Peugeot 531 frame and forks potential offer.

Hello all,
Was not sure where to post this, was going to put it in classifieds but rules say no fishing.

A quick background story: I bought this bike as my first fixed gear bike/ first bike in a long time off the ebay a few years back. The seller told me about a seized seatpost issue (which was ok, the bike was quite cheap and fitted ok), never told me about the seized stem (which later become a problem, in hindsight now with more experience I personally will never buy anything with anything seized.)

So the bike got me around for a couple of years no problems. Untill I thought the headset lockring had stripped and needed replacing. That is when I realised that a seized stem is an even bigger bugger than a seized seat post. This led me to quickly pickup up a cheapo carbolite frame to transfer my bike over onto.

Thus this 531 frame had been sitting around for a year or so. I saw it one day and thought I could sort the sod out, a bit of googling later and with a bit of help from my Dad we made a pigs ear even more tatty.

We first tried all the lemon acid, wd40, manual twisting etc techniques. Nothing. Then come out the hacksaw, cut down the stems to try cutting it out. I have about a 5 minute patience for things like that so gave up. Dad started drilling out the stems instead and we decided that it was just too deep and beyond our tools reach anyway.

We than went with a big hammer and a crowbar wedged in the stem and gently but firmy started to hammer on the stuck stem....the thing miraculously moved....deeper into the headtube! I then noticed that of course it was never my headset that was buggered...it was the threads on the fork that were stripped/ worn in patches. We than called it a day.

So, after all that, which I'm sure was a thrillin story....

Would this even be worth free to anyone, someone? Or would the bin even spit it out?

Thought I would air this before I dump it.

Buggered threads on the fork steerer shouldn't affect the stem. The stem only interacts with the inside (unthreaded) part of the steerer.

Might be a daft suggestion, but what about trying to attack the stuck stem from the other end. The forks will have a hole in the crown that matches up where it meets the steerer. You could stick something in that hold and get your big bommie knocker out and hit the mofo in the correct direction - ie upwards. Just be careful not to damage the fork legs.

I think it's a lovely frame, 'specially with that sexy chrome rear end, and it's definitely worth turning into a useable bike. If I was in London, I'd take it off your hands and give it a good thrashing.

Buggered threads don't effect the stem no, but buggered fork threads do effect the headset!

Just to clarify, this frame has worn/ stripped fork threads. The fork tube has a half seized piece of stem (which I gave up on when noticing the fork thread issue...but the piece was moving and should come out with a big hammer). It also has a stump of a seat post welded into the frame, half attempted to be drilled/ sawn out. All too big of a deal for me. Overall the frame is quite beat up, but seems to be ok apart from the rest of it.

I personally do not imagine anyone would want to even bother with this even if I paid them to have it....just want to make sure.

hi there,

I really like your frame and am just asking my rather handy friend if he could assist me with fixing it :) (I'm also quite useless and short of patience!)

I was wondering where you were located, and if I come possibly grab it from you if it is still available.

Thanks
Cate

Currently the frame is in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. Just a train away from London. I do realise anyone wanting to pick this up is most likely to be in London mindyou. What I will do is, next time I am, or a friend comes to visit I will leave the frame in London with her. When that happens I will post an ad in the classifieds. I was pm'd saying it was worth a bit of money, not entirely convinced myself...but keep an eye peeled in the classifieds soon.

Red badge; looks like 531 Professional to me.

Whats going on with the seat tube? all the lines near the top?

Also looks like a sawn off seat post in there?

Red badge; looks like 531 Professional to me.

Yes you are right, 531 "PROFESSIONNEL" infact, being written in Francais and all. Is that good tubing?

Whats going on with the seat tube? all the lines near the top?

Also looks like a sawn off seat post in there?

Oh the lines on the seat tube, that's just cellotape sticking down a piece of paper with my name and flat number. Silly rules I have to live by in using the shared bike storage shed.

In terms of the sawn off seat post, er, I am half certain I have mentioned that at least two times so far. Yes it is a true story I'm afraid.

You said the seller said there was a seized seatpost which turned out to be Ok
Then all the rest is about the seized stem?

What size is it?

I see, wasn't reading it properly.