Jacques bought this bicycle brand new in Montreal, Canada in 1977 when he was 23.  It was the big boom era of the import of Peugeot bicycles in North America.  He used it sporadically over a period of 15 years.  Jacques did not use it to commute, but rather used it on the weekends for a ride.  He is the type of person who takes care of his things.  When Jacques moved to his condo in early 90’s he stored it in his locker and left it there for a good 15 years without using it.  Every time Jacques had to go in the locker to get something he had to take the bicycle out to make his way in the mess.  Over the years the bicycle got so rusted and dirty that it would make him feel bad and nostalgic about its heydays.  In the beginning of the summer 2007 he took the bicycle out of its prison and told his wife that the time had come to give his beloved Peugeot a second life.

In a nutshell, Jacques spent some 30 to 40 hours cleaning it and fit it to a near mint condition.  To achieve this “tour de force” he used alternately two metal cleaners:  NEVR DULL and BLUE MAGIC and …many cloths.  Jacques rubbed each and every spoke, one at the time, until the cloth no longer collected the black stuff resulting from the chemical reaction between the compound and the corrosion layer on the metal.  When this happened the spoke glittered like new.  This took time.  The toughest part was at the crossover of the spokes.

The original tires were Hutchinson 27x1¼ with the ‘’gum side’’.  They were completely rotten, so he replaced them with MICHELIN ‘’WORD TOUR 27x1¼ ‘’ with gum side.  These tires are wider when inflated than the original narrow racing tire, but better fit for city rides.  The tubes are the original Hutchinson!  The front and rear lights are recent add on’s (Schwinn Quality product).  The front light is not the high tech LED type, but Jacques liked the retro lens (bought at Canadian Tire).  He also replaced the front and rear inner brake cables and black sleeves (also purchased at Canadian Tire).  They are identical to the original.  Upon replacing the cable of the front brake, the adjuster that screwed in on the top of the brake lever broke off.  They are made out of brass and known to be fragile on sheer.  To keep the bicycle symmetrical Jacques had no choice but to use the step ferrules that came with the cable kits purchased at Canadian Tire. They are well noticeable on the pictures.  He also replaced the inner rusted speed cables with new ones (guess from where…).  Other than that, the bicycle is completely original, not restored with any other parts.  Even the centerpull brake straddle cables are original.