the unofficial 'cool' 1980's Reynolds 531/501 bike thread
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Stick Legs
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That is cool.
Re: DAWES All Terrain
PPPS January 2017 The sad ending of my DAWES AllTerrain - see photo.
- two days after me turning 76, I was hit by a car and ended up unconscious in hosptal. Luckily only a few broken bones - I could have become a paraplegic........
uaglt":74kimkhp said:I live in Vancouver BC CANADA and am riding a DAWES All Terrain mountain bike. Found abandoned in an alley and after a bit of TLC I restored it to working condition. I extended the mud guards so I don't get sprayed on from the rotating wheels. I am using it a lot even in the rain and find it gives a smooth and reliable ride. I often pack big loads on the rear rack and it runs straight like an arrow (before I had a light weight Japanese bike and it wobbled dangerously going downhill at higher speeds). From a sticker on the frame, I can see it was sold in Oxford, England by Walton Street Cycles. Somebody must have loved it so much that he shipped it half way around the world.
The only thing I wish it was a bit lighter when I get on some steep roads since I am getting older (74 now).
PS Love the Shimano thumb shifters - way better than the silly grip twist shifters that were the rage a few years ago............
PPS Another thing I like on my bike is the little U-shaped protector for the rear derailleur bolted onto the rear axle. It saved my derailleur several times when the heavily loaded bike fell over. I have not seen an any bikes equipped with it here in North America - looks like a British invention..........
PPPS January 2017 The sad ending of my DAWES AllTerrain - see photo.
- two days after me turning 76, I was hit by a car and ended up unconscious in hosptal. Luckily only a few broken bones - I could have become a paraplegic........
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Re: DAWES All Terrain
Golly-jeepers, muh man ... I'm in Vancouver as well, and know how crazy it can be to ride through this city of chaos and terrible drivers ... but you must have set some sort of retrobike forum posting record, without a doubt; 'cause who else could ever claim to have gone from a first post with a cool/boasted about bike ... to a second one where that bike got smashed by a car, and you end up unconscious and ina hospital ... and all in just two posts total!!?
:facepalm:
Whatever the case, I sure hope you are okay, and that all the wounds are mere flesh-related and will heal 100%. Did they apprehend the driver involved - and was it the automobile driver's fault?
uaglt":3vsos7c6 said:uaglt":3vsos7c6 said:I live in Vancouver BC CANADA and am riding a DAWES All Terrain mountain bike. Found abandoned in an alley and after a bit of TLC I restored it to working condition. I extended the mud guards so I don't get sprayed on from the rotating wheels. I am using it a lot even in the rain and find it gives a smooth and reliable ride. I often pack big loads on the rear rack and it runs straight like an arrow (before I had a light weight Japanese bike and it wobbled dangerously going downhill at higher speeds). From a sticker on the frame, I can see it was sold in Oxford, England by Walton Street Cycles. Somebody must have loved it so much that he shipped it half way around the world.
The only thing I wish it was a bit lighter when I get on some steep roads since I am getting older (74 now).
PS Love the Shimano thumb shifters - way better than the silly grip twist shifters that were the rage a few years ago............
PPS Another thing I like on my bike is the little U-shaped protector for the rear derailleur bolted onto the rear axle. It saved my derailleur several times when the heavily loaded bike fell over. I have not seen an any bikes equipped with it here in North America - looks like a British invention..........
PPPS January 2017 The sad ending of my DAWES AllTerrain - see photo.
- two days after me turning 76, I was hit by a car and ended up unconscious in hosptal. Luckily only a few broken bones - I could have become a paraplegic........
Golly-jeepers, muh man ... I'm in Vancouver as well, and know how crazy it can be to ride through this city of chaos and terrible drivers ... but you must have set some sort of retrobike forum posting record, without a doubt; 'cause who else could ever claim to have gone from a first post with a cool/boasted about bike ... to a second one where that bike got smashed by a car, and you end up unconscious and ina hospital ... and all in just two posts total!!?
:facepalm:
Whatever the case, I sure hope you are okay, and that all the wounds are mere flesh-related and will heal 100%. Did they apprehend the driver involved - and was it the automobile driver's fault?
Yes - I was told by ICBC that it was 100% the car driver's fault - she turned left on a yellow light when I was already half through the intersection in the opposite direction - I was coming down on Puget Drive and crossing King Edward
My helmet helped a lot but I still cracked a few bones in the spine (but no nerve damage !)
Taking a break from biking until I feel up to it - spring is around the corner.
PS Getting fair compensation from ICBC for an old write-off Retro bike will be a challenge.............
I'm looking on Craigslist........Cheers
My helmet helped a lot but I still cracked a few bones in the spine (but no nerve damage !)
Taking a break from biking until I feel up to it - spring is around the corner.
PS Getting fair compensation from ICBC for an old write-off Retro bike will be a challenge.............
