First UK production mtb a Ridgeback?

[GrahamJohnWallace]

Now that is great stuff! how 'restored' are you going to take it?

I haven't decided yet.
I am torn between a complete restoration and just cleaning it up so that it retains most of the evidence of its 30 years of use and abuse.

The first step will be to repair a large crack at the base of the head tube and to replace several broken spokes.

 

[petertreglown]

pictures of my Ridgeback taken in the Dorsetshire countryside 'back in the day'
had to dig around in my photos box for these, taken with a real camera!( Pentax me super ) and real film! ( Ilford HP4 )
There had been some upgrading of parts berfore I brought it, I think that the stem and bars were not original equipment, I also think that the brake levers were four finger xt ( ? ). I had replaced the rear mech due to bending the original one. Redline canti brakes in evidence on the cow picture.

 

[jaypee]

Proper old school! I bet ramblers were as confused as the cows appear to be ;-)

 

[petertreglown]

another one from the archives, this time with a stronglight oval chainring chainset!

 

[mrkawasaki]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VintageRetro- ... 1281840210

 

[petertreglown]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VintageRetro-Ridgeback-Mountain-Bike-circa-1986-/121281840210

nice

 

[mrkawasaki]

Proto-looking geometry... ;-)

 

[tristanspeed]

My first mountain bike was a Ridgeback XT in about 1986 or 87 if I remember correctly. Loved it, rode it, sold it to buy my Ritchey in1989.
Great bull moose bars and terrible own brand tyres with a Central raised section to roll smooth on the road.

 

[ferrus]

Seems maybe they imported various different frames without them necessarily being all the same.

Back in '88 I bought a second hand Ridgeback which was supposed to have been an '84 model. Strangely, even though the components were in unused condition, the frame had been resprayed by the LBS; it was badged as 531 and was TIG welded, or so I always thought...but someone on here recently said that 531 couldn't be welded -so perhaps it was (lumpy) micro-fillet brazed?

LBS must have taken creative liberties with the decals

http://www.bretonbikes.com/reynolds.htm

It's not that it physically *can't* be welded - it's composition and properties in combination make it VERY unsuited to being TIGed - Impractical as an assembly technique

well, it looks like the old dear was 531 after all... this is definitely the same frame + forks, albeit about a foot smaller than mine: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Retro-Ridgeba ... 3445560840
- bit odd then really :?

 

[The History Man]

Great thread.

So my latest. Picked up today. 84 to?