I bought a Dawes

I bought this knowing very, very little about it, on the strength of it being mid eighties, lugged, having a high flange front hub and being complete - That is it...

LGF joked about someone buying for him and him paying them back... But that's fairly close to what happened!

It was on GumTree in St Albans, Nick (xxnick1975) scored it and kept if for me 'til I was in the vacinity... Long story...

Anyway, just look at all this junk dragged out the back of the Hydorahmobile:

I didn't ID it on sight but said to Nick, looks like a Dawes... It has those funky Cassano pistol grips that the old school Dawes usually had



I've reassembled it prior to complete disassembly noting plenty of stupid component changes:



The plan was to raid this for anything useful and transfer anything appropriate to my Falcon

It doen't seem I'm gonna get much other than a front wheel on that score - the majority of the bits are MT60 which is a bit late and not what I am after chainset is FC-MB124 but really only good for the rings and bolts. BB is XT (D3NL) and smooth!

However, I always try and work out what frame is before doing anything with it. This one was EASY!



How come I didn't know it was Dawes as soon as I clapped eyes on it? No 'Dawes' on the tops of the the seat stays...

Here's why!



Yep that really is car body filler I scraped it back to reveal the truth!

It's also seemless tubed - 531ST nice Old school British lugged goodness

That blue isn't factory no undercoat, it just comes off in your hands!

No original paint survives so from knowledge. research and prior threads I've narrowed it down to Countryman or a Ranger I think the wildcat was 500/501?... The Countryman/Ranger had the same frameset so I'll declare it a Ranger, naturally, it's a nicer colour

So: I got me a Ranger! - Or a Countryman! - or just maybe something else!

Had a stuck pedal:



Beat that



Still has stuck seat post... Soaking at the moment - Anyone in Exeter area got a vice? As in the workshop variety

I've opened the collar up a bit and sprayed penetrating oil down there, but no movement yet



For a final bit of amusement check out these cranks:



Nothing to do with my pedal removals there were already like that! Chewed to bits!



Not 100% sure if it's a keeper or one for another hero on here to take on. Opinions welcomed

If I do keep it I'll start a build thread, but it'll be a while before I could even begin it

Probably stick M730 on it if I did... Hmmm

Maybe I should just refinish in black and line the lugs in silver and not go with any model name, just Dawes and Reynolds decals? Hmmm

Looks like exactly the same bike that I picked up a couple of months ago http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... sc&start=0

We were debating whether the spec was original or not and yours seems to have pretty much the same components. The frame/forks and some of the bits are supposed to be making their way to LGF when I get round to it (Grannygrinder declined).

Yes, You are totally bang on! I chipped in on that thread, mine is almost identically equipped minus decent parts changed for rubbish! Has the exact same headset even, minus the green paint!

LGF is the man for these old Reynolds tubed brits,, getting quite into it myself now

Aren't you a bit suspicios that someone had repaired it and gone to some trouble to hide its identity?

That aside, damn nice find.

I'll take it back to the metal to refinish it so any show stopping badness will be revealed

Looks like filler is confined to the tops of the stays to hide the name 'Dawes' Fashion? Theft? Who knows!

The filler is strange, the family I collected from were extremely respectable, lived in a big £1mn plus house so can't believe they were involved in anything dodgy

xxnick1975":2ffiu38i said:

The filler is strange, the family I collected from were extremely respectable, lived in a big £1mn plus house so can't believe they were involved in anything dodgy

Click to expand...

Hey Nick! Thanks again

Maybe this old Dawes had a prior life with someone else?

Maybe they are master bike thieves and that's how they support their lavish lifestyle and maintain their air of respectability

Anyway been checking the two letter component date codes: KL = Dec '86

http://www.vintage-trek.com/component_dates.htm

That's from the MT60

it could be the cougar 531 allterrain, get it built there great bikes,

That will make a lovely bike as above. Worth spending a few quid on a powder coat and some more period components.

I'd like one of these for the collection.

Cool well done guys... The stem on that Cougar is an exact match

All the Rangers I ever saw had double clamp stems - However all the equipment is older

I'm inclined to think all the MT60 is original as WeemanMTB's is really similarly equipped

So Cougar is definitely yet another possibility! I think I can basically do what I want with this as long as it's period(ish) and not go too far wrong