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Bonjour Encore Une Fois Monsieur Emile,
alterations -
at this time the PX-10 model was often a default purchase for young enthusiasts who really wanted a machine which was "all Campag" but could not afford it.
in 1970, for example, a new PX was 165USD while the lowest price bikes which were all Campag NR equipped save for brakes were 250USD.
an example of the latter was the Monark/Crescent model 320; while pretigious British and Italian marques were of course significantly higher.
this price differential may sound a small difference to the modern eye/ear but keep in mind that minimum wage in the U.S. at this time was $1.60/hr so that a new PX represented >100hrs, or two and one half weeks of full time,
gross income earnings for a young worker at an unskilled employment.
no sooner than the cycle was purchased than the new owner began saving for upgrades. usually the first item to be acquired was a Campag R/NR front mech to get rid of the dreaded Delrin pushrod gizmo. and on it would go as they progressed in their campaign of "Campification"...
those who stayed with the process would often make modifications to the frame as well.
hence today it is fairly rare to encounter PX's from this era which are completely OEM.
this forum thread covers one such piece dating from 1971 and gives many detail images -
Classic & Vintage - 1971 Peugeot PX-10 Time Capsule - I bought this 1971 PX-10 a few days ago and it appears to be completely original and very low mileage. The tires are possibly original, as the rims show very little wear on the braking surfaces, but any maker's name has long since...
www.bikeforums.net
dropouts -
when the paint is removed you will likely be able to see where the recess bearing the Simplex name has been filled in with brass in order to camouflage the dropouts' Simplexness.
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no-slide -
this piece cannot be seen in the images provided.
if it has not been removed the frame should exhibit a no-slide pibb on the underside of the downtube in the shape of a bar/wire transverse to the axis of the tube. this item is ~3mm in diameter and ~13mm long. should you elect to add shift lever bosses as mentioned you might as well remove it, if it yet be present.
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dating -
apologies if am off
1972 was the first year for this lug pattern and the first year for this model of fork crown.
had originally thought that 1971 was the final year for the scrolly NERVEX Professional lug pattern but learned through investigation subsequent to my earlier post that they reverted to it for the 1973 model year, at least on some examples.
also regarding chronological contradictions: we need to keep in mind that "the boom" was on and parts shortages and backorders were very much the norm in the industry at this time. so cycles often came through with one or more details which differed from the brochure/catalogue specifications. printed materials from manufacturers would typically bear a disclaimer in fine print at the bottom of a page or at the end of a catalogue/brochure stating something to the effect of "Specifications Subject To Change Without Notice."
have no quarrel with the dating of others. am definitely not a rampant lion buff or expert.
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since the bike is to be a "rider" as opposed to a collector item see no reason whatsoever not to make any alterations which will better suit it to your usage requirements.
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resources -
a)
BICYCLING! magazine review of the PX-10 for 1973 -
Bicycling! Mar 1973 Road Test Peugeot PX-10 Full Article.pdf
b) history of the PX-10 (and related models) through the years -
Dedicated To Lightweight Vintage Bicycles Circa 1900 – 1987Learn about or rediscover your favorite lightweight VINTAGE bicycles from the days when craftsmanship and individualism was the hallmark of the “good stuff”Dedicated To Lightweight Vintage Bicycles Circa 1900 – 1987Learn about or...
www.classicrendezvous.com
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