Show "Bicycle"

Wife's favorite bike is a ~1971 Peugeot UO-8. It was $74 new back then, all steel tubing that is NOT butted, so it's not as light as it could be, but you aren't going to crack the frame. She got it around 2007, in untouched original condition. That was cool for a little while, but SImplex shifters / Mafac Racer brakes on steel rims kinda suck, to be honest, so one day about 8 years ago she had me remake it into a very specific build:

- Singlespeed
- Front hub generator and hard-wired lights fore and aft
- Coaster brake out back / hub brake up front, ie "no rear brake cable"
- Velo Orange "Porteur" handlebar with VO leather wrap and a reverse lever on the right side for the front brake actuation
- Vintage bar bag with a little diving board support over the front wheel to keep it from drooping
- VO hammered aluminum fenders

She took it when we biked 340-odd miles from Pittsburgh to DC in 6 days. I bought a front rack set for the front wheel to carry two bags. She loved it on that trip, and the rack has stayed on permanently. I salvaged a brand new set of abandonned 700c wheels from a bike a neighbor girl bought / locked up outside / abandonned. Laced those to the new hubs myself. Now it wears normal 700x32c rubber instead of that 27" nonsense it had.

Then a month ago, the 48 year old front section of the drivetrain (front chain rings specifically) taco'd themselves into oblivion cranking up the steep hills here. That meant new bottom bracket, new cranks, and new chainring had to go on. New chain ring was larger than old, so new sprocket out back had to go on, with 2 more teeth, to get her gear ratio back where she likes it (about 60 gear inches, for the bike nerds).

It's done, and I'm so happy.

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KBRX4798 by gordopuggy, on Flickr

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KBRX4760 by gordopuggy, on Flickr
 
Not really a bike, but... I thought I hated bicycles in the traffic (they drive so recklessly around here) but, I hate these even more. These are dangerous for pedestrians when used recklessly, and many do. Number of accidents steadily growing for battery boarders.

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I just came back from a 40 minute, 7.5 mile shakedown cruise on this beauty, a 2017 Trek Verve 3. I literally headed out the door with it as soon as I assembled it and checked all the parts for proper tension. This is going to be my main ride. I gave away my older Diamondback 26" comfort bike, and the fat bike will be for winter and rough trail riding. Not shown in the pics is my Bontrager rack mount bag that now holds everything that I once carried in a backpack. Freedom!!

It's in excellent condition. I took a chance on having it shipped from a reseller in southern California, and even with shipping across the country, I saved a substantial sum from a new 2020 model - almost enough for a new lens. (Ssssssh! Don't tell my wife!). :D

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The Trek loaded as I'll ride it out on my adventures, with the Rixen & Kaul bar bag, an oversize bottle cage and 40 oz HydroFlask, and the Bontrager rear rack and bag. My wife and I spent a couple of hours Saturday morning exploring a nearby small river town on our bikes, and the 20" frame and taller tires on the Trek made the journey so much better. I wish I had learned about proper bike sizing years ago.

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