Though it was time to get some pics up to document the custom rebuild I'm doing right now. It's a 1984 Saracen 501 ATB. The model is, erm not sure. Was the Conquest just in 531 or 501 as well? Source of the frameset is Mr Kawasaki who I met through eBay - I sold him some forks for a Saracen and delivered them on my Kili so I guess he thought I must have a thing for 'Rens! Pretty sure it's an '84 frame though... based on 1) research, 2) drystonepaul's opinion and 3) the brakes are I think original and are dated 09/83.
This is what Mr K donated to me last year, it was his pub bike basically:
Stop reading now if you're not keen on non-period-correct builds as this is going to be black with cream tyres (on the road anyway), 7 speed with a trigger shifter (I just prefer them to thumbies), swept back bars, a Brooks saddle and a few other bits n bobs that I like! The frame is ready for powder coating (off to Greenspeed via drystonepaul this week) after I sanded down the roughest bits of the result of approx. 26 years of adventures:
I had the steerer thread re-cut by the boys at GBH in Manchester town centre as it was bald in places, and I managed to get a seized brake boss bolt out with Plusgas and a bench vice (creak!):
Here's the majority of the parts ready to fit - still waiting on road tyres, cranks, mech, stem and brake levers. Seatpost is old style so I can pop the Brooks saddle from our tandem on easily and without scratching the rails too much - and I can't be doing with breaking two in!
Finally got these off the 'Bay after the seller sent me the wrong ones (twice!):
The wheels are for the time being off my girlfriend's now-sold GT Timberline... black to follow
Those 1983 Dia-Compe brakes in full:
Another shot of some parts namely a Sugino ring, Stronglight headset and chainring bolts, On-One Mary bars and replica '80s seatpost clamp:
SPEC SHEET (sources in bracket)
Frame: Saracen 501 All-Terrain (Mr K)
Fork: Saracen 501 All-Terrain (Mr K)
Headset: Stronglight A9 1" threaded (new)
Stem: OE (legrandfromage)
Handlebar: On-One Mary (eBay)
Grips: Lizard Skins North Shore (CRC)
Brakes: Dia-Compe 981 (Mr K)
Brake Pads: unknown but suitably ancient (spares box)
Brake Cables: Shimano M-System (new)
Cantilever cable hangers: Dia-Compe (Mr K)
Brake Levers: Shimano BL-AT50 (roc6839) - decided against and going for non-retro Shimano BR-770 instead
Shifters: STX 7 speed RH only (new)
Front Derailleur: n/a
Rear Derailleur: Mountain LX (legrandfromage)
Derailleur Cable: Shimano SIS
Cassette: Eagle 7 speed SIS (eBay)
Chain: Shimano HG40 (CRC)
Cranks: Mountain LX (legrandfromage)
Crank Bolts: basic
Chainrings: Sugino 42 (CTC)
Chainring bolts: Stronglight single (new)
Bottom Bracket: TBC
Pedals: VP flats (came with my secondhand Specialized Enduro)
Dust caps: Deore LX (Sithlord)
Hub Skewers: Deore LX (spares box)
Rims: unknown (wheels are off a '97 GT Timberline)
Hubs: Acera-X Parallax (ditto)
Nipples: brass 14g
Spokes: stainless steel
Road tyres: cream Schwalbe Fat Frank (eBay)
ATB tyres: Bontrager Connection (Mr K)
Tubes: Continental (CRC)
Saddle: sprung Brooks B67 (CRC)
Seatpost: basic alloy 27.2mm (eBay)
Seatpost Binder: copy of the nice vintage ones (eBay)
Weight: ?
This is what Mr K donated to me last year, it was his pub bike basically:
Stop reading now if you're not keen on non-period-correct builds as this is going to be black with cream tyres (on the road anyway), 7 speed with a trigger shifter (I just prefer them to thumbies), swept back bars, a Brooks saddle and a few other bits n bobs that I like! The frame is ready for powder coating (off to Greenspeed via drystonepaul this week) after I sanded down the roughest bits of the result of approx. 26 years of adventures:
I had the steerer thread re-cut by the boys at GBH in Manchester town centre as it was bald in places, and I managed to get a seized brake boss bolt out with Plusgas and a bench vice (creak!):
Here's the majority of the parts ready to fit - still waiting on road tyres, cranks, mech, stem and brake levers. Seatpost is old style so I can pop the Brooks saddle from our tandem on easily and without scratching the rails too much - and I can't be doing with breaking two in!
Finally got these off the 'Bay after the seller sent me the wrong ones (twice!):
The wheels are for the time being off my girlfriend's now-sold GT Timberline... black to follow
Those 1983 Dia-Compe brakes in full:
Another shot of some parts namely a Sugino ring, Stronglight headset and chainring bolts, On-One Mary bars and replica '80s seatpost clamp:
SPEC SHEET (sources in bracket)
Frame: Saracen 501 All-Terrain (Mr K)
Fork: Saracen 501 All-Terrain (Mr K)
Headset: Stronglight A9 1" threaded (new)
Stem: OE (legrandfromage)
Handlebar: On-One Mary (eBay)
Grips: Lizard Skins North Shore (CRC)
Brakes: Dia-Compe 981 (Mr K)
Brake Pads: unknown but suitably ancient (spares box)
Brake Cables: Shimano M-System (new)
Cantilever cable hangers: Dia-Compe (Mr K)
Brake Levers: Shimano BL-AT50 (roc6839) - decided against and going for non-retro Shimano BR-770 instead
Shifters: STX 7 speed RH only (new)
Front Derailleur: n/a
Rear Derailleur: Mountain LX (legrandfromage)
Derailleur Cable: Shimano SIS
Cassette: Eagle 7 speed SIS (eBay)
Chain: Shimano HG40 (CRC)
Cranks: Mountain LX (legrandfromage)
Crank Bolts: basic
Chainrings: Sugino 42 (CTC)
Chainring bolts: Stronglight single (new)
Bottom Bracket: TBC
Pedals: VP flats (came with my secondhand Specialized Enduro)
Dust caps: Deore LX (Sithlord)
Hub Skewers: Deore LX (spares box)
Rims: unknown (wheels are off a '97 GT Timberline)
Hubs: Acera-X Parallax (ditto)
Nipples: brass 14g
Spokes: stainless steel
Road tyres: cream Schwalbe Fat Frank (eBay)
ATB tyres: Bontrager Connection (Mr K)
Tubes: Continental (CRC)
Saddle: sprung Brooks B67 (CRC)
Seatpost: basic alloy 27.2mm (eBay)
Seatpost Binder: copy of the nice vintage ones (eBay)
Weight: ?