My Last Photos of the PH 501

As my last two posts hopefully show, I was being more brazen about getting rid of the spare parts and bikes that I had left at my parent's place. (Post about parts sold coming soon). But I was on the fence about selling the Peugeot PH 501. It's by no means a rare bicycle that is coveted by collectors. And being ridden a couple times a year just wasn't enough to warrant the space it was taking up. However, it's a bicycle that I've had for a very long time (used it for my very first blog post!), and have put in time to upgrade its parts. And really, it rides nice and smooth.

But then I ran into a chance to sell it at a reasonable price to a person who ran into my Craigslist posts for Campagnolo parts. He needed a lot of Campy parts to build up an old Italian bike, and since I had Campy brakes and brake levers on the bike, I offered to sell the bike as a package.

So here are the last set of photos I took of my PH 501. Since my last post on this bike, I had added a Selle Italia Turbo saddle and Suntour Cyclone derailleurs (front and rear)

1985 Peugeot PH 501

1985 Peugeot PH 501

1985 Peugeot PH 501 - Campagnolo Record brake

1985 Peugeot PH 501- "Internal brazing" on this head tube; CTA stem

1985 Peugeot PH 501 - Suntour Cyclone front derailleur; Sugino DG(?) crankset

1985 Peugeot PH 501 - Suntour Cyclone M-II front derailleur (

1985 Peugeot PH 501 - Suntour Cyclone M-II rear derailleur...I swear

1985 Peugeot PH 501

1985 Peugeot PH 501 - Turbo Bernard Hinault saddle

1985 Peugeot PH 501 - Turbo Bernard Hinault saddle

1985 Peugeot PH 501 - Simplex Retrofriction downtube shifters

Morning ride

I took my Peugeot PH 501 with the new Mundialita saddle on a short test ride along the Historic Route 66, through parts of Arcadia, Monrovia, and Duarte. Despite having lived here for 10 years, I realized only recently that the Route 66 passed through this area. I've driven many times on what is now  Huntington Drive/Foothill Boulevard, but never really paid any attention to what "historical" things may lie along it. I wanted to document some of these sceneries today, but it got difficult with increasing traffic of people driving to work. I'll try this again soon on a weekend, and hopefully it'll be less crowded.
The Mundialita saddle wasn't so bad with my padded bike pants. I did start to feel a small uncomfortable pressure after about an hour of riding, but maybe playing with the saddle position will get rid of it. It's got a very different shape than my other saddles with the back raised much higher, so I wasn't quite sure how to set it up.

Santa Anita Race Track in the background; not part of the Route 66 (1/18/11)

Under the 210 Freeway (1/18/11)

In front of the Duarte City Hall (1/18/11)

Andres Avelino Duarte -- Supposedly a Mexican Corporal who owned a 7000-acre ranch in the area?? (1/18/11)

Westbound in Monrovia (1/18/11)

Westbound in Arcadia (1/18/11)

Sunday bike ride with my sister

I took my sister along on a 31-mile loop ride, mostly on the San Gabriel River and Rio Hondo bike trails.  I rode my Peugeot and my sister rode her "new" K2 Tradewind. It was a pretty relaxing Sunday afternoon ride for me, although my sister got pretty tired towards the end of the loop especially due to the bad fit of the Terry Liberator X saddle that I put on for her.

Entering San Gabriel River bike trail (1/9/11)

River to the left, forest of utility poles to the right (1/9/11)

(1/9/11)

(1/9/11)

The loop (traced on Google Earth)

Intro/1985 Peugeot PH 501

I am starting this blog to keep track of my endeavors in collecting and riding bicycles. I started fiddling around with bicycles in October, 2009 when I bought a Schwinn Tourist on eBay (originally sold at Target). After about a year and two months of buying/selling many used bicycles, I have become enamored of vintage bicycles. My collection as of now consists of:
1. 1989 Panasonic Team Custom (acquired April, 2010)
2. 1985 Peugeot PH 501 (acquired July, 2010)
3. 1987 Schwinn Cimarron LE (acquired December, 2010)
They're nothing spectacular, but they suit my needs for commute/recreation/exercise.

Since my Panasonic and Schwinn are disassembled for repair/overhaul, I will begin with my 1985 Peugeot PH 501. It came without the wheelset as part of a "bulk lot" of bicycles from a police auction. Once the other bikes/parts from the lot were fixed up and sold, this bike cost almost nothing. (I have time to do this because I'm currently an unemployed recent college graduate). The wheelset is a garage sale find for $40. Other parts have also been upgraded during the past months, and I hope to change the saddle, bar tape, and brake hoods in the near future. Find current specs below the pictures:

1985 Peugeot PH 501 - Drive-side (1/8/11)

1985 Peugeot PH 501 - With a cool vintage shade (1/8/11)

SPECS:
Frame: Reynolds 501 main tubes, internally brazed (no info on the materials of the stays, but probably hi-ten steel)
Fork: Peugeot Carbolite 103, chromed
Size: 54cm
Color: Metallic Black
Crankset: Sugino DGS 42 x 52
Shifters: Simplex Retrofriction
Derailleurs: Huret Sachs Rival, front and rear
Pedals: unknown brand, Christophe toe clips, leather toe straps
Chain: original Sedisport, black
Hubs: Shimano RSX, 7 speed cassette 11-28T
Rims: Mavic CXP 10 (not definite because the previous owner peeled off the stickers)
Tires: Specialized
Headset: Peugeot (according to the catalog)
Handlebar: Kusuki WinPista
Stem: CTA, aero
Brakes: Campagnolo 2040 Record, NOT period correct
Brake levers: Campagnolo Super Record
Saddle: WTB Speed V
Seatpost: J.P. Routens, micro-adjust
Accessories: Planet Bike rear light; Schwinn Voyageur handlebar bag; Zefal handlebar mirror; Zefal frame pump (not pictured)