Johnny Ragwort
Dirt Disciple
This was an accidental Ebay purchase. I found it while browsing for a pair of Reynolds forks for my Fred Williams rebuild project, and just happened to stumble across it with about ten minutes left on the auction. £200, no bids... I bid with four seconds to go and got it for £200. I feel I practically stole it, especially as when I turned up to collect it the seller was a really nice chap who was obviously disappointed it had sold for so little!
It's a 1991 Mike Mullett build in Reynolds 753. From what I've been able to find out, Mike Mullett ran Raleigh's Special Bicycle Development Unit for a few years in the late 1970s and early 1980s, before going solo and building under his own name. This one was a special order for a chap called Bill Guthrie who was an instructor at an Army Apprentice camp at Arborfield near Reading. I have an email exchange between the guy I bought it from and Mike Mullett himself, which also includes the original build sheet.
It's equipped with Shimano "tricolour" 600 throughout. When I bought it it had single pivot brakes and downtube shifters, but as I had a set of tricolour dual pivots in the shed, I fitted them. I just happened to find the 600 STI shifters on Ebay and it seemed silly not to buy and fit them! I fitted the Brooks saddle. It could do with a refinish at some point - it's obviously been well used in the past and is worn in some pretty odd places (how did the paint at the bottom of the seat tube get worn away?) - but I bought it to use not to restore and I don't mind it being a bit tatty.
I'm currently using it to commute to work on, but once I get fitter - which shouldn't take long with 25 hilly miles a day four days a week! - it'll be my bike of choice for Audax rides. Anyway, pictures.
It's a 1991 Mike Mullett build in Reynolds 753. From what I've been able to find out, Mike Mullett ran Raleigh's Special Bicycle Development Unit for a few years in the late 1970s and early 1980s, before going solo and building under his own name. This one was a special order for a chap called Bill Guthrie who was an instructor at an Army Apprentice camp at Arborfield near Reading. I have an email exchange between the guy I bought it from and Mike Mullett himself, which also includes the original build sheet.
It's equipped with Shimano "tricolour" 600 throughout. When I bought it it had single pivot brakes and downtube shifters, but as I had a set of tricolour dual pivots in the shed, I fitted them. I just happened to find the 600 STI shifters on Ebay and it seemed silly not to buy and fit them! I fitted the Brooks saddle. It could do with a refinish at some point - it's obviously been well used in the past and is worn in some pretty odd places (how did the paint at the bottom of the seat tube get worn away?) - but I bought it to use not to restore and I don't mind it being a bit tatty.
I'm currently using it to commute to work on, but once I get fitter - which shouldn't take long with 25 hilly miles a day four days a week! - it'll be my bike of choice for Audax rides. Anyway, pictures.
