1995 Roberts DOGS BOLX Team

@danson67 has done a beautiful job on the repair, he kindly took pics at each stage of the process...

Paint stripped
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High points rolled out
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Cleaned for soldering
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Silver solder applied
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Filed back and ready for painting
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It's very reassuring to see the quality of Dan's work, any lingering doubts about structural integrity have been well and truly laid to rest, total peace of mind.

Next stop paint shop.
He's a magician! 😍 💪 :cool:
 
According to the previous owner, who bought the bike from the original owner, this is the actual bike that appeared in the catalogue...

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SN is 950206

I believe this means it's the 2nd frame built in June 1995, that would tie in nicely with the XT M737 group, Judy forks and the Chris King and Hope hubs. But anyone who knows more about Roberts numbering please feel free to correct me.

It's in pretty good shape overall, some scratches, chips and scrapes, but no dings or dents.

It's almost complete except for the stem, bars, grips and tyres.

It has MT62 Deore thumbies, it's impossible to tell from the catalogue pics what was fitted except that there were definitely no brifters, MT62 it seems like an odd choice in 1995 but they work fine, so maybe that's the point.
Hi,
based on my Roberts frame number and when I got it, your frame number should be read as Yr 95, Mth 02 and sixth one registered that month.
 
Hi,
based on my Roberts frame number and when I got it, your frame number should be read as Yr 95, Mth 02 and sixth one registered that month.
Cheers, someone else said this in a pm.

Good to confirm the month of manufacture as Feb 95, makes it a few months older than I originally thought :)
 
Check the upper reinforcement sleeve on the seat tube. If the rear has a scollop cut into it creating two points then the frame was built by Winston Vaz. It was a unique signature he built into all his frames.
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Check the upper reinforcement sleeve on the seat tube. If the rear has a scollop cut into it creating two points then the frame was built by Winston Vaz. It was a unique signature he built into all his frames.
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Hi - where do you get that metal tube with the rubber ring that goes over the brake cable? Does it protect the paint?
 
Hi - where do you get that metal tube with the rubber ring that goes over the brake cable? Does it protect the paint?
That is an original Middleburn cable oiler. I bought a full set in 1994 to add to every cable on my Roberts Dogs Bolx I was building. I still have it. You pull back the rubber ring to inject lube into the cables. They make cable maintenance so easy. I placed that one there to protect the frame. Good news is, you can still buy them!




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Update: Unexpected detour.

Where to begin? after @danson67 worked his magic the frame was forwarded to the painter. And here is where it started to go terribly wrong.

The lengthy phone discussion I had with the painter, where we talked about the bike, its history and how I wanted it brought back to its former glory, with colours as close as possible to the original, the pics I sent of the bike including the catalogue scans - well, all that was seemingly forgotten.

To cut a long story short the bike was held up, a 6 week turnaround became a 12 - 14 week wait. During that period I'd sent the fork legs, brace and stem to be repainted in the original red. Somewhere along the line wires were crossed and the painter decided to paint everything red, including the frame. :eek:

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I found that out only when the bike finally arrived almost 4 months after I sent it. To say that I was disappointed is an understatement, the situation was made worse by the fact that the fork parts and stem had been packed in a box without any kind of protection, so each item had multiple chips on arrival.

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They've been sent back to be repainted, but after the extraordinary wait time I decided to stick with the red frame for now. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of the red and I intend to have the bike re-restored next year in the original colours. However, for now I'll just play the cards I've been dealt and embrace the unexpected change of direction this build has taken.

Personally I think all red is too much, and anyway I already have a red bike with red forks. So, as the fork/stem parts are being repainted anyway I asked for them to be redone in white. With the red of the frame and the blue bling this will enable me to go for a very British red, white and blue build.

Now I'm just waiting for the white parts to come back, once they arrive I'll get him built up and ridden 👍
 
Wow @Tsundere sounds like an absolute nightmare. What idiot sends freshly painted goods loose in a box? Fingers crossed The repainted parts get turned around quicker and arrive without "postal patina" !!!

Look forward to seeing with come together... Can they be relied upon to spray the right bits in the correct colour?!* :oops:🤪🤞
 
"postal patina"
:LOL:
I was pretty annoyed, but you know, worse things happen at sea. I'm just looking forward to getting it built and out on the trails. It's going to be liberating riding a freshly painted bike without caring about chips and scratches, as the proper refurb is still yet to come.
 
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