So many Peugeots have come and gone that what was done to each, has been lost in time.  As mentioned, the $329.00 sales tag was still hanging on the Peugeot, when I got it.  And, the little nibs on tires were also still present.  However, the tires had not suffered the passing of time well, and looked to be unsafe to use.

With the time ravaged tire condition in mind, I went to a local shop and asked for the biggest tire that would fit my rims.  As it turned out, the tires I purchased were 27" x 1 3/8", aggressive tread wonders, that did little to improve the bicycle's ride quality.  But, that consideration did not even enter my mind, when I selected them.

I need to qualify that last statement.  When I found the Super Sport, I was pretty new to the vintage bicycle interest thing.  I had built up a bicycle, or two, but really did not know enough to be considered a decent bicycle mechanic or ride expert.  I am still neither, however, after building and riding, hundreds of vintage road bicycles, I do think that my opinion might bear a bit of weight.  But in those days...  Well, let's just say that I am lucky I didn't kill myself.

Because the Peugeot was unused, and everything seemed to be working as intended, I decided that a complete tear down was unwarranted.  Rather, I did the cable lubrication thing, followed by oiling the chain.  To those simple mechanical repairs, I added a pretty thorough cleaning of what was, mostly, a dust bicycle.

With the so called tuning issues out of the way, I installed the tires, along with new thorn resistant inner tubes.  Though these inner tubes dramatically increase rolling weight, I was, thankfully, oblivious to the ride quality problem I had created.  But, my goal was to prevent, or at least, reduce flatting out.  And, to that end, I was incredibly successful.  The Peugeot Super Sport, and I, shared close to four and a half thousand miles together in that first year of riding, and not one flat tire made its ugly presence known.

Though the "as found" plastic handlebar tape was in good condition, I do not like the tape.  Additionally, as a suffer of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, padded bar tape is always the best way to go.  Following that line of reason, I wrapped the bars with cushion tape, and fitted a set of Weinmann hoods that I was astute enough to purchase several sets of a few years ago to ten bucks a set.  Guess what they cost today?

The one other thing I did to the Super Sport was replace the saddle.  The Brooks hype had reached my ears, and I wanted to know for sure what was what.  It just so happened that Cycle Path had a Brooks B17 Special in honey leather sitting on the shelf.  It had sat there for some time since, at that time, I was the only guy interested in old bicycles in Thunder Bay.

The guys at Cycle Path made me a good deal on the saddle, which was, in turn, mounted on the Peugeot.  The result - instant comfort!  I could not believe how great the saddle felt, or didn't feel, is perhaps the better way to put it.  There was no breaking in required.  The saddle was perfect, right out of the box.

Let me qualify that.  The Brooks B17 Special is the only Brooks saddle, be it new or used, that I have not had to break in.  Every other Brooks perch needed use before the comfort factor reared its eagerly anticipated head.  And on vintage Brooks, a B15 model, proved to be the saddle from Hell.  It was so uncomfortable, that I actually apologized to my butt, upon my return home, after a forty mile ride.

I did few other things to the Super Sport.  Other than mount a saddle bag, purchased at Canadian Tire for under ten dollars, to the bicycle, I rode it, to and from work, for the balanced of the riding season.  And loved every minute of it.

NEXT - RIDING THE PEUGEOT SUPER SPORT