originalshinkicker
rBotM Winner
This is a lovely frame and very special to me as it is from the same decade as the start of Dentons in Newcastle.
I recently met up with Ron Robson who I worked with for lots of years at Dentons during the 80s and 90s. Ron is now 86 and has been retired for nearly 20 years but he has a huge wealth of knowledge. I knew a lot of the later history but wasn't too sure of the early stuff. We went over some of the history of the shop. I knew it came into existence in 1953 when Ron and Ces Jones took over Barrass Cycles on Westgate Road in Newcastle when George Barrass retired. Ron rode the Denton road race in Easter 1954 and he and Ces had been looking for a new name for the business - so in the Easter of 1954 he renamed the business and Dentons was born!
Ron built half a dozen frames himself before moving production of complete frames to Mercian and continuing with frame repairs in house at Dentons. This frame is a Mercian built 531 frame with frame number stamped onto the LH rear end of 59279. Nervex lugs and Simplex ends with lovely slim seat stays and a nice wrap around, in what I believe is original condition with original Denton decals. Beautifully lug lined with a nice lined diamond panel on the seat tube.
Colin Davison (my old boss) took over in the 70s and 80s. Colin was an ex pro and detail obsessed which is where I believe I've developed mine from - he was precise and strict with bike setup, saddle height and angle and stem length/brake lever position. His best year I think was 1973 when he had some success in the Milk Race, beating the likes of Aad van den Hoek who went on to ride for TI-Raleigh. Colin was from Bishop Auckland near Durham and in the 80s, he went into partnership with Paul Donohue of Paul's Cycles in Bishop Auckland - Ron believes his frame fixtures went there. From then, all Denton frames were built there until that partnership ended. Dave Yates (M Steel Gosforth) took over until we stopped making frames in the late 90s. Like many other shops, we just couldn't complete with mail order steel, aluminium and carbon from the likes of Ribble.
So anyway, I just wanted to share a beautiful frame and a little potted history of Denton Cycles.
Cheers
Neil
I recently met up with Ron Robson who I worked with for lots of years at Dentons during the 80s and 90s. Ron is now 86 and has been retired for nearly 20 years but he has a huge wealth of knowledge. I knew a lot of the later history but wasn't too sure of the early stuff. We went over some of the history of the shop. I knew it came into existence in 1953 when Ron and Ces Jones took over Barrass Cycles on Westgate Road in Newcastle when George Barrass retired. Ron rode the Denton road race in Easter 1954 and he and Ces had been looking for a new name for the business - so in the Easter of 1954 he renamed the business and Dentons was born!
Ron built half a dozen frames himself before moving production of complete frames to Mercian and continuing with frame repairs in house at Dentons. This frame is a Mercian built 531 frame with frame number stamped onto the LH rear end of 59279. Nervex lugs and Simplex ends with lovely slim seat stays and a nice wrap around, in what I believe is original condition with original Denton decals. Beautifully lug lined with a nice lined diamond panel on the seat tube.
Colin Davison (my old boss) took over in the 70s and 80s. Colin was an ex pro and detail obsessed which is where I believe I've developed mine from - he was precise and strict with bike setup, saddle height and angle and stem length/brake lever position. His best year I think was 1973 when he had some success in the Milk Race, beating the likes of Aad van den Hoek who went on to ride for TI-Raleigh. Colin was from Bishop Auckland near Durham and in the 80s, he went into partnership with Paul Donohue of Paul's Cycles in Bishop Auckland - Ron believes his frame fixtures went there. From then, all Denton frames were built there until that partnership ended. Dave Yates (M Steel Gosforth) took over until we stopped making frames in the late 90s. Like many other shops, we just couldn't complete with mail order steel, aluminium and carbon from the likes of Ribble.
So anyway, I just wanted to share a beautiful frame and a little potted history of Denton Cycles.
Cheers
Neil