Dawes Ranger rehabilitated

[Stodgy]

Long and slack? It’ll never catch on.

Looks great and the big wheels make it look very “normal” for a big frame. I had a 1987 Raleigh Maverick which, although nowhere near the quality as this, looks like it had similar angles. It rode really well on all surfaces and built my leg muscles up as a teenager due to its weight.

 

[Chdot]

“It’ll never catch on.”

Funny you should say that.

(I know irony when I see it!)

Was looking at the spec for a fairly recent Ridgeback, surprisingly similar.

This (steeper seat tube angle)

https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews/bikes/mountain-bikes/genesis-longitude-review/

 

[OSMojo]

I love these bikes, I have had many bikes come and go but the Ranger is a keeper, the slack geometry makes for such a leisurely ride, plus you get that runaway freight train feeling when you get going. The long WB looks great, I'm 6ft 1" so perfect for me. I cannot understand why people assume they're heavy, they're not, modern MTBS are heavy due to suspension forks mainly.
I have had so many people call out 'lovely bike' even a 20 year old girl approached me to say how much she liked it she said it looked 'adventurous'.
I have the original seat and bars, grips and seat post, but I swapped those out to make it the way I wanted it. Hardly anything on this bike is Chinese, just UK or Japanese.

 

[Chdot]

“I have had many bikes come and go but the Ranger is a keeper”

Yes and probably yes!

Yours looks in as good condition as mine, how long have you had it?

 

[OSMojo]

..only just over a year

 

[Imlach]

I love these bikes, I have had many bikes come and go but the Ranger is a keeper, the slack geometry makes for such a leisurely ride, plus you get that runaway freight train feeling when you get going. The long WB looks great, I'm 6ft 1" so perfect for me. I cannot understand why people assume they're heavy, they're not, modern MTBS are heavy due to suspension forks mainly.
I have had so many people call out 'lovely bike' even a 20 year old girl approached me to say how much she liked it she said it looked 'adventurous'.
I have the original seat and bars, grips and seat post, but I swapped those out to make it the way I wanted it. Hardly anything on this bike is Chinese, just UK or Japanese.

View attachment 644709

Lovely. It's a proper exploration bicycle.

 

[Birdy60]

The long wheelbase was great for touring. This was a 1986 model that Dawes sponsored me with for a 27000 mile round the world trip I did 1986-88. They added extra lugs for the front pannier rack and a third bottle cage. After a few months I changed the chainrings from 26-36/46 to 26/46/50 as I was a bit fitter by then. Never even broke a spoke on the whole trip but the rear rim had cracks developing on each side of every spoke. I still have it for nostalgia state but the frame sadly has a lot of surface rust on it. I also shortened the handlebars to make it marginally better into headwinds.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

They are all lovely. Stumpy included.

 

[Birdy60]

I love these bikes, I have had many bikes come and go but the Ranger is a keeper, the slack geometry makes for such a leisurely ride, plus you get that runaway freight train feeling when you get going. The long WB looks great, I'm 6ft 1" so perfect for me. I cannot understand why people assume they're heavy, they're not, modern MTBS are heavy due to suspension forks mainly.
I have had so many people call out 'lovely bike' even a 20 year old girl approached me to say how much she liked it she said it looked 'adventurous'.
I have the original seat and bars, grips and seat post, but I swapped those out to make it the way I wanted it. Hardly anything on this bike is Chinese, just UK or Japanese.

View attachment 644709

I wish mine still looked like yours, that’s beautiful

 

[OSMojo]

The long wheelbase was great for touring. This was a 1986 model that Dawes sponsored me with for a 27000 mile round the world trip I did 1986-88. They added extra lugs for the front pannier rack and a third bottle cage. After a few months I changed the chainrings from 26-36/46 to 26/46/50 as I was a bit fitter by then. Never even broke a spoke on the whole trip but the rear rim had cracks developing on each side of every spoke. I still have it for nostalgia state but the frame sadly has a lot of surface rust on it. I also shortened the handlebars to make it marginally better into headwinds.

Wow this is such a great story, needs a whole thread on its own, do you have lots of photos, stories?
You must be so attached to that bike after such an experience.