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- M5 Speedliner
- Peugeot Mixte
M5 Speedliner
– Value approx. $600
By Damien Harkin from Huff July-August 2002
We bought this bike from De Ligfiets in Gent, Belgium in 1999.
Although it’s a classic M5 model, the frame was built by Speedliner.
I think this was an outsourcing experiment that M5 later abandoned, and this bike was more or less a ‘runout special’.
Its an elegant cruiser, with steel frame, 20/26 inch wheels, above seat steering, rear suspension. The front wheel has radial spokes.
Some pretty curves are formed by the typical M5 banana swingarm and the chromed carry rack.
Front and rear derailleurs are worked by GripShifters and give a range of 29-113 gear inches.
It weighs 17kg. It has very narrow chromed steel rims, and tasty red V-brakes.
This bike has a pogo problem. Climbing hills was really laughable because the suspension is soft and the chain-pull was really lifting the rear suspension at each stroke. I removed the idler wheel under the seat to bring the chainline closer to the swingarm pivot but then the chain started banging against the brake pivot on the swingarm.
I’ve now put the chain into a plastic irrigation tube that runs from right near the rear cluster all the way to the front chain rings. This tube still touches the brake pivot but the chain runs quietly inside. Maybe the chain will wear through this tube in time but plastic tube is very cheap.
The bike is extremely comfortable, and very stable at low speeds. I don’t like the feel of it at higher speeds. Mainly the rear suspension is too soft – hitting big bumps at speed can really upset the bike. But Sarah loves it as it is so I have no intention of ‘improving’ it.
Restorer’s notes by Stephen Nurse May 2026
By 2026, this bike had fallen into disrepair, and it was kindly donated by the Harkin family to benefit OzHPV.
The seat was loose, the gearshift cracked, the tyres cracked and she generally needed maintenance.
The rims Damien mentioned are by Delfi and the V-brakes are by Saccon.
Gear and brake actuators are now Shimano and she has new handlebar grips.
The seat has been remounted with padding from inner tubes and the bike is cleaned up and ready to go.
Included with the bike is a spare front wheel.
It was hard to fit tyres to the Delfi rims and the rear wheel is standard 26” MTB size.
Peugeot Mixte Bike – Geelong Red
– Approximate Value $350
This bike was purchased in Geelong as part of a bulk lot and super large jigsaw puzzle of Peugeot bikes and parts.
She has been thoroughly cleaned, serviced and the brake levers, drivetrain, wheels and tyres updated and replaced.
She now has 700c aluminium wheels and gravel bike tyres.
The single front ring gear range is 34 to 107” compared to the original 2 ring transmission with 39 to 99”. So the gearing is now wider range and with only one shifter, also easier to use.
Weight with the load carrying milk crate is about 15kg, the milk crate can be removed in about a minute, and all of the front load carrying is bolt-on, bolt off, and the crate and cushion can be used as a picnic chair.
There are 2 blog posts related to this bike and its load carrying:
- https://modularbikes.blogspot.com/2026/03/the-peugeot-project.html
- https://modularbikes.blogspot.com/2026/03/load-carrying-on-watsonia.html
