Legacies...and whether or not they're worth it.

A week ago a friend told me that he had a birthday gift of two hundred dollars he wanted to put towards a new bike. I had some recommendations, but he wasn't interested. Instead he told me about the "beautiful" Peugeot his father had bought years ago as an undergraduate in Southern California. He told me of his father's fondness for it and how he had kept it in the garage all these long years. He really wanted to get it back out on the road. I agreed to take a look at it believing in my hubris that I'd have no trouble getting a garage kept road bike back out on the street, even though it was a french one. So I picked it up yesterday.

I was a little taken aback at first, but got over it. I got my tetanus shot back in January so I am no longer afraid to fondle such rusty objects. The rust and the vines growing through the spokes were strong indication that this thing probably hadn't been kept indoors. I can still see that indeed it must surely have been a beautiful bike in it's prime. My best guess is that it is either a UO8 or a UE8 from the early to mid 70's. (This is a great site to research the Peugeot lineage at). I love its decals and the lugs that resemble a pyramid:

The rims had some cool textures on the braking surface; I have never seen anything like it.

As I stripped it of its superfluous accouterments (generator set-up with headlight/taillight, kickstand etc.) I began to worry about its road worthiness. In my most conservative estimate it would take one hundred and fifty dollars of parts to get it back on the road. It came originally equipped with two plastic Simplex derailleurs both of which now had cracked and rotted bodies. Even more troubling was assuming I would be able to salvage the rear wheel. Its axle's threads had been smashed flat from being too loose in the frame and rolling somewhat with the bearing and the wheel. I believe I could save the cones by grinding off both ends of the axle and placing them on a new axle. I wouldn't bother if it still worked but its bearings are barely still rolling because the grease in them has dried to a consistency near rubber. It's in dire need of over hauling (and I'm not just saying that because I want to), though strangely the front ones still roll freely. Thankfully the cranks and bottom bracket, though extremely rusty, seem fine. I would not want to deal with trying to pull its cottered cranks. The bent chain guard has to go.

After this assessment I wondered whether it was worth the parts and labor. I will do it all for free if he wants it on the street again; I can understand wanting to bond with your father, riding a bike he's passed down. Traditions are one of the most important parts of a family. But even with all those new parts it will still be just a decked out rusty old frame.

...unless he lets me paint it too.