LongLegsRetro
Dirt Disciple
I bought this 1980's Dave Marsh 531 bike as a bit of an impulse buy off the eBay last October. Yeah, I know, I should know better!
Anyways, I had been looking for a winter project for a little while, the big idea being to get hold of a complete but run down reynolds 531 framed bike which is eligible for the L' Eroica events. Strip it down, refurbish the components, tidy up the frame, few new bits here and there, bearings, tyres, tubes, cables, tape etc, rebuild it, and put it up for sale and hopefully cover my costs.
I can't ride road bikes any longer, but I do enjoy fixing them up.
So, I spots this with only a few minutes to go, like I said, I should know better!! Well after a quick Google, Dave Marsh appeared to be a respected frame builder and still going, if the eBay ad was correct and honest then it was worth a punt, especially as it was so badly advertised. . .
Well, when I went to pick it up, it didn't look too bad, although it was covered in crud and difficult to tell. Only when I got it back home and started to pull it apart did the can of worms pop open. Well I was looking for winter a project. . .
The can of worms contained a knackered crank set and wheels and potentially knackered bottom bracket, not the extra shopping list I was hoping for with my budget . . .
I have spoken to Dave Marsh about this frame and it does appear to be genuine and a Reynolds 531 frame with butted tubes stays and forks, so not all bad news.
And as far as I can tell it dates from 1984.
Roll on a couple of rainy months and it has progressed quite well. All components have been stripped, degreased cleaned and polished.
The frame as been thoroughly degreased and cleaned, those old tooth brushes come in handy. It’s had a light polish with Autoglym Paint Renovator to lift any remaining grime out of the paintwork followed by a serious buffing with 3M Hand Glaze, copious amounts of carnauba wax to be added later when I have addressed the decal issue. More on that later on.
The original frame paintwork and decals looks real nice for being 30 years old, it has a lovely used but cared for patina, still with a nice deep glossy shine to it. The fork chrome is mint.
It doesn't warrant a repaint in my opinion, 'it’s only original once' but I am in a dilemma as what to do about the Reynolds decals.
I have bought a new set of Reynolds decals for the frame and forks from H. Lloyd Cycles. The fork decals were toast, there were just fragments and the outline of some adhesive left on the forks, so they are a no brainier, but the frame decal isn't so clear cut. . .
So, do I leave the original but tatty Reynolds frame decal on ? or replace it with the repro ? Don't be shy, opinions gladly received on this subject.
The bottom bracket has been polished up and rebuilt with new loose bearings and a new dirt boot.
It runs nice and smooth now, especially without all the long grass that was in there.
I sourced a replacement Sugino Mighty Competition crank set from a nice guy in Italy, thankfully he spoke impeccable English as my Italian sucks.
Here it is after dismantling it to degrease it and a light going over with 3M Hand Glaze. Good dollops of copper grease and now all torqued back up correctly.
Will post some more pictures as things progress.
Anyways, I had been looking for a winter project for a little while, the big idea being to get hold of a complete but run down reynolds 531 framed bike which is eligible for the L' Eroica events. Strip it down, refurbish the components, tidy up the frame, few new bits here and there, bearings, tyres, tubes, cables, tape etc, rebuild it, and put it up for sale and hopefully cover my costs.
I can't ride road bikes any longer, but I do enjoy fixing them up.
So, I spots this with only a few minutes to go, like I said, I should know better!! Well after a quick Google, Dave Marsh appeared to be a respected frame builder and still going, if the eBay ad was correct and honest then it was worth a punt, especially as it was so badly advertised. . .
Well, when I went to pick it up, it didn't look too bad, although it was covered in crud and difficult to tell. Only when I got it back home and started to pull it apart did the can of worms pop open. Well I was looking for winter a project. . .
The can of worms contained a knackered crank set and wheels and potentially knackered bottom bracket, not the extra shopping list I was hoping for with my budget . . .
I have spoken to Dave Marsh about this frame and it does appear to be genuine and a Reynolds 531 frame with butted tubes stays and forks, so not all bad news.
And as far as I can tell it dates from 1984.
Roll on a couple of rainy months and it has progressed quite well. All components have been stripped, degreased cleaned and polished.
The frame as been thoroughly degreased and cleaned, those old tooth brushes come in handy. It’s had a light polish with Autoglym Paint Renovator to lift any remaining grime out of the paintwork followed by a serious buffing with 3M Hand Glaze, copious amounts of carnauba wax to be added later when I have addressed the decal issue. More on that later on.
The original frame paintwork and decals looks real nice for being 30 years old, it has a lovely used but cared for patina, still with a nice deep glossy shine to it. The fork chrome is mint.
It doesn't warrant a repaint in my opinion, 'it’s only original once' but I am in a dilemma as what to do about the Reynolds decals.
I have bought a new set of Reynolds decals for the frame and forks from H. Lloyd Cycles. The fork decals were toast, there were just fragments and the outline of some adhesive left on the forks, so they are a no brainier, but the frame decal isn't so clear cut. . .
So, do I leave the original but tatty Reynolds frame decal on ? or replace it with the repro ? Don't be shy, opinions gladly received on this subject.
The bottom bracket has been polished up and rebuilt with new loose bearings and a new dirt boot.
It runs nice and smooth now, especially without all the long grass that was in there.
I sourced a replacement Sugino Mighty Competition crank set from a nice guy in Italy, thankfully he spoke impeccable English as my Italian sucks.
Here it is after dismantling it to degrease it and a light going over with 3M Hand Glaze. Good dollops of copper grease and now all torqued back up correctly.
Will post some more pictures as things progress.
