What is this bike?

mat*46* · Nov 23, 2009

Hi guys. I'm pretty new here, have been bumming around looking at some of the threads over the past few months.

Anyway, just bagged my first retro bike but not really sure what it is...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280424305772&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:GB:1123

The guy has it listed as a Dawes lightning but it looks like it's got a reynolds sticker on it.

What do guys reckon? Know of it's history or any good sites which might help?

Thanks

:shock:

Old Ned · Nov 23, 2009

Well, for £49 I reckon it's fine and a good buy. It will be what it says it is. Probably built of Reynolds 531 Tubing hence the Reynolds sticker. Dawes made some nice bikes around the time of this one, a very good starting point for retro road riding.

mat*46* · Nov 23, 2009

good - Glad it doesn't look like a lemon then!

Should serve me well as a winter bike and then will restore over the summer.

one-eyed_jim · Nov 24, 2009

mat*46*":bwoidr2z said:
The guy has it listed as a Dawes lightning but it looks like it's got a reynolds sticker on it.

What do guys reckon?

My brother had a Lightning in the other colour option - "burnt cherry" - circa 1980. His certainly wasn't Reynolds, but it was pretty well made for the money. I don't recall whether Dawes did this, but quite a few manufacturers used tubing decals that bore a superficial resemblance to the Reynolds sticker.

But couldn't you just wait until you have the bike and read the label yourself?

pigman · Nov 24, 2009

the fact that the seller has specifically said its a cromo frame should mean its not 531. Chromo is chrome-moly; 531 is manganese-moly. Looking at it, I'd say its equivelent to 501.

It looks good for the money - a lightweight(ish) frame and alloy kit. lets hope its modern enough to have 700C wheels cos 27's are technically obsolete and tyre choice is limited.

mat*46* · Nov 24, 2009

But couldn't you just wait until you have the bike and read the label yourself?

I guess not! Just trying to get abit of info on the bike that's all. You guys know of any dawes website?

Tried googleing but only seem to get more modern stuff!

mat*46* · Nov 29, 2009

Picked the bike up today, well chuffed but confused!

It has a reynolds 531 sticker on the seat tube.

It is a dawes, or atleast has a dawes decal on it but it doesn't say what model it is.

How do I tell whether it's reynolds or not?

Thanks

Tel · Nov 30, 2009

Easiest, although not definitive, is checking the seatpost diameter. Generally 531 will be 27.2mm, 501 is 27.0mm.

one-eyed_jim · Nov 30, 2009

Well the same chap has another Lightning for sale:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0431212499

You can see the similarity of the paint job, but no Reynolds sticker in evidence. Another Lightning in the eBay "finished auctions" archive (this was the model my brother had) shows much cruder stamped dropouts than yours:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0507600435

That suggests your might not be a Lightning - but I don't know enough about the Dawes range at the time to know what it might be. This Atlantis has some similarities, and the detailed pictures might give you some clues about your bike:

http://www.pbase.com/r80ks/dawes_atlantis&page=1

There are a few Dawes catalogues in Mark Bulgier's archive:

http://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalogs/

but nothing that covers the period of interest, as far as I can see.

mat*46* · Nov 30, 2009

thanks very much one-eyed-jim.

I'm pretty sure then that its a Dawes Atlantis which had 531 frame. Pretty chuffed it it is.

Worrylingly it looks like it's got the origion tyres! LOL!

Guys, so is 531 much lighter / better than 501 then?

Cheers,

What is this bike?

mat46

Dirt Disciple

Old Ned

Old School Grand Master

mat46

Dirt Disciple

one-eyed_jim

Old School Grand Master

pigman

Old School Grand Master

mat46

Dirt Disciple

mat46

Dirt Disciple

Tel

one-eyed_jim

Old School Grand Master

mat46

Dirt Disciple

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