1978 Peugeot PY10 CP

Unpacking the model range of Peugeot's various road bikes is quite a task and not one for the faint hearted. Well maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration, however their various models can be quite perplexing to identify to the causal observer and often even an interested one like myself (Just try following this thread from Bike Forums to see what I mean!). So when a supposed 1978 Peugeot PY10 came up for sale in France in fantastic original condition, I thought it about time I did a little research and try and unravel at least some of the mystery of model identification before I tried buying the bike and having sent to the other side of the world.  

 Of course as Bernard Thevenet famously rode an almost stock PY10 to his two Tour de France victories this is the bike that most enthusiasts would like to own, myself included.                                                                     

For anyone interested in researching Peugeot's PX and PY 10's  I would try this excellent source on Classic rendezvous and this great piece from Classic Factory Lightweights, so having done my due diligence I purchased the bike and then as I had just made the deal when Covid broke out started playing the waiting game, which turned out to be quite a long drawn out lesson in trusting that things would just turn out OK and the bike would eventually arrive in one piece, which it did after a nearly four month wait.

Here is the 1978 Peugeot PY10, which I am almost certain is a CP model. As I mentioned it is an extremely nice original example, I purchased it out of France from a Peugeot collector who had brought it from an ex Peugeot employee who had it made especially for himself. I haven't done all that much to it except change the stem to a longer 3TTT stem which suited me better and at the same time swap out the Pivo bars for 3TTT Gimondi bars which also suit me better and took the opportunity to stich on some leather wrap...and one or two other little upgrades along the way.

Of course I stripped the bike back to bare frame and forks, aligned them both and faced the bottom bracket and head tube, then reassembled it using NOS cables/cable housing, period grease, the original Sedis chain was also in great condition with no measurable wear, so that went back on..

So here are the unique factory modifications that set the PY (CP) Peugeot's apart from other Peugeot's, namely the ubiquitous PX10.

Drilled bottom bracket shell, I did change out the bottom bracket to a titanium                Stronglight one I happened to have tucked away

I also changed the seat post to a milled Campagnolo record one 

with O.M.A.S. hardware.

The mudguard eyelets have been removed which is apparently a sure sign of a PY10.   Also shown is a very pretty and seriously underrated SLJ Simplex derailleur.

 Braze on top cable guides are also unique. Note the very nicely finished seat cluster, many of the PX10's that I have seen up close are not all that well finished really. apparently these PY10's where built in Peugeot's race dept so we can assume a bit more care was given to these frame sets.

Inside the Peugeot race workshop we see a PY10 being assembled.

Probably the most conspicuous difference is the direct mounted Mafac brake calipers which was meant to stiffen up the action, I have to say they are a great set of brakes that work very well once you have sorted out the inevitable sequel.

Probably the reason I got mine at a reasonable price is because it isn't the famous white or the later Silver of the team bikes, though I  am really starting to warm to the blue of mine one now.

The bike didn't come with pedals and the only French ones I had was this very shabby Maillard 700 set, which were period perfect..so I set about a little refurbishment...

They came up so nice that I fitted a set of NOS Ale alloy toe clips to finish them off just right.

So here it is ready to ride, compete with tubular carrier and pump. I have been very pleased indeed with the performance of this bike, the frame is extremely stiff and handles as well as any Italian bike I have ridden and better than most, and the Simplex SLJ derailleurs are a real pleasure to use,and the retrofriction levers are really the best performing non index levers available imo...all in all a classic bike that really lives up to its reputation.

And best of all I finally have a bike to go with the jerseys I have collected over the years.

 

1949 R O Harrison Restoration

Here is a lovely 1949 R O Harrison which

has just been finished for it's new owner after a complete

restoration, including recreating a full decal set.

I found the bike in the UK last year in rather a 

dilapidated but structurally sound state.

I was very taken with it's lovely fork crown, and those

No 25a Oscar Egg rear drop outs are hard to pass by... 

Upon arrival in New Zealand it was sent off to the

chrome shop for a bit of work, while this was underway

I set about recreating a decal set. I had initially intended

using one of the decal sets available in the UK, however upon

close inspection it soon became apparent that these sets were

pretty poor reproductions of the originals, wrong fonts, 

wrong spacings in fact the more one looked the more

wrong they looked compared to the couple of photos

of original unrestored bikes that I was using for 

comparison...so I set to work.

 So here are my reproductions. I guess the folk in the UK just used

a gothic font that sort of closely resembled the originals, however

during the forties a graphic designer would have most likely

hand rendered the original font, so I traced from the originals.

The one fault (well two) are that the photo I used didn't show

the r/h end of the scroll so I made that part up, which I now 

know is the wrong shape, so will fix that for next time.

And my text is maybe a touch on the heavy side.

Still I am pretty pleased nonetheless, they are a vast 

improvement on what was available, and I sure as hell wasn't

 going to get a bike sent half way around the world, completely

restore it and then use some half-assed decals.

Coming as it did with those Oscar Egg drop outs, I thought

it was the right bike to run a classic Super Champion (Osgear)

drive train on, and luckily I had a spare set ready to go.

It turned out to be a very labour intensive build, as it is with

lots of these older bikes (well components actually) I find 

that you need to spend that bit of extra time refurbishing and

 then setting them up to work as smoothly as they can.

 That being said I really enjoyed this build from beginning to end, 
the three way paint job came out really well, I mixed all the paint colours 
specifically for this job and again am pleased with the overall look.

Don't even think about the time spent masking..ouch!

  The very pretty "GB Courier" Hiduminium brakes.

Yes and even the head tube decal that is being offered in

the UK is quite inaccurate, so had to remake this as well.

 

 Harden H/F hubs with Cyclo wing nuts laced to
Weinmann concave tubular rims.

 Original NOS Tressoplast cloth bar tape with three
coats of shellac, the same cloth is used as top tube cable
ties as was often done at the time.

The Lugs had been beautifully filed finished, I should have taken 

some photos of them unpainted, extremely tidy workmanship 

over the whole bike. I thinly lined them in gold to give them

just a nice little subtle highlight. 

Although these early Super Champion derailleurs were 

made to run three speeds, many were modified to cope with four 

speed freewheels when they became available, I have set this up

to run four speeds,but will let the new owner drill that fourth hole.

These derailleurs shift remarkably well, infact they shift a little like

the Campagnolo Grand Sport, in that you over shift slightly then 

centre the shifter back, you quickly get the hang of shifting them 

very smoothly and quietly.

 Without doubt one of the most classic and purposeful looking 

racing derailleur systems ever made..

 Cobra pedals, mainstay of the NZ peloton in seems, 

well judging by the number I have seen around here

and why not, they are a very stylish and robust piece.

A nicely balanced and very usable vintage racing bicycle.
I haven't road tested this one (it's raining) but hope to get it out in the 
next couple of days ..will let you know what it goes like.

Robert Capa, Tour de France], July 1939

The COVID-19 Vintage Cycling Reading Reading Room #5

Day six post #5 we have  Cycling magazine's road test of Bernard Thevenet's 1976 TdF winning Peugeot PY (PX)10, and who doesn't have a soft spot for PX 10's?

The COVID-19 Vintage Cycling Reading Reading Room #4

Day four brings you one of my  all time favorite articles..a well and truly thumbed through Feb 18 1978 Cycling piece on lightweight components, some great info here...for the rivet counter that is.


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