Re: [CR]1973: $120 for a UO-8 and $200.00 for a PX-10?

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From: "Charles T. Young" <youngc@netreach.net>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: Re: [CR]1973: $120 for a UO-8 and $200.00 for a PX-10?
Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2001 22:33:11 -0400


Hear, hear. My first non-Sturmey bicycle was also a UO-8. It was a step up from my stripped down Raleigh three speed with inverted bars. Stood me in good stead until stolen at College during my sophomore year. Not a racer, but it allowed one to dream of the Tour de France. Believe me, compared to the Chiorda that I then rode until graduating, it was a pleasure. Even the Agda worked OK for me.

Charlie Young Honeybrook, PA -----Original Message----- From: Jerry & Liz Moos <moos@penn.com> To: stephen a. solombrino <up4479@hotmail.com> Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Date: Sunday, June 24, 2001 2:50 PM Subject: Re: [CR]1973: $120 for a UO-8 and $200.00 for a PX-10?


>I'm glad a few others share my favorable opinion of the UO-8. The frames,
>considering the price, were usually in good alignment with fairly clean lugwork
>and pretty good paint and decals. The white and black with Peugeot checkers and
>the little tire man Bib on the original Michelin tires seemed really French and
>really cool to American kids like me who knew almost nothing of European bicycle
>racing. With a change of derailleurs and saddle, you could do anything short of
>actual racing on a UO-8. I have no doubt more than one UO-8 has successfully
>completed a transcontinental tour. The essential thing for me is that the
>experience with the UO-8 as my first ten speed was sufficiently positive to make
>me want keep me riding bikes for 30 years now.
>
>Regards,
>
>Jerry Moos
>
>stephen a. solombrino wrote:
>
>> Joe, my experiences were the same. Ten minute assembly because the factory
>> did all the hard work and they were OK right out of the box. Some of the
>> other stuff was a mess including certain Raleighs. Steve
>>
>> >From: Joseph Bender-Zanoni <jfbender@umich.edu>
>> >To: Jerry & Liz Moos <moos@penn.com>, garth libre
>> ><rabbitman@mindspring.com>
>> >CC: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
>> >Subject: Re: [CR]1973: $120 for a UO-8 and $200.00 for a PX-10?
>> >Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2001 13:36:22 -0700
>> >
>> >I put together many a U08 and A0-8. While these bikes have little nostalgic
>> >appeal to me, Peugeot had one thing going for it and that was a sense of
>> >quality control. I am not saying that the bikes were great, but they were
>> >consistently good, which was a pleasent surprise in the bike boom days. At
>> >that time almost every sub $150 dollar bike was a lottery for the
>> >conscientious mechanic when you opened the box. For example, the Italian
>> >bike favorite was the chainline from hell, 25% of the Motobecanes had forks
>> >bent in shipping (or otherwise), Raleighs had component changes from the
>> >catalog or forgot to braze a joint every now and then, Schwinns required
>> >assembling and taping the bars and the wheels were often atrociously built
>> >(or better put, merely laced).
>> >
>> >By contrast Peugeots were highly assembled out of the box. They were also
>> >shrink wrapped. Many of the adjustments were pretty close and I suspect
>> >some dealers passed them on to customers with no more than 10 minutes of
>> >assembly time. I don't remember too many frame defects either, although I
>> >was pretty young and hadn't developed as critical an eye at that time.
>> >Anyway, I thought I'd pass on this hidden virtue of the Peugeots when
new.

>> >

>> >Joe