Just bought a 1988 Peugeot Perthus Pro...

[531 pro]

I couldn't resist: just purchased a 1988 Peugeot Perthus Pro in my size off the bay of pigs. Not sure my wife is too happy (i was given permission to buy a modern carbon bike in addition to this latest acquisition). But how could I refuse - this was the dog's danglies in my day, and i've just restored its stablemate from the 1980's in the form of my old Pug Aravis.

I wonder if you can help me with some ponderings. It occurs to me that I 'could', instead of buying a one grand planet x carbon, use this frame instead and do a full retro vintage restoration and use it as my main racing bike. Would the frame be up to it do you think?

Second question: a question from another ebay bidder alluded to these frames being 'notorious' for cracking. Is that right - I never heard of it myself (apart from some anecdotes about 753 being a bit brittle in crashes).

Hope you can advise (particularly on excuses to feed to my wife!)

 

[shawnb]

Can't help you with any excuses for the wife, mine stopped being believed months ago
I seem to have built up a love for the rare 531pro tubing, and despite lots of searching haven't come across any suggestions regarding the integrity of it, I'm guessing your Pug is lugged too? There's always scare stories / myths circulating about a friend of a friend back in the day had his *whatever* crack in half

I ride my '78 Gios mostly at the mo and it doesn't get overtaken often :twisted: Depending on the components you could be anything from 19-22lbs maybe? heavier than the plastic fanstastics but you'll look cooler and pushing a heavier bike will get you fitter. Only my opinion and generally open to argument

Saw a lovely mid/late '80's Pug in Brighton on Saturday it looked high end but we were going in different directions and it's generally regarded as suspect stopping another man randomly in Brighton.

 

[KermitGKona88]

Classic, beautiful, majestic, lively, springy, Pug Perthus Pro 753 or a soulless lump of plastic mmmmm let me think about that for a pico second......................

 

[531 pro]

arrivee...

Look what the postman delivered...

It doesn't seem to have had a lot of use, but the frame does have the patina of age and storage - should clean up quite well though. Despite its age it came apart very easily, with everything well lubricated and in fine fettle...

The frame is very light - on my scales the frame and forks are 2.2kg, the frame alone 1.4kg. How does that compare to a (24.5") carbon frame I wonder?

I'm going to use this as my everyday racer so its got to perform, so i'm thinking along the lines of sympathetic modern equipment. Quite fancy a modern Ultegra groupset? What do you reckon?? Also like the idea of some deep rims (for the whole carbon look). Anyone here done something similar - I'd be keen for inspiration!

 

[Midlife]

Seems to be some sort of cylinder head in the background.........what else are you building

Shaun

 

[Bigfish]

I had one of these in the late 90s. It was an ex Invicta RC team frame, previously owned by Terry Jackson, who used it to win the North Road hardriders. Lovely and light and responsive, and I used for 2 years of winter riding, until the chainstays both snapped. I was told that the French framebuilders brazed them rather than silver soldering, which led to a number of frame failures. Supposedly 753 should not be brazed.

 

[531 pro]

Man cave

Yes, welcome to my man cave! I'm building an engine for my rapidly-becoming-retro Saab - it's not just bikes that i'm stuck in the past with

 

[531 pro]

I had one of these in the late 90s. It was an ex Invicta RC team frame, previously owned by Terry Jackson, who used it to win the North Road hardriders. Lovely and light and responsive, and I used for 2 years of winter riding, until the chainstays both snapped. I was told that the French framebuilders brazed them rather than silver soldering, which led to a number of frame failures. Supposedly 753 should not be brazed.

Don't tell me this now! ha ha. Sounds like they ride nicely though. I suppose even if i did build it up with nice new equipment and something like that did happen then all is not lost. I take it when your chainstays snapped that it didn't end in a catastrophic crash!

 

[rocky ridge]

nice frames ive ridden a couple and they ride well nice
i like peugeots
i also have a 1992 saab 9000 with 45k miles that rides well nice too

 

[Bigfish]

I had one of these in the late 90s. It was an ex Invicta RC team frame, previously owned by Terry Jackson, who used it to win the North Road hardriders. Lovely and light and responsive, and I used for 2 years of winter riding, until the chainstays both snapped. I was told that the French framebuilders brazed them rather than silver soldering, which led to a number of frame failures. Supposedly 753 should not be brazed.

Don't tell me this now! ha ha. Sounds like they ride nicely though. I suppose even if i did build it up with nice new equipment and something like that did happen then all is not lost. I take it when your chainstays snapped that it didn't end in a catastrophic crash!

Sorry if that worried you. No, I didn't crash. Also, I was a bit of a lump back then and raced at 16 stone +. A bit heavy for 753.