1994 MB Dronfield 531c

[Voxle]

Nice, I've got a similar frame, but made with 731 tubing:

 

[sjcprojects]

Cool - exact same paintjob! Very nice. I think those black decals look better than my white ones, too...

Did you pick it up secondhand locally?

 

[Voxle]

You could say that, I got the frame off my uncle, he gave it me to replace my previous one that got damaged in an accident.

From your photos I can see some differences between the two, my bottom bracket cable guides are much simpler looking, just little tubing welded on and it hasn't got any on the head tube. It's a very nice frame though.

 

[sjcprojects]

Yeah, those cable guides on my frame are quite unusual. Mind you, 731 frames seem to be pretty unusual too. I bet it's a lovely ride, just as mine is. It's always nice to be riding a local make, too.

 

[sjcprojects]

The Dronfield Flyer still gets out into the Peaks on a sunny day. Here it is at Surprise View, looking down Hope Valley yesterday. It's the most reliable bike I've ever owned.

 

[pigman]

Pump peg on the head tube was common. These were days before reliable pocket pumps, and if there were 2 bottle cages you had to find somewhere to fit a pump on training rides

 

[Iwasgoodonce]

Properly nice! Clearances are even tighter than on my fixed. I cannot fit tyres larger than 700 X 23 on that as they won't fit under the fork crown.

 

[sjcprojects]

Properly nice! Clearances are even tighter than on my fixed. I cannot fit tyres larger than 700 X 23 on that as they won't fit under the fork crown.

I'm currently working on a bike where the clearance on the rear brake bridge is so tight I can't even get a 23c tyre on there without it being too tight, so I've had to go and buy some 20c tyres. Just shows how once 20c was pretty much standard, whereas 23c was relatively wide, I guess...when talking about real 'race' frames, I mean.

 

[jim haseltine]

I used to use a track frame for fixed testing, the clearances were so tight that I had to use a compact brake fitted to the back of the fork crown and road grit picked up on the tyre tread ground off the paint from the bottom of it.

 

[Old Ned]

I had an M&B tandem built by Verrnon around 1986 I think. Lovely machine, handled like a solo and with a variety of partners did some very good rides on it. Wish I still had it!

BTW, Andy Middlemiss was a regular tandem time trial rival at the time. Member of Sheffield Sports CC I seem to remember.