Cycles Peugeot
251, Boulevard Pereire
75852 Paris Cedex 17
France
Cycles Peugeot is a large conglomerate whose facilities are spread throughout France. The main offices are located in the northwest section of Paris and the primary manufacturing section is located in the region of France called "Le Uoubs." There is a factory in Romilly which mass-produces "stock" bicycles. There are also plants that are part of Cycles Peugeot which produce such varied products as kitchen furniture, retail store equipment, shelving units, containers, and car parts.
Cycles Peugeot was founded in 1926. Peugeot bicycles, however, were being made as early as 1885 when the original Peugeot company, Les Fils de Peugeot Freres, started mass-producing bicycles. The first Peugeot bicycles were built at the mill of Belieu in the Beaulieu area of the Le Doubs region. The mill previously had been producing wires for hoopskirts, but by the end of the nineteenth century the hoopskirt was out of fashion. Bicycles, however, were just beginning to gain in popularity. In response to the change in demand, the mill of Belieu was transformed from crinoline to bicycle production.
Today, Cycles Peugeot's buildings occupy thousands of square feet in Beaulieu, a 45-minute drive from Belfort, the largest city in the region. The bicycle division is one of the larger divisions of Cycles Peugeot located in Beaulieu. This large complex houses a number of other divisions and departments.
The research and development department is located in Dijon, but there is also a research department in the Beaulieu area.
Designs originate in Dijon and they are sent to Beaulieu where they are modified. The research department in Dijon designs prototypes and works with the production department in eliminating any manufacturing problems. The research department in Beaulieu is also responsible for the assembly and adaptation of various models for different foreign markets. For example, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission's standards are studied and modifications are designed and incorporated into already existing models.
Background
The research laboratory and the quality control department are both located in the same complex in Beaulieu.
Both these departments work very closely with the research department in testing and analyzing both raw materials and finished products. These departments are vital in an operation of this size where so many different sources of materials are used in production.
Bicycle, moped, and car components are made by the general products department. Machines and tools are made for use in production by the machine and equipment department. Tube production is relegated to the tube production division where they make tubes for bicycles, mopeds, and car products. The stamping press division manufactures various parts and components and the plating workshop plates components with nickel chrome at the rate of ten thousand square meters per month.
Cycles Peugeot's bicycle production at Beaulieu can be di vided into three categories. The first is called total mass production-only one size is available in each model. All of these frames are automatically brazed on electrically charged brazing machines.
Racing-style bicycles are all hand-brazed by specially trained craftsmen. This area is a kind of semi-mass production operation.
Everything in this area is hand-brazed on individual brazing stands. Each craftsman works according to engineering drawings and all the jigs are adjusted to accommodate the specifications of the particular frame. When working with Reynolds 531DB tubing, one worker spot-tacks the main triangle and then another worker brazes it. When brazing Reynolds frames, the temperature is usually from 600 to 700°C. (1,112 to 1,292°F.). All the frames in this area are brazed with Brox, which is the French equivalent of Sifbronze.
The third type of bicycle production at Beaulieu is done in the Prestige frame shop. Created in 1974, this area employs eight craftsmen and a foreman, Raoul Jeand'Heur. Monsieur Jeand'Heur has been working with the quality Peugeot bicycles since 1957.
Prior to 1957 he was a teacher at Peugeot's mechanics' school, where he taught skilled trades to workmen in the bicycle and car industry.
Today, the Prestige frame shop builds frames for the professional Peugeot team and special customer one-of-a-kind orders.
This specialty shop is equipped to build the frame as well as totally assemble all the necessary components to make a complete bicycle. Although this department has the ability to assemble components on the frames, only custom orders are assembled here. The Peugeot team frames are assembled in a special work shop in Paris.
The bicycles that are built in the Prestige area all use Reynolds tubing. The gauge differs according to the desires and needs of the customer. Generally, only frames using .3- and ,5-mm.-thick Reynolds 531 tubes are used, but there are some unusual cases where they do use .7-mm. tubing. The 0.7-mm. tubing is generally only used in the semi-mass production area.
