Mark Manley
Raleigh Fan
I was perusing market place the other day when I noticed a pair of Dawes Kingpin for sale not too far away, I did look as I would like a vintage folder but do not like the big hinge that is used on Raleigh Twentys and I thought all Kingpins but closer inspection revealed I was wrong and the later ones have a much more elegant solution which requires the use of an allen key to fold them, after a trip on my motorcycle to view them a friend was employed to go and pick them up and I got them home a few days ago.
With some air in the tyres both were rideable but in need of at least a full service, they had been owned by a couple and one had obviously had a lot more use than the other and I don't think maintenance was high on their list of priorities, despite that they both came apart without any drama and a couple of hours later they were stacked up on my dining room workbench, umm table.
Everything was cleaned and starting with the parts with the best paintwork I set about building the best bike from the two, one had had the rear wheel replaced with a newer SA hub and a rim from a Raleigh Twenty which I have found out is a slightly different size, I used the matched pair with matching tyres and tubes and best condition chrome parts.
That one has been put back together and taken for a test ride down to Tesco, the riding position is to my liking but the narrower 20" wheels feel more skittish that the 2" tyres on my Brompton and Velo Orange Nutrino but I would say it is a perfectly usable bike.
I will put this one up for sale as it is the other which I plan to respray and upgrade probably using 20 x 406 rims along with some other aluminium components which really interests me, progress will be posted up just as soon as there is any.
With some air in the tyres both were rideable but in need of at least a full service, they had been owned by a couple and one had obviously had a lot more use than the other and I don't think maintenance was high on their list of priorities, despite that they both came apart without any drama and a couple of hours later they were stacked up on my dining room workbench, umm table.
Everything was cleaned and starting with the parts with the best paintwork I set about building the best bike from the two, one had had the rear wheel replaced with a newer SA hub and a rim from a Raleigh Twenty which I have found out is a slightly different size, I used the matched pair with matching tyres and tubes and best condition chrome parts.
That one has been put back together and taken for a test ride down to Tesco, the riding position is to my liking but the narrower 20" wheels feel more skittish that the 2" tyres on my Brompton and Velo Orange Nutrino but I would say it is a perfectly usable bike.
I will put this one up for sale as it is the other which I plan to respray and upgrade probably using 20 x 406 rims along with some other aluminium components which really interests me, progress will be posted up just as soon as there is any.
I always thought the Kingpin was a bit better than the Twenty.
