Ken Bird - What to Do??

[NasaJack]

Hi All, yes I'm Nooby, spend more time reading than posting but I recently saw the thread on a Ken Bird bike and it got me thinking what to do with mine, unfortunately mine just isn't a colour I can live with any longer! (BTW It's more of a brown than red)

Anyway I bought this last year for £175 of fleBay, I just wanted a frame I could convert to fixed but I just cant bring myself to interfere with a lovely bike like this.

It's got Campag gears, hubs, seat post ect, brakes I've never heard of, and Mavic wheels which seem to be bomb proof. I'm thinking of striping and powder coat white, but it'll be such a shame to lose the Ken Bird decals.

I was lead to believe that the components are original. The frame is Reynolds 531c. I've added some photo's, can anyone date the bike for me?

 

[NasaJack]

Sorry one more Piccy

 

[Tel]

I'd say it was mid 80's. It is quite a mix of components really so if they are the original then it was very likely to be an amateur build i.e he brought the frame and built it himself otherwise I'd expect to see a full groupset on it.

If it was mine I'd get it re-enamelled (rather than powder coat) and have replica stickers fitted (try H Lloyd) and work on getting a groupset together bit difficult to suggest a group as it is very much personal opinion. It would be Campag yo have a Victory crankset and 2nd Gen C Record mechs (I think). Going the Victory route would certainly be cheaper!

Alternatively because of the mix of components I don't think it would be too bad if you done a sympathetic fixie conversion just don't go all hipster on it!

 

[NasaJack]

Thanks Tel, re the mix, i seem to remember the guy i bought it from telling me he sold the original brakes (complete set) to a guy he met on his commute, and took the Modolo America's as part of the deal.

I'll look into the re-enamelle'ing.

 

[colnagokid]

Ken Bird

I agree with Tel looks early to mid 80s; if the hubs are Campag, they will have a date stamp on the inside of the Campag locknut on each spindle which may give you a more accurate year.

 

[otherself]

That's a nice colour IMO - reminds of 70's bakelite plastic. If it was mine I'd leave it how it is, give it a good polish and replace saddle & bar tape with all black offerings.

 

[Tel]

Has it got odd cranks? I reckon it originally had Campag Nouvo Record groupset looking at the headset, seatpost and left crank arm (?)

 

[NasaJack]

Yes, it has! I hadn't noticed till you said. The left one is square'r, can't make out who it is made by. Campag Nouvo Record? Sounds good, I'm thinking of sorting the colour out then building back into a nice geared commuter, fell bad messing with it too much, after all it's done 30 years it can't be too bad.

 

[daccordimark]

I reckon you're right to leave it pretty much as it is. I know what you mean about the colour but as the paint looks in good fettle it would be a shame to lose all the original graphics.

It looks like someone has changed the right hand crank for a Victory one and the rear mech for C-Record? Other than that it looks like Nouvo Record as others have said. A close up of that left hand crank would be handy.

I like the way the 531 sticker is on the back of the downtube so people can see what just overtook them!

 

[john]

Paint looks ok from the pics. Reckon a good polish and touch up would do wonders. PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THE POWDERCOATERS.

Groupset wise I'd be looking to return to original, nuovo record or whatever it was.