All the frames built in the Prestige frame shop are built from special drawings supplied by the research department. When a customer sends in his measurements, they are analyzed by the research department at Beaulieu. They believe that the frame size will usually correspond to about 9 inches (23 centimeters) less than the rider's inseam. According to Peugeot, this measurement should be taken with the rider's feet 10 inches (26 centimeters) apart. This usually determines the size of the frame and the other specifications are determined according to the specific needs of the rider. Generally, consideration on different top tube lengths is given to the professional team riders only.
Standard sizes range from 52 to 64 cm. Other sizes can be built, but usually the customer is dissuaded from ordering a frame smaller than 52 cm or larger than 64 cm because of the prohibitive cost of manufacturing.
The customer who orders a specialty bicycle from Peugeot has a number of options from which to choose. Usually, there are about five different colors, including both standard and iridescent finishes. A customer can order a frame with 0.5-mm. Reynolds 531 tubing or opt for .3 mm. at an additional cost. Also at extra cost, Peugeot will paint the owner's name on the frame or install a lightweight headset, freewheel, rims, seat, bottom bracket set, and derailleurs. At no extra charge, there is a choice of certain black anodized parts like pedals, derailleurs, and handlebars. The customer is also requested to choose the specifications for the freewheel and chainwheel as well as the size of the crankarms, handlebar stem, and toe clips. There is even a choice between low-flanged and high-flanged Maillard hubs. Choice of components continuously changes as a result of fashion; however, it is always restricted to specific French manufacturers. Nevertheless, the selection is varied and generally extensive enough to suit most needs.
Building Philosophy
When a builder receives an order for a custom Peugeot, he receives a drawing from the engineering department with it. The frame builder's job is to build according to the specifications provided. His task is to miter the tubes, file the lugs, tack, and finally assemble the frame. All the frames in this area are brazed with hand-held torches containing propane and oxygen or acetylene and oxygen. Brox is the brazing substance used, with silver used occasionally in brazing water-bottle holders on the down tube. Nervex stamped steel lugs are employed. Bottom bracket shells are also stamped steel but can either be Agrati or Nervex. Fork crowns are French cast semi-sloping.
Once the frame is brazed, it is checked against the drawing. If it meets all specifications, it is filed and then sent to the paint department. Once in the paint department, the Prestige frames and forks go through the pickling tanks rather than through a sandblasting process to clean them off. They are then coated with phosphate which insures that the paint will adhere to the metal.
All the frames get a coat of anticorrosion primer and two coats of paint.
The painting and undercoating are done by an electrostatic process. The frame and forks are all hung on a conveyor belt and are carried through an electrostatic room where they are automatically painted. For each coat, including the undercoating, the frames first go through the automatic electrostatic paint room and, when they emerge, they are touched up with hand-operated paint spray guns.
The undercoating is baked for three minutes, the topcoat for 20 minutes, and the varnish coat for 20 minutes. The frames then go to the decoration department, where the transfers are applied.
Application of the Peugeot decals requires a water solution comprised of 16 percent solvent. This solution aids the decal in adhering to the varnish-coated frame. If there is any pin-striping to be done, it is done by hand.
This entire process from pickling tanks to pin-striping is used on all frames except those built by the Prestige frame shop. The pickling process is the same, but the paint process differs in that all operations are performed in individual spray booths with hand-held spray guns.
Figure 13-1: The man with the responsibility of keeping Thevenet's bicycle
in perfect shape, Monsieur Raymond Valance.
He has worked as a Peugeot team mechanic for 18 Tours de France!
Once the frames are painted, they are sent to the assembly area if they are mass or semi-mass production frames, or if they are custom frames, they are returned to Mr. Jean d'Heur's Prestige frame shop. Here, the bicycle is assembled with the components specified by the customer. If the frame is one that has been built for a Peugeot team member, it is returned to the Prestige shop only to be forwarded to Paris for assembly.
