer 8 speed? from the looks of it. Nice.
I’d think twice about parking my bike in the same spot after all the attention. :/
I was going to suggest to Jonathan that perhaps mentioning the specific location (perhaps just give a neighborhood) might be a good idea.
Everyday I walk by a lovely brown creation locked up on Hawthorne and (redacted) and say, “what a lovely bike.” Similar to the above, an older frame with modern amenities like dynamo lighting.
Whoops! Meant to say NOT a good idea.
Internally geared hub, yes. Downtube-mounted shifter, yes. But no cable visible.
Oops, nope, there it is.
Thanks Patrick (and others). My mistake calling it a singlespeed. Definitely geared. I’ve edited the post.
Wire up a rear light off that front hub….
awesome setup I think met this gal bike parking at OBF… rad rig!
I like the extra leather strap at the bottom of the downtube…. ‘cuz you never know when you gotta strap something down. And white. White leather always steps things up a notch, even when dirty.
toe-clip strap, possibly Christophe
sturmey archer 5 speed internal gear rear hub with a stock, proprietary downtube shifter. nice ride
Beautiful bike, love the color. There is something special about the lines of mixtes that I find appealing.
Nice Wald basket set up, notice the single tab to the stem bolt, rather than the two tabs around the bar and the use of a small front rack, like Grant’s set up at rivbike.
Hey, good eye. I like that setup and am in the midst of attaching a wald front basket. This will free up some more handlebar room. Thanks!
Old road frames with long horizontal dropouts make GREAT internal-gear bikes. Well done!
Very nice, got the same diamond frame in my garage awaiting some attention. Early/mid 70’s.
No ones brought up the new Chainring either, pretty sure it would have been cottered cranks when this thing was made, also the not hallow steer tube upgrade. Some of the brake issues mentioned above, are likely sorted out with better hand levers than the originals, often that’s an easier and better fix than replacing the whole thing. I don’t think in too many cases that the brakes them selves are nearly as much at fault as the brake levers don’t offer enough leverage to get a really good bite.
Top notch job – though honestly if doens’t look anything is original but the frame/fork.
Sadly mine won’t be so nice when done, just going to convert it to a single speed and drop it on CL when I’m done.
Looking forward to the next wild bike.
For those interested, that is a Sturmey Archer 5-speed hub. It is, I think, the X-RF5.
The shifter is the SLS50.
I don’t know why I felt compelled to write this but I just did. Over and out.
I think that bike looks like a joy to ride. I dig it.
Being hardly familiar with Peugots, I wonder if this one’s frame originally came with two shift lever bosses, and if so whether the second was intentionally or accidentally removed, or if one boss was recently added to it.
I think it’s hilarious that you’re ooing and ahing over the standard bicycle for 90% of the world. Personally I think it’s a bit decadent to have a bicycle not set up like this one.
Hmmm…I don’t know; seems to me not the whole 90% of the world you refer to can even come close to affording that setup. Now if by “the standard bicycle” you refer to a decades old frame, internal gear hub, front basket, fenders, and a chain guard, then your statement makes more sense to me.
Beautiful !vintage ! Awesome !
Those frames are heavy. Whole bike is 40 pounds or more.