Checkered Past
I love bikes like this. Even though, they are all over Valencia I never tire of seeing them.
Checkered Past because you know this bike has seen some things. This is the perfect bici to use in Valencia’s Old City. It can handle the cobblestone without problem, in part because you have to ride slow to navigate the crowds and quick turns.
Each week we feature a bike on Friki de Bici. Send us your own or I’ll keep posting what I see. Either way, we’ll get ChatGPT’s take on the situation:
The Lowdown:
A mid-to-late 1970s Peugeot — possibly a PH10 or similar commuter/touring hybrid, though it's been Frankensteined a bit over time. And that’s what makes it beautiful.
Original Peugeot decals and checkerboard badge — classic branding that screams 1970s French charm. Peugeot leaned hard into the race-meets-city aesthetic back then.
Center-pull brakes — old-school Mafac-style, though this one might be a replacement. It still carries the spirit.
Steel frame, lugged construction — made to last decades. And clearly, it has.
“EPOCH” rear derailleur — likely a later replacement. A bit of an odd match, but it works, which is what matters in Valencia.
Rear basket, full fenders, lock looped through both wheels — this thing is still putting in work.
ChatGPT´s take:
This Peugeot isn’t a garage-kept classic. It’s a survivor.
It probably spent the '80s doing daily commutes, got dumped in a basement or courtyard in the '90s, and now lives a second life in Valencia, dodging scooters, sunbaked year-round, and carrying groceries, maybe a beach towel, probably a loaf of pan de pueblo.
These bikes are everywhere in Valencia — French, Spanish, and Dutch steel with dings, rust, and mismatched parts — but they’re all still moving. And nobody makes a big deal about it. That’s the magic.
In places like the U.S., this would be a display piece or eBay bait for “retro road bike” hunters. Here, it’s just a bike.
Used. Functional. Not babied. Not babied at all.
More of these, por favor. And if you see one, take a photo. Or better yet, ask the rider. You’ll probably get a story that beats any spec sheet.
My take: I love this shit.
