Rebuilding steel frame cycle

[blindmanpugh]

I have finally managed to get hold of my old Peugeot cycle, and would like to get it back to a roadworthy condition - purely because I can. However, after visiting a couple of local bike shops it would appear that this is going to be more difficult than i first thought. This is mainly because i want to try and keep it original.

Therefore I was wondering if anyone knows of any shops/warehouses etc that might have any old stock of stuff like old screw type head bearings and Shimano 105 bottom brackets etc? I have been looking through ebay and some online stores but there doesn't seem to be a lot of stuff around.

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

 

[porteous]

Take your time! The stuff is out there, some on e-bay and some you will find by searching online adverts. bearing components are easy to refurb with new balls and re-chroming if they are not too badly worn.

 

[brockers]

Search for Shimano UN51 (105 equivalent) Bottom Brackets. Even better go for the lighter UN71 or 72 (Ultegra/600 equivalent). A few on eBay last time I had a shufty. You shouldn't need to pay more than a tenner for a good second-hand one.

Again, have a look for 'threaded 1'' headsets' on the aforementioned online auction site. Good ones are Stronglight A9s with needle roller bearings if you can find them, or Tange ones with cartridge bearings, although you'll need a rough idea of the stack height - essentially how much thread is left on your steerer tube when you have the rest of the headset installed.

 

[blindmanpugh]

Hi Brockers, thanks for the advice and have been searching as you suggested. But 105 brakes and gear levers £55 + £15 p&p. Rear mech £12 +£5p&p. Seems like I might need to win the euro lottery to get it back in original shape lol But will watch and wait.

 

[smokeysmoo]

It's a lot easier than you think. I stripped one a few months ago to make a fixed gear, and I sold all the original bits on ebay, Weinmann 500 brakes, Sachs Huret mechs etc, and I didn't get very much for them at all, so keep your eyes peeled and they should pop up.

I got a new headset from GEOFF SMITH CYCLES in Bolton, off the shelf, and it cost me £6.

I bought the bottom bracket of Geoff Smith too, I think it was a UN51 and it was about £15.

I am after doing another one now but this time fitting Hollowtech II cups, a modern chainset and an ahead stem conversion. A decent mix of old and new.

Good luck with it, take your time, and if you decide to re-spray don't forget to face the BB shell and chase the threads.

 

[brockers]

If you're really crafty you might be able to pick up an old frame with bits on it (keep looking on eBay). Take the bits off and sell the frame. That's probably the cheapest way to do it. Although drawn to its logical conclusion, you might just as well buy a second hand bike and sell your frame.... As an example, I recently picked up a 531 frame for £35 with a decent 105 headset with a UN71 (100g lighter than a UN51) and chainset attached. Only cos the dishonest cock who sold it to me couldn't remove them or the handlebar stem which took me a few hours of swearing and throwing things around to sort.

I don't think it's necessary to have your bottom bracket faced (impossible to say without sniggering!) or your threads chased (ditto), when you're using 'old-fashioned' square tapered axles. Moreso if it's on a budget rebuild as nobody ever did that when I were a lad etc. I Just got a frame back from the sprayer and must admit that I was worried that the threads might be clogged, but Mr Sprayman said it's never an issue, and that everyone worries about that: chasing the thread with your bb cup will do the trick if you're that concerned. Having remedial work done on you bb is really only an issue if you're using outboard bearing chainsets and is likely to cost more than the frame's worth.

 

[Zoiders]

Do you have a picture of the Pug?

As some lower end ones use odd sized parts.

 

[smokeysmoo]

I don't think it's necessary to have your bottom bracket faced (impossible to say without sniggering!) or your threads chased (ditto). I Just got a frame back from the sprayer and must admit that I was worried that the threads might be clogged, but Mr Sprayman said it's never an issue, and that everyone worries about that: chasing the thread with your bb cup will do the trick if you're that concerned.

If you can get away with that then happy days. I couldn't even get the old bb cup started in the threads despite hours spent with wire wool to save a trip to my LBS. In the end I had to take it to my LBS, and 30 seconds with the right tool the threads were as clean as the day it was new, and he charged me the grand total of £0.00

Next time I'm going to prep the bb shell and mask it completely just to save any hassle.