Dave Russell

Strange one this, but picked this up for someone who had won it on eBay and wanted me to send it on. Despite four messages he has not responded and they are still in my outbox. That was in April!

Anyway, did a little research and it seems this is a handbuilt 531 frame. Don't know the year as serial number is not visible, I think it's had a respray at some point. Lug work is quite fancy...

Kit is middle of the road 105 with a nice Dave Russell Built front wheel (has sticker to prove it! I love the cranks as well. Rear wheel is rubbish but LGF has come good with a replacement...

Spent this afternoon cleaning and removing the hideous silver bar tape. Will replace with white cloth.

Seens as the buyer hasn't been in touch, I feel I have the right to make the odd alteration so i can ride it while it's cluttering up the place!

Any info anyone has as to likely age would be gratefully received!

Nice lugs on the frame which puts it at the end of the 70's (later frames tended to have plain lugs)

.... but it has under the bracket cable guides which were later as is the kit.

I'd plump for a nice looking frame well built in the 80's but for someone who had a hankering for the old days

Wonder if Velobase has that crankset.

Shaun

http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx? ... &AbsPos=99

Mid 80's Mavic cranks........the year that I went for LOL

Shaun

Well done Shaun, looks like you were bang on!

Midlife":37y8gyrv said:

Mid 80's Mavic cranks

Click to expand...

They're actually late eighties to early nineties. That model appeared in '88-'89 and was updated in '94. There should be a date code on the back of both arms.

It looks to me as though most of the parts date from the early nineties, but as you say, the frame is probably older.

I think it's had a respray, so maybe that occurred late 80's, early 90's and the gear was put on then?

Unfortunately it's not a great repaint job as the frame doesn't seem to have been taken back to bare metal first... the swan detailing on the seat stays, for example, isn't as crisp as it should be..

PMed

Looks like we have found the rightful owner folks!

Cheers Ringo!

Info on Dave here -

http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/bu ... lders.html