In 1882, Jean Pequignot Peugeot turned away from using his steel factory for household items and fixed towards making bicycles and penny farthings. Some 20 years later, his company Peugeot saw a marketing lead in the form of competition sports. Like all good companies, they put their tall aerodynamic frames to the test at the relatively new Tour de France and won first place at the hands of a Frenchman who was revered as “The Florist”. Peugeot continued this behavior and incorporated itself in the name of bike racing.
I was in need of a commuter, and I haven't ridden a bike since I was 18. I read this interesting article on Low Tech Magazine about bicycle sustainability, and it gave me some more insight into the medium and also verified my feelings on E-Bikes. Having worked at an REI where E-bikes were being pushed to customers I didn't understand their existence nor their production. I still have this sentiment, one of “the most sustainable company is none at all”. The article pushes buying used, something i'm already well aware of. However talked about bicycle part compatibility being locked behind costly parts needing parts. The versatility and durability of steel frames providing long lasting use. 80's Steel frames boasting about part compatibility.
I ended up picking up this bike from a European guy in Indiana for 100$. A nice dad kinda figure, apparently he was in France in 1887 and picked it up at a bikeshop during his visit. Brought it back to the States and ended up going back and forth on whether to sell it or let it enjoy its air conditioned corner of the garage .Carbolite Steel Frame, 54cm post, horizontal dropouts, 12 speed stem shifters, almost mint livery. Too bad that over a century later of hand making beautiful road bikes Jean Peugeot gets to see me fumble with my bike inexperience and break the derailleur and get the chain pin fused to my motorcycle chain breaker. Kinda sucks but it's a learning process, and I've learned that I never want to fuck with derailleurs ever again. I've dealt with the hell of cleaning and tuning 4 carbed motorcycles, I don't want to be reminded of tedium. I plan on getting a single speed rear sprocket and changing this to a single speed. I feel that it's sacrilege to do that and not keep it as near to dead-stock as possible but you know. Reliability comes first sometimes.