Important early British built MTBs

[legrandefromage]

keitht popped this into the marketplace watch but I thought I'd stick this up here as it is a rather important MTB.

Dripping in Deerhead M700 and I love those wide flange hubs, it gives me a clue as to the origins of my own 'thing':

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 500wt_1182

 

[drystonepaul]

Blimey, that is a great find. 1984 FW Evans Saracen Conquest.
A very rare and early example indeed by the looks of things.

More about it in this thread:
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7667

 

[IDB1]

Dunno whether this Hudon is British (or even qualifies as an MTB) but it's 50-60 years old apparently...

 

[legrandefromage]

Dunno whether this Hudon is British (or even qualifies as an MTB) but it's 50-60 years old apparently...

er...

 

[IDB1]

maybe not??

 

[barry2017]

Your bike is very similar to an Evans that is ridden around Reading that I notice from time to time.

Very, very nice.

As to the Hudson, yes, it's as British as roast beef and yorkshire puddings. This one doesn't look 50 years old, with its 70s saddle and continental spoking, but it is nice and pretty much identical to bikes they were producing 30 years earlier.

 

[velomaniac]

Nice old mtb

Reminds me of a rather old Ridgeback I had in the past, no idea of the model other than it was lugged with very slack angles and battleship grey in colour

 

[clockworkgazz]

that is rather special- hope someone here gets it and does a full TLC job on the old girl

 

[Easy_Rider]

That is pretty special, as Gaz said would be nice for an RB member to get this and ride it on some meets

 

[GrahamJohnWallace]

Interesting. A F.W. Evans A.T.B. in 531, with Saracen badges, from 1984.

I bought a silver one of these in May 1984 from F.W. Evans Kingston Branch. Apart from one black bike with frame number 0001, these were all silver, made from Reynolds 501 chromealloy and had F.W. Evans Badges.

The bike appears to have identical components to mine, with the exception of the Brookes Saddle, large flange hubs and Biopace chainset which I suspect is a later addition.

I will do some research but my instinct would be to date this bike to 1985 not 1984. Either way it's a rare and largely complete example.