All components used on all the Team Peugeot bicycles are French. The team bicycles are assembled in Paris by the team mechanics who make all the final adjustments for each individual rider. These team mechanics not only initially make all the adjustments on team bicycles, but they also form part of a support staff which minimally includes one doctor, two masseurs, and two mechanics.
Monsieur Raymond Valance is one of Peugeot's team mechanics. He has been on 22 Tours de France, 18 of which have been for Team Peugeot. He personally works on Bernard Thevenet's bicycles, and together with another Team Peugeot mechanic in Paris, assembles all the team bicycles. One interesting note: When we saw Monsieur Valance set up a new bicycle for Thevenet, all the components and all the tools used to install the components were French. The bearings, however, were packed with Campagnolo grease!
Frame Selection
The research department engineers the frames for the team and the one-of-a-kind frames that are built for the customer. These frames differ from the semi-mass produced ones in that they are designed and custom-built.
Monsieur Yves Saugier is the section head of the bicycle technical research department in Beaulieu. His department is responsible for the final designs on all Prestige frames. These designs are translated into engineering specifications that are used by the frame builders in Monsieur Jeand'Heur's department.
In Saugier's department the top tube dimension of the frame is determined by an individual's upper body size and arm length.
In designing standard semi-mass produced frames, a general rule is to base the top tube length on the "average" person. This is commonplace throughout the bicycle industry, but at Peugeot they don't like to vary the top tube very much on Prestige bicycles because they feel it upsets the balance of the bicycle's design.
Currently, custom frame requests sent to Mr. Saugier specify very short wheelbase bicycles. If they were to design many of these with the requested short top tubes, people would be hitting their toe clips on the front wheel when turning. For the professional rider, this is generally not a problem, but for the everyday cyclist it can be. Usually Saugier does not receive very many requests for extra-long top tubes, which, like the short top tubes, can also affect a balanced frame design. For this reason, before the frame is manufactured, an analysis would be performed to deter mine the effect of a long top tube on the overall responsiveness of the bicycle.
The design is always affected by style. Presently, almost all Prestige orders received are for short chainstays. Most professional riders request the shortest possible chainstays and the smallest frame possible. Frequently, riders select a frame that years ago would have been considered too small for their physique. The popularity of the "small" frame is simple; the smaller frame is usually stiffer.
The ideal design that Saugier and his colleagues use for the professionals is composed of 73- to 73.3-degree angles. They then vary the fork rake and the caster for the use of the bicycle. Usually a professional racer will have several bicycles and if possible will have a bicycle with a 30- to 35-mm. caster for climbing compared to a 75-mm. caster for downhills.
Although the shorter wheelbase gives a stiffer ride, there have been problems with high-speed handling, particularly when descending large mountains. To remedy this, Peugeot supplies the team riders with bicycles that have a greater degree of caster for long mountain stages.
At Peugeot, they believe that the caster determines steering ability and stability at high speed. The caster dimension can be increased in basically two ways: by decreasing the head angle or increasing the fork rake. According to Saugier, the ideal for the team professionals is to have 73-degree parallel angles which give the ideal length top tube (this refers to standard-size frames--not the smaller or the larger frames). This is ideal when combined with a fork rake of 35 mm. and a caster of 70 mm. This design is specifically intended for racing, however.
French builders seem to place less emphasis than the British or the Italians on the appearance of a frameset. Although the frames are well constructed, less time is spent on elaborate paint jobs and minor detail items. In spite of increased demand for "small," short-wheelbase frames, it appears that the French, in general, design frames that are larger and have longer top tubes than those found in England and Italy. Although Peugeot has a large and successful racing team, the factory seems less technically innovative than some of the other larger factories, such as Raleigh. If their response to a custom frame order equals the cooperation extended to us during our interview, the customer should feel confident that Peugeot will build a solid, quality product that should provide many years of satisfactory use.