I'm looking on Craigslist........Cheers
Captain Stupido
Senior Retro Guru
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OK, having sold my Falcon K2 
I decided it was about time finally got my (unnamed) Dawes back on the road
Before (as advertised on here):
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=352899
This was bought by the original owner as a bare frame - it had been lying around in his LBS and he got a deal on it in the late 80s... he built it up using an interesting mixed bag of parts, notably a 105 headset and hubs and an old Stronglight chainset. He built the wheels with some sturdy Oxygen M6 rims and plain gauge spokes. As I got it, it had received some later revisions - the tyres, stem, pedals and v-brakes pictured had all been fitted when the original owner passed it on to his son.
I've tried to bring it back a bit closer to it's origins, but without being too anal about it, it was always a bit of a bitsa, after all. I put a Sakae stem and some ITM bars on it, a pair of amber wall City Jets, and some Shimano BR-AT50 cantis and Weinmann levers which I've been saving for years. They were great fun to set up...
I've given it a good service, new cables and an oily rag polish to preserve the patina. Plan is to ride it as a comfy town cruiser during the summer months. It has super laid-back geometry, can't imagine it being all that useful on the trails but it was pretty fun to just test ride around the block.
Got a few jobs to do still but it's riding nice, so I'm pretty chuffed. Main thing is need a longer seatpost (any ideas of the size?)
I decided it was about time finally got my (unnamed) Dawes back on the road Before (as advertised on here):
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=352899
This was bought by the original owner as a bare frame - it had been lying around in his LBS and he got a deal on it in the late 80s... he built it up using an interesting mixed bag of parts, notably a 105 headset and hubs and an old Stronglight chainset. He built the wheels with some sturdy Oxygen M6 rims and plain gauge spokes. As I got it, it had received some later revisions - the tyres, stem, pedals and v-brakes pictured had all been fitted when the original owner passed it on to his son.
I've tried to bring it back a bit closer to it's origins, but without being too anal about it, it was always a bit of a bitsa, after all. I put a Sakae stem and some ITM bars on it, a pair of amber wall City Jets, and some Shimano BR-AT50 cantis and Weinmann levers which I've been saving for years. They were great fun to set up...
I've given it a good service, new cables and an oily rag polish to preserve the patina. Plan is to ride it as a comfy town cruiser during the summer months. It has super laid-back geometry, can't imagine it being all that useful on the trails but it was pretty fun to just test ride around the block.
Got a few jobs to do still but it's riding nice, so I'm pretty chuffed. Main thing is need a longer seatpost (any ideas of the size?)
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Gained another 85, 531
Bonzo Banana
Dirt Disciple
I'm not sure I should be posting, I may not be eligible for this thread but picked up an old Townsend mountain bike at auction in the last few days.
http://veterancycleclublibrary.org.uk/n ... brary).pdf
I was actually more interested in something else at the auction but was outbid on that but placed a bid on this for £6 and won. So after auction fee's cost me about £7.38 I think.
From what I understand it was one of the last budget bikes made in the UK and uses Reynolds 500 tubing which is their cheapest I think.
As you can see its budget components and features 15 gears.
What amazes me is the weight, its not light. It feels incredibly solid with no consideration for weight at all.
I shall hopefully get it fully working as a beater bike soon. There isn't much to do really.
Actually after reading a bit more I'm confused about the model. I looked at the frame before putting it in my shed and came away with the Townsend brand and Reynold 500 tubing and used that for searching for info. Most of the budget UK made bikes had lugs not welds but there was a period of time before they stopped manufacturing in the UK where they did weld frames. The catalogue has 'British built' and includes both lugged and welded frames but doesn't mention Reynolds on the welded frames shown in it. So I'm unsure if Reynolds 500 is licensed steel from the far east (Reynolds number go down when its licensed it seems) or its uk assembled with a far eastern frame. Maybe initially they paid for the Reynolds license and then abandoned it. Pretty sure my frame hasn't got lugs and you can't see them on the image. Amazing how a bit of curiosity can lead you on a long search for info. Whatever the bike looks up to the job I need it for.
http://veterancycleclublibrary.org.uk/n ... brary).pdf
I was actually more interested in something else at the auction but was outbid on that but placed a bid on this for £6 and won. So after auction fee's cost me about £7.38 I think.
From what I understand it was one of the last budget bikes made in the UK and uses Reynolds 500 tubing which is their cheapest I think.
As you can see its budget components and features 15 gears.
What amazes me is the weight, its not light. It feels incredibly solid with no consideration for weight at all.
I shall hopefully get it fully working as a beater bike soon. There isn't much to do really.
Actually after reading a bit more I'm confused about the model. I looked at the frame before putting it in my shed and came away with the Townsend brand and Reynold 500 tubing and used that for searching for info. Most of the budget UK made bikes had lugs not welds but there was a period of time before they stopped manufacturing in the UK where they did weld frames. The catalogue has 'British built' and includes both lugged and welded frames but doesn't mention Reynolds on the welded frames shown in it. So I'm unsure if Reynolds 500 is licensed steel from the far east (Reynolds number go down when its licensed it seems) or its uk assembled with a far eastern frame. Maybe initially they paid for the Reynolds license and then abandoned it. Pretty sure my frame hasn't got lugs and you can't see them on the image. Amazing how a bit of curiosity can lead you on a long search for info. Whatever the bike looks up to the job I need it for.
rayfenwick
Retro Newbie
A pity this thread died out - I've really enjoyed it.
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