Ivandarken

No sooner did I say to myself... "Self- you need to find an antique English bike to restore" ... did I find a beauty!

Purchased from son of original owner. Hasn't been ridden since the early 1970's. Very few flaws for such an old bike. Two small dents in top tube, but quite forgivable for a veteran bicycle. Chrome needs some TLC, but manageable.

This has a decal showing Reynolds 531. I hadn't really thought about how early this tubing was around, but apparently at least this long.
Edit: Wikipedia says 531 was introduced in 1935.


Lugs are pretty. Paint scheme is very elegant, much richer than in photo, just makes me smile. These photos don't do it justice... and I have begun carefully cleaning the frame and bringing the blue and green back from dull and into the realm of shiny. The Dawes decal on the down tube is holding up and seems very stable.

Here is what I need help with:

Need replacement Cyclo Oppy shifter.
Need Brampton Headset part... the part that clamps the stem secure.

I have checked the internets for these but nothing popped up. Can anyone direct me to a source for early English parts?

Anyone with some knowledge to share on this would become my new best friend

Much thanks!

markk900

Wow - 73 years old and still a beauty! Sorry I can't help but please keep posting photos....

Mark

sailorbenjamin

Yum.

sailorbenjamin

I wonder if you could fab one of those stem clamp things out of a seat clamp.
First bike I really restored had one of those. I had no idea it was anything special.

clubman 

Very cool! Accles and Pollack sliding stem with "scorcher" bars...it just looks so dramatic. Love to see and hear more about all of it's bits and pieces

Try Peter for parts...https://oldbiketrader.co.uk/

spiker

Drum brakes front & rear? wow

bibliobob

I demand to see it in person when it's done!

Ivandarken

Sailorbenjamin, I'm afraid not. It has a proprietary clamp which is quite striking. Mine will work, but it has a crack that will certainly grow with abuse. I figure if I start looking now, I will find the replacement when it becomes critical.


clubman, yes, there are some really great and understated parts on this bicycle. I will post photos on this thread as I address each one. Glad for your interest. Thanks for the link... unfortunately, this Dawes does not use any Raleigh or Sturmey Archer parts.


spiker, yes, and the drum brakes are very different from the Sturmey Archer that I am used to seeing. And they appear to be in exceptional working condition. I may have to sacrifice the spokes and rims due to age and corrosion, but I will keep them preserved if I upgrade the wheels using the original drum hubs.


bibliