# 1970s Peugeot restore...need some help



## white lemon (Apr 14, 2009)

Hey there everyone. I'm restoring my Peugeot road bike from about 1970 and I'm having some issues. The whole project started with a broken rear derailleur pulley and four derailleurs later I'm still having issues. I'm trying to keep a vintage look to the bike so I bought a simplex derailleur off ebay that was the same as the one I had, but that one ended up breaking. I think the plastic pulleys are just too old and brittle. Right now I'm using a newer shimano derailleur that one of my local bike shops found for me because it has the same type of hanger as my old one. I'm wondering what other people have been doing for derailleurs on their old restores? I would like to keep with the vintage look but maybe substitute the plastic pulleys for more durable metal ones. Please let me know if you have any suggestions of what to do about a rear derailleur or if you have any other suggestions. Thank you.
Below are before and after pictures of the bike as well as the broken derailleur pulleys.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

white lemon said:


> Hey there everyone. I'm restoring my Peugeot road bike from about 1970 and I'm having some issues. The whole project started with a broken rear derailleur pulley and four derailleurs later I'm still having issues. I'm trying to keep a vintage look to the bike so I bought a simplex derailleur off ebay that was the same as the one I had, but that one ended up breaking. I think the plastic pulleys are just too old and brittle. Right now I'm using a newer shimano derailleur that one of my local bike shops found for me because it has the same type of hanger as my old one. I'm wondering what other people have been doing for derailleurs on their old restores? I would like to keep with the vintage look but maybe substitute the plastic pulleys for more durable metal ones. Please let me know if you have any suggestions of what to do about a rear derailleur or if you have any other suggestions. Thank you.
> Below are before and after pictures of the bike as well as the broken derailleur pulleys.



First of all, beautiful job on the restore.... Gorgeous bike..

You should be able to use replacement pulleys with the Simplex derailleur...any LBS should carry them...just make sure they are the same diameter as your current ones.

Another option is to use a more modern derailleur..since you are using friction shifting and not index, any road will work.... Check eBay for Shimano 600 or 105 older models...They will work just fine....

If you can't find anything, PM me...I might be able to help


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## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

Dave Hickey said:


> First of all, beautiful job on the restore.... Gorgeous bike..
> 
> You should be able to use replacement pulleys with the Simplex derailleur...any LBS should carry them...just make sure they are the same diameter as your current ones.
> 
> ...



me too I have a 1/2 dozen vintage rear derailleurs I could send you


edit: actually, I have 18 vintage rear der.....shimano, suntour and huret.......price is right.....free


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## zmudshark (Jan 28, 2007)

Touch0Gray said:


> me too I have a 1/2 dozen vintage rear derailleurs I could send you
> 
> 
> edit: actually, I have 18 vintage rear der.....shimano, suntour and huret.......price is right.....free


Likewise.

There is a new forum that just started for selling/buying stuff:
http://bicycletrader.us/index.php

Not my site, no connection, etc, but may be of use, someday.


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## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

zmudshark said:


> Likewise.
> 
> There is a new forum that just started for selling/buying stuff:
> http://bicycletrader.us/index.php
> ...


All I want is to GIVE this stuff away.....


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## fast ferd (Jan 30, 2009)

You certainly improved the look and performance of your UO8 with better parts. I see absolutely no reason to stay with Simplex derailleurs - - possibly the most gawdawful units ever made. Surely the French sought revenge on us for something we did to them.

Go Suntour, Shimano, or Campy. Then see how far you can throw those Simplex POS's.

Oh, hopefully a new rear derailleur will take up some chain slack for you. Otherwise remove a link or two.


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## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

fast ferd said:


> Then see how far you can throw those Simplex POS's.


depending on th OP's age and condition of the shoulders, I would HIGHLY recommend some kind of launcher!!!!!


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## white lemon (Apr 14, 2009)

Thanks everyone for the help. TouchOGray, I would certainly like to take a look at those old derailleurs (maybe you could PM me with some pictures). I've tried to find pulleys to fit in my simplex derailleur at my LBS but they didn't really have anything that would fit (they tend to carry more modern components). This is what I get for trying to restore a 40 year old bike! I've restored most things on the bike, getting the crank off was the hardest thing, we finally had to resort to a grinder! The rear derailleur has also posed quite a problem along with finding correctly sized bolts for the stem and seat post binder.

Thanks again for the help...more suggestions are always welcome.


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## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

what size are the pulleys (diameter and number of teeth)? I'll post some pics in the morning

need some front derailleurs too?


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## white lemon (Apr 14, 2009)

Touch0Gray said:


> what size are the pulleys (diameter and number of teeth)? I'll post some pics in the morning
> 
> need some front derailleurs too?


the pulleys on the simplex have 10 teeth and are about 1.4 inch in diameter. The main problem I've been having with finding new pulleys is that the inner diameter is too bit or too small for the simplex derailleur. From reading other peoples' posts I think I might abandon the simplex derailleurs since those haven't really been working for me anyway and go with another vintage derailleur. Sure I'll look at front derailleurs too...that would be cool if the front and rear ones matched. Anything will be better than the huge honker I have on there now (which isn't more than a chain tensioner at the moment so that I can actually ride the bike).
Thanks again for the help with the derailleurs


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## pdh777 (Oct 7, 2005)

FWIW - probably a notch or two better than SImplex are the French Huret derailuers of the period - that is if you want to keep it from that period.


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## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

*"inventory"*

Rear
SunTour
XCE
BL………..2
VX……….2
XR100
XC ltd
Huret
Shimano
Deore XT
Deore DX……..2
SIS with hanger
Z505…………..3
exage 400 LX…2


Front
Suntour Alpine tech?
AR

Shimano
fd at11………..2
fd z206
fdz204………...2


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## fast ferd (Jan 30, 2009)

Man, TOG...that's some inventory! Do you have a chromed cage spring fixing bolt for a '63 Campy Record rear? Or metal outer washers for '71 Campy downtube shifters? 

FWIW, any time somebody says they've got a better derailluer than a Simplex and it's a Huret, well, that's like saying Janet Reno looks better than Ruth Ginsberg. lol

I'd take that Suntour BL with the short cage. It will shift far better than the Huret and won't look as funky as those humongous caged units. Although those shifted great, if memory serves me right. Heck, they all shift great. Friction shifting at its best!


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## white lemon (Apr 14, 2009)

TOG, thanks for the pictures. I'll have a look and let you know (probably when I get home from class this afternoon). My main concern is that the hanger attaches to the bike the same way the simplex one does (in the pictures of my original post) or that i can use the hanger from the simplex one with another derailleur (which hasn't been so successful thusfar). Later I will measure the hanger/derailleur attachment and let you know. worst case scenario you can just send me a bunch of them that look like they'll work and I can send you back the ones that don't (if you want them). Thanks again, I'm so excited about getting a derailleur that will work!


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## orbeamike (Nov 20, 2004)

Looks like the Shimano DX or SIS are your best bet since they are the only ones I see with built in hangers. All other rear derailleurs require a hanger integral to the rear drop out. The SIS visually most resembles your Simplex and should be a good alternative.


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## white lemon (Apr 14, 2009)

orbeamike said:


> Looks like the Shimano DX or SIS are your best bet since they are the only ones I see with built in hangers. All other rear derailleurs require a hanger integral to the rear drop out. The SIS visually most resembles your Simplex and should be a good alternative.


Yeah...I see that those are the only two with a hanger. I also have the hanger off my simplex so if that could attach to any of the other ones they might work too. The SIS or Shimano DX do look like my best bets at the moment.


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## Reynolds531 (Nov 8, 2002)

I have one of the simplex SX100 derailleurs with a hanger like pictured below. I'm trying to get rid of stuff to deserving people, too.


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## Dave_Stohler (Jan 22, 2004)

Maybe those old Simplex and Huret derailleurs are correct for the period, but I know from experience that they were crap. Even a fairly cheap "modern" Shimano is better in every respect (except maybe weight, but only for top-of-the-line Hurets).


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## Harold Snepsts (Apr 26, 2009)

white lemon said:


> Hey there everyone. I'm restoring my Peugeot road bike from about 1970 and I'm having some issues. The whole project started with a broken rear derailleur pulley and four derailleurs later I'm still having issues. I'm trying to keep a vintage look to the bike so I bought a simplex derailleur off ebay that was the same as the one I had, but that one ended up breaking. I think the plastic pulleys are just too old and brittle. Right now I'm using a newer shimano derailleur that one of my local bike shops found for me because it has the same type of hanger as my old one. I'm wondering what other people have been doing for derailleurs on their old restores? I would like to keep with the vintage look but maybe substitute the plastic pulleys for more durable metal ones. Please let me know if you have any suggestions of what to do about a rear derailleur or if you have any other suggestions. Thank you.
> Below are before and after pictures of the bike as well as the broken derailleur pulleys.


I'd be curious to know more about your restoration. I recently bought a 70s era Peugeot 
that I think is a UO 8 from the mid 70s. I plan on using it as a commuter, but would like to make some minor upgrades while preserving the look of the bike as much as possible.

Namely changing out the steel wheels to something lighter that I can use hooked bead tires on (I've heard the old steel 27" can be a pain to seat tires on and aren't the best for braking). That and either putting some clips on the pedals or maybe even going clipless. 

Naturally it wasn't until after I bought the bike that I learned about all those lovely non-standard French sizes on pre-80s Peugeots. Bottom bracket, stem, seatpost, etc. Just wondering how much of that you dealt with.


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## David Loving (Jun 13, 2008)

When I had my PX-10, I got an alloy Simplex rear der. - of course the pulley wheels were still plastic.


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## white lemon (Apr 14, 2009)

Harold Snepsts said:


> I'd be curious to know more about your restoration. I recently bought a 70s era Peugeot
> that I think is a UO 8 from the mid 70s. I plan on using it as a commuter, but would like to make some minor upgrades while preserving the look of the bike as much as possible.
> 
> Namely changing out the steel wheels to something lighter that I can use hooked bead tires on (I've heard the old steel 27" can be a pain to seat tires on and aren't the best for braking). That and either putting some clips on the pedals or maybe even going clipless.
> ...


That is very cool that you bought a 70s Peugeot. The main problem I've been having is broken rear derailleurs. The teeth on the pulleys seem to break off pretty easily on the 70s derailleurs so I suggest keeping an eye on your pulleys. When buying a new derailleur, make sure it has the same kind of hanger as the one on there. I have some extras if you need one. I also upgraded my wheels with something lighter and I went with the 700c size.  The thing to be careful of is the small rear spacing. I ended up keeping the hubs and rebuilding the wheels with new rims and spokes. As for the french sizes, I used a threadless bottom bracket that I bought off ebay. I kept the stem and seatpost that came with the bike and haven't really had a problem with them yet. The bolts are also non-standard sizes so it is hard to replace those.
I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any more questions. I'd be happy to share what I've learned.


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## zigurate (Mar 3, 2009)

Great project, Peugeot is a lovely classy bike.


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## Trower (Apr 28, 2009)

Very new around here (have been lurking the past couple days), but man that is a wonderful Peugeot! I have been looking for an early mid 70's Peugeot myself to restore and have some fun with.


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## white lemon (Apr 14, 2009)

Trower said:


> Very new around here (have been lurking the past couple days), but man that is a wonderful Peugeot! I have been looking for an early mid 70's Peugeot myself to restore and have some fun with.



Thanks...the bike is still under work and eventually I will repaint it to make it look nicer and put new decals on it. I know someone in the Bay Area in California who is selling a mid 70's Peugeot frame if you are interested. I just saw it this past weekend and I think its still available. It is in quite nice shape.


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## Trower (Apr 28, 2009)

white lemon said:


> Thanks...the bike is still under work and eventually I will repaint it to make it look nicer and put new decals on it. I know someone in the Bay Area in California who is selling a mid 70's Peugeot frame if you are interested. I just saw it this past weekend and I think its still available. It is in quite nice shape.


Well I'm about as far away from there as you can get in the US (live in Northern Maine), otherwise I would be interested. Thanks for letting me know about it though, Nick


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## Harold Snepsts (Apr 26, 2009)

white lemon said:


> That is very cool that you bought a 70s Peugeot. The main problem I've been having is broken rear derailleurs. The teeth on the pulleys seem to break off pretty easily on the 70s derailleurs so I suggest keeping an eye on your pulleys. When buying a new derailleur, make sure it has the same kind of hanger as the one on there. I have some extras if you need one. I also upgraded my wheels with something lighter and I went with the 700c size. The thing to be careful of is the small rear spacing. I ended up keeping the hubs and rebuilding the wheels with new rims and spokes. As for the french sizes, I used a threadless bottom bracket that I bought off ebay. I kept the stem and seatpost that came with the bike and haven't really had a problem with them yet. The bolts are also non-standard sizes so it is hard to replace those.
> I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any more questions. I'd be happy to share what I've learned.


It had an old Simplex on it with the pulleys busted in half, so the guy I bought it from put on a Suntour, I think. 

I couldn't tell from the pics, were you able to keep the brakes with the 700c wheels? I like that the 700s give more options out there for wheels and tires, just not sure if the Mafac brakes will reach the extra 4 mm's.

Thanks for the help. I'm sure I'll have plenty more questions once I get a chance to start working on it.


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## white lemon (Apr 14, 2009)

Suntours are better so hopefully you won't have the same issues I'm having. 

Yes I was able to keep the Mafac brakes with the 700c wheels. It makes rim and tire options much larger.

good luck and keep the questions coming


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## Harold Snepsts (Apr 26, 2009)

white lemon said:


> Suntours are better so hopefully you won't have the same issues I'm having.
> 
> Yes I was able to keep the Mafac brakes with the 700c wheels. It makes rim and tire options much larger.
> 
> good luck and keep the questions coming


The two biggest things I'd like to change on the bike are the wheels and bb/cranks, which sound like two of the hardest things to change.

So you rebuilt 700c wheels with the same hubs? Hmm.... wheelbuilding is probably beyond my level of ability/patience. I'd love to get rid of these old steel wheels. Though one upside is that using my rear brake also acts as a very effective horn because of the awful squeaking sound. 

How's the threadless bottom bracket working out? I've heard mixed opinions on those. And I'm guessing once I try to get this cottered crank off, there's going to be no turning back.


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## white lemon (Apr 14, 2009)

Harold Snepsts said:


> The two biggest things I'd like to change on the bike are the wheels and bb/cranks, which sound like two of the hardest things to change.
> 
> So you rebuilt 700c wheels with the same hubs? Hmm.... wheelbuilding is probably beyond my level of ability/patience. I'd love to get rid of these old steel wheels. Though one upside is that using my rear brake also acts as a very effective horn because of the awful squeaking sound.
> 
> How's the threadless bottom bracket working out? I've heard mixed opinions on those. And I'm guessing once I try to get this cottered crank off, there's going to be no turning back.


yeah...the two biggest things that I changed were the wheels and the bb/crankset which were also the most challenging. Once the cottered crank comes of that is it. Mine was so rusted on that my LBS had to take an angle grinder to it. I think it was worth it though to replace it with an aluminum alloy crank which is much lighter and you don't need special tools to work on it. The threadless bb is working out great for me....I haven't had any problems with it. I did rebuild the wheels with the original hubs, but would definitely not have embarked on that adventure without the help of my boyfriend who has done a lot of wheel building. The lacing is not very complicated but the trueing is the time consuming part and requires some sort of skill and know-how. You could probably get your LBS to do that part for you.

Good luck with your project, sounds like you're making good progress. I would love to see a picture of your bike some time.


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## 5amstr (Jun 5, 2014)

im trying to restore my dads old peugeot which is also from the early 70's, i need to replace my derailleur too, this deal doesnt happen to still be active is it?


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## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

you referring to the stuff I have? What are you looking for?


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## 5amstr (Jun 5, 2014)

Both the front and the rear derailleurs.


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## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

Lemme check tomorrow, I'll see what I have left

Edit : what is on there ? HURET?


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## 5amstr (Jun 5, 2014)

Thank you, email me at [email protected]


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## 5amstr (Jun 5, 2014)

Please and thank you


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## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

sorry I got real busy....gimme a bit here


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## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

this is what I have left....


I will email the big file


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## 5amstr (Jun 5, 2014)

What would you want for a front and rear derailleur for a peugeot uo8?


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## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

5amstr said:


> What would you want for a front and rear derailleur for a peugeot uo8?


send me a message here on RBR or respond to the email I sent (assuming you got it) and which are you interested in, the suntour or the shimano


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## zxcvbn (Jul 10, 2014)

Also trying to restore a 70s UO8 run-down simplex rear derailleur. I know next to nothing about bike repairs, this being my first bike, and I'm looking for some guidance on what my best options are. What kind of rear derailleur would be the "best" replacement for the stock simplex one? "Best" meaning easiest to find, easiest to swap out, etc. Also if anyone can point me in the direction of a good place to start learning about how I might change out the old derailleur for the new one, that'd be great.


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## Opus51569 (Jul 21, 2009)

C'mon down folks to:
*
T0G's Used Component Emporium*...


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## CliffordK (Jun 6, 2014)

You can find simplex derailleurs on E-Bay. 
Does your derailleur have an integrated derailleur hanger (wheel bolts through upper half of the derailleur) or is the derailleur hanger part of the frame, and the derailleur bolts on just below the rear wheel attachment.

Those with the integrated hangers may be a pain. I don't know if you can just unbolt the hanger, it may depend on the model. If the derailleur hanger is part of the frame, then just about any modern derailleur will work. After you mount it, set the adjusting screws to keep your chain on. If you have fairly small cogs on your rear sprocket, then you can use a short cage derailleur. If you have large cogs, get a medium, or even long cage derailleur.

What is wrong with your derailleur. The derailleur jockey wheels are easily replaceable. However, you can also take them apart, clean them, and grease any place you can squeeze in a little grease. A little WD40 in other places, and your derailleur should work as good as new.

It never hurts to replace the cables, and perhaps cable housings if your bike is old, and has a bit of rust or abuse.

Oh, if you're not familiar with the derailleur, and don't have a working bike to compare to, make a drawing of the path the chain takes through the jockey wheels before taking it all apart.


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## zxcvbn (Jul 10, 2014)

CliffordK said:


> You can find simplex derailleurs on E-Bay.
> Does your derailleur have an integrated derailleur hanger (wheel bolts through upper half of the derailleur) or is the derailleur hanger part of the frame, and the derailleur bolts on just below the rear wheel attachment.
> 
> Those with the integrated hangers may be a pain. I don't know if you can just unbolt the hanger, it may depend on the model. If the derailleur hanger is part of the frame, then just about any modern derailleur will work. After you mount it, set the adjusting screws to keep your chain on. If you have fairly small cogs on your rear sprocket, then you can use a short cage derailleur. If you have large cogs, get a medium, or even long cage derailleur.
> ...











The issue with the derailleur is that the upper and lower pulleys have lost nearly every tooth. It does shift, but noisily and maybe not as easily as it should. From what I've read I don't really want to replace it with a simplex of the same vintage--apparently they wear easily? If I can replace the jockey wheels as another option I guess that'd work too? Not entirely sure.


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## CliffordK (Jun 6, 2014)

Your photo didn't come up. 

Try inserting the photo from the advanced editing screen.

The teeth on the jockey wheels don't need to be very big, but the wheels do wear out eventually. Also the internal bushings will wear out, and the wheels become loose. I think they are pretty standard, and should be easy to replace. 

I never was too impressed with Simplex derailleurs, so it doesn't hurt to upgrade, as long as you aren't stuck on "originality".


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## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

can you get the picture up? I might have what you need... (all I ask is the price of postage)

At this rate , I will run out of old stuff by 2020


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## zxcvbn (Jul 10, 2014)

Touch0Gray said:


> can you get the picture up? I might have what you need... (all I ask is the price of postage)
> 
> At this rate , I will run out of old stuff by 2020


Picture should be up now.


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## 5amstr (Jun 5, 2014)

A Suntour BL would work, I actually just took a mountain bike derailleur off of an old bike I had lying around and it works just fine


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## CliffordK (Jun 6, 2014)

Ok, so you do have the integrated derailleur hanger. But, the derailleur looks in good shape for a 30 year old derailleur. Does it still separate with an allen wrench?

I'd just get a new set of Jockey Wheels, or find some old used derailleur to steal a pair off of. I've found that most of the old jockey wheels are pretty similar.

If you and TouchofGray don't work something out, I could probably see if I can dig up a few of the wheels.

Other than worn jockey wheels, is the system working for you? Other upgrades such as more gears in store?


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## zxcvbn (Jul 10, 2014)

CliffordK said:


> Ok, so you do have the integrated derailleur hanger. But, the derailleur looks in good shape for a 30 year old derailleur. Does it still separate with an allen wrench?
> 
> I'd just get a new set of Jockey Wheels, or find some old used derailleur to steal a pair off of. I've found that most of the old jockey wheels are pretty similar.
> 
> ...


Thanks for all the help everyone!

No, not thinking about additional gears at the moment. Haven't tried taking an allen wrench to it, yet. Only thing is upshifting the front derailleur seems kind of dicey--seems very easy to slip the chain past the largest ring and onto the cranks...

I'd be able to replace the plastic jockey wheels with more durable ones and keep the rest of the derailleur assembly?


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## CliffordK (Jun 6, 2014)

Most of the vintage jockey wheels are plastic, even on the high-end components. And, quite a few today are still plastic.

You will find quite a few aluminum (CNC/billet) jockey wheels on E-Bay, and they should also work, as long as they have more or less the same number of teeth.

If you're dropping the chain on the cranks, then you should adjust the front derailleur. Put the bike in your highest gear (big in front, small in back). Find the stop on the front derailleur that blocks it from going too far to the right, and tighten it until the chain is close to the derailleur cage, but doesn't rub. Make sure you can shift smoothly.


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## downwithme (Aug 31, 2014)

I recently found a Peugeot on craigslist but the rear derailleur is completely busted. 1984 Peugeot PSV10L Vintage Road Bike here is the link to the post. I was wondering if one of the derailleurs you have would fit the bike.


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## CliffordK (Jun 6, 2014)

The photos on the Craigslist ad aren't very clear. The derailleur is on the bike, but the chain looks a bit loose.

Anyway, the advantage of the older friction shifters is that just about any derailleur will work. It depends on how "authentic" you wish to keep your bike, but I never hear of people complaining about my Ultegra rear derailleur. The advantage of an upgraded derailleur is that it makes gearing upgrades easier too, should you choose 7, 8, or 9 speed later.

If your derailleur has an integrated "Claw",adapters are commonly available. If it doesn't, then the bolt-on derailleurs are pretty standard.


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## Che (Jun 15, 2016)

*'75 or '76 Peugeot U-08*



Touch0Gray said:


> me too I have a 1/2 dozen vintage rear derailleurs I could send you
> 
> edit: actually, I have 18 vintage rear der.....shimano, suntour and huret.......price is right.....free


I know this is a very old thread but i also have a bike I identified as a '75 or '76 Peugeot U-08 based on the decals, etc. I still have the old Simplex derailleur and I am concerned about it breaking on me while riding but so far so good.

I have seen several suggestions to replace it with a Suntour or possibly a Shimano 600 but I have not done enough research yet. How do I go about determining which derailleur will work. Any chance the user quoted above is still trying to get rid of any of these?

Thanks,

Che'

pics attached


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## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

Che said:


> I know this is a very old thread but i also have a bike I identified as a '75 or '76 Peugeot U-08 based on the decals, etc. I still have the old Simplex derailleur and I am concerned about it breaking on me while riding but so far so good.
> 
> I have seen several suggestions to replace it with a Suntour or possibly a Shimano 600 but I have not done enough research yet. How do I go about determining which derailleur will work. Any chance the user quoted above is still trying to get rid of any of these?
> 
> ...


I still have some, not sure what anymore. Lemme check, send me a message


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## Che (Jun 15, 2016)

Touch0Gray said:


> I still have some, not sure what anymore. Lemme check, send me a message


I am not sure how to send a message here but I can provide my email or number.

Che'


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