thumpism 

I briefly had a Peugeot Europe Express (built up from a frameset and the U-brake) that was all 531 but it was a year or two later than your Dawes.

DQRider 

That is one very fine MTB. The only thing I would change would be the fork. I know the reasons why they say that unicrown is better than lugged, but aesthetically I'll take the lugged fork every time. And the Europe Express came with a Brooks Flyer? How cool is that? Do you miss it?

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cooperryder

Enjoyed a longish ride for me of 40 miles on my Trek 950 today.
I think temps topped out in the mid 50's with lots of sunshine.

I'm tired from the ride but the good kind of satisfying tiredness from a good ride.

Iron Horse

How do you like the Tioga wheels?

cooperryder

Oh, you mean the Tioga Powerblock tires.
See this link to post 355 of this thread.

https://www.bikeforums.net/21076068-post355.html

Iron Horse

Cool! Thanks!

Smokinapankake

What stem is that? Interesting looking quill adapter. A very nice bike indeed!

cooperryder

Thanks.

See this particular reply.
I included pics.

https://www.bikeforums.net/20519832-post119.html

As I've gotten older the taller stem and handlebars with a good rise are more comfortable for me.

Smokinapankake

Don’t think I’ve posted mine here; a 1985 Peugeot Canyon Express. Bought at a thrift store some 15 or so years ago, tried to sell it (thank goodness no one wanted it), been riding it since. Couple years ago I converted it into my do-all / touring rig:






Some nice details on this frame. Powdercoat for durability.

cooperryder

That's a great looking bike Smokinapankake!

Looks like your powder coater did a good job of two toning the colors.

Love the XTR rear derailer!

15 years, I expect you have had some fun adventures on that bike.

Was the powder coat 15 years ago?
If so , its held up very well.

Digger Goreman

My daily commuter (sans the front bag experiment.
​​​​

Smokinapankake

Thank you!
Powdercoat was done only a few years ago, when I built it up as you see. If you look closely at the head tube, there is some bleeding but I think a gold lug lining job would take care of that. Rear derailleur is shimano’s much maligned rapid rise version that didn’t work too well with the thumbshifters so I replaced them with some Deore rapid fire triggers I had laying around. I love rapid rise rear shifting so if anybody has any hanging around I’ll take them! Bike rides very nice; plush like a Cadillac!

cooperryder

https://www.jonesbikes.com/jones-h-ba...aluminum-loop/

Has anyone onlist tried one of these?

Jones H-Bar Loop SG 2.5 Aluminum Loop.

I'm seriously thinking of ordering one for one of my Trek 950's.

DorkDisk

Really wanted to keep the Ti straight bars, so went all out on spacers

Korina

cooperryder I have one, and I like it. Lots of room for stuff and/or hand positions.

Smokinapankake

More please! Love a nice Kona!

DorkDisk

Thanks

Clyde1820

@Korina, just wondering whether you ultimately got the Big Bens for your bike, and how you like them.

Have a set of them coming right now, for an upright commuter build I'm currently doing. I'll post some pics once I've got it whipped into shape. Schwalbe Big Bens in 26x2.15in. Should be comfy.

Korina

Clyde1820 I ended up with Rubena City Hoppers in brown, 26" x 2". They're cruiser tires, so fairly slick. I like them, especially as I can run them at fairly low pressure; 35psi in front, 45 in back. They're fast and cushy.

Please, I'd love to know how you like the Big Bens; these tires aren't going to last forever.

DQRider 

This project has been a real labor of love. The Dawes Ranger was one of the first mass-produced MTBs out of England. The decals say it was handbuilt out of Reynolds 531 "All Terrain" tubing. It has the longest wheelbase I've ever seen on a production bicycle, ouside of tandems, that is.

The wheelbase is so long, in fact, that a normal chain would not fit. I had to purchase 8 extra links to get the modern Deore 10-speed derailleur to shift properly. I don't normally post in-process photos of my bikes, but winter is taking too long, and I'm getting impatient. I'm not going to ride this bike on salty roads, but right now, here it is in rideable mockup form:



Of course the fenders are going to need fine tuning for correct positioning. It looks like I'm going to have to make a custom bracket for the front. It is going to get a bag support and large waxed-canvas saddlebag, and a smaller waxed-canvas handlebar bag. A bell and a rearview mirror will complete the build, along with a good polishing and touchup paint. I can't wait to start test-riding this thing, but I'll have to for at least another month, maybe two.

P.S.
I see that there is a "before" shot of this bike at the top of the page.

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cooperryder

I haven't looked at the thread recently and just saw this.

Thanks for the input.
Much appreciated.

cooperryder

What a beaut!
Nice color combo!

How long are the chainstays and also wheelbase?

Is it Rivendell long?

DQRider 

I haven't taken a tape measure to it, but yeah, it is definitely "Rivendell long". In the early days of MTBs, they built them long to keep the CG under control on steep ascents/descents. My Barracuda A2B has a shorter wheelbase, and it's hard to keep the front wheel on the ground when climbing in granny gear.

Last night I fettled it a bit more, and at least got the fenders lined up with the tires, but they are still about 1/2 inch too high. So, custom brackets for both, I guess. I've got some stainless stock that should do nicely. I also fine-tuned the drivetrain, and that 1x10 setup shifts like buttah! I'm using a Wolf Tooth narrow-wide chainring on the front, and the RD has a clutch, so I don't have to worry about dropping the chain.

We got another 2 inches of snow last night, and a fresh coating of salt/sand on the roads, so I won't be able to ride it anytime soon. I can hardly wait! C'mon Spring!

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Wharf Rat

I started a thread on this a couple days ago, but I figured I’d also put it here. I love these old MTB conversions. 1988 cannondale SM500

rjhammett

My wife's Cinelli 'The Next Machine'.