CanAmSteve
Dirt Disciple
I picked up a nice old Peugeot Triathlon the other day and have been cleaning it up. It was purchased new by the previous owner and it was pretty obvious why it never got much use - it's a 62cm frame (that's according to the sticker on the chainstay - I actually I measure it at 63.5 cm = 25"). I'm 6'3 and it's large for me - he is about 5'9"...
To add to his discomfort, he lived near High Wycombe - essentially one looooong hill, and the rear six speed is 13/23 with a 52/42 front. I suspect it mostly went up in two-foot gear, or was never used at home.
So sort of a NOS Peugeot in super-large frame. Nice for me. It doesn't need much - I've replaced the brake blocks and will replace the brake cables once my order arrives. Today I thought to replace the tyres as they have the usual unused tread but split sidewalls.
Well, I had never seen a Maillard Helicomatic setup before! Fortunately, the lockring was loose enough to remove without a tool A bit of cycling history there - part freewheel and part cassette. Sheldon Brown was positively scathing in his opinion of the reliability of the Helicomatic, so I think I will just put the wheels aside for now and swap in some new wheels (125mm rear spacing).
I'll retain the original wheels (in good condition - Mavic rims with Maillard hubs - nothing fancy) but should I want to use them, what are my options for rear cogs? I need to find something wider range with lower gears. The Sachs Huret Rival can handle a large cog (34 allegedly) but only a total difference of 28, so subtract the ten up front and I can supposedly use a 14/34 rear - probably safer to try a 14/32. Suggestions? Sources?
Some other neat things (to me, at least) about this bike - the seatpost is the "quill" type with expander bolt at the bottom tightened by a long bolt from the top like a stem. It's in perfect condition but a bit of a fiddle as the seat has to come off (almost) to adjust height.
And the bar tape (in great shape) is on the "wrong" way - overlapping itself at the top (stem) and then finishing under the end plugs on the drops. Actually looks quite tidy - a lot nicer than electrical tape.
To add to his discomfort, he lived near High Wycombe - essentially one looooong hill, and the rear six speed is 13/23 with a 52/42 front. I suspect it mostly went up in two-foot gear, or was never used at home.
So sort of a NOS Peugeot in super-large frame. Nice for me. It doesn't need much - I've replaced the brake blocks and will replace the brake cables once my order arrives. Today I thought to replace the tyres as they have the usual unused tread but split sidewalls.
Well, I had never seen a Maillard Helicomatic setup before! Fortunately, the lockring was loose enough to remove without a tool A bit of cycling history there - part freewheel and part cassette. Sheldon Brown was positively scathing in his opinion of the reliability of the Helicomatic, so I think I will just put the wheels aside for now and swap in some new wheels (125mm rear spacing).
I'll retain the original wheels (in good condition - Mavic rims with Maillard hubs - nothing fancy) but should I want to use them, what are my options for rear cogs? I need to find something wider range with lower gears. The Sachs Huret Rival can handle a large cog (34 allegedly) but only a total difference of 28, so subtract the ten up front and I can supposedly use a 14/34 rear - probably safer to try a 14/32. Suggestions? Sources?
Some other neat things (to me, at least) about this bike - the seatpost is the "quill" type with expander bolt at the bottom tightened by a long bolt from the top like a stem. It's in perfect condition but a bit of a fiddle as the seat has to come off (almost) to adjust height.
And the bar tape (in great shape) is on the "wrong" way - overlapping itself at the top (stem) and then finishing under the end plugs on the drops. Actually looks quite tidy - a lot nicer than electrical tape.
