Conversion issues with my French roadie

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I just got into learning how to build bikes this year, as my wife (we just got married) has an early 60's Rollfast/Firestone (the badge is from a shop) that I am slowly redoing...and a no badged Huffy? 80's ladies' cruiser that I keep ridable for her (it will get a makeover this winter). After I sold my Trek hybrid, she bought me a Peugeot P6 which is what I ride.

Now I want to make this P6 into a single speed daily rider... and being that it is a French bike, a lot of the sizes are different of course.

The bars for one...from Sheldon Brown:
"French stems are .2mm narrower where they fit into the steering column. A standard 7/8" / 22.2mm stem won't usually fit. In many cases, the limiting factor for fitting the stem in will be the headset locknut, rather than the steerer itself. Try removing the locknut before sanding down a stem. If the headset locknut is slightly tighter than the steerer, it can be enlarged easily with a small grinding wheel.

In cases where the stem really won't fit into the steerer, a few minutes work on the stem with sandpaper will usually do the trick. Wrap the sandpaper around the stem, grip it with your hand, and turn the stem round and round until it fits. You only need to remove 0.1 mm, which is 1/250", not much at all!"

NOW...how hard is this going to be? To me, removing 0.2mm seems like a lot of work for sandpaper? And I am confused by the surgery needed on the headset locknut.

haha, all this not to mention the work on getting a new wheel set, a new bottom bracket and crankset, then powdercoat, saddle, grips, etc.

This hobby never ends... :roll:
 
I've done it with sandpaper. Like you said, it's a lot of work. It probably took me twenty minutes, and I believe my hands got tired, but it got done..
 
Most top nuts have a lip on the upper inner diameter that protects the top of the fork threads. Sometimes the inner diameter is a little smaller than the inside of the steer tube, that's all. :wink:
 
keep in mind unless this is a fairly new frame the threading on the b/b, and fork will be strange and is unique with french bikes.
 
karfer67 said:
keep in mind unless this is a fairly new frame the threading on the b/b, and fork will be strange and is unique with french bikes.

sorry I missed your comment, man...it was produced in 1984. I am hoping to get a set of calipers next week to start measuring everything....
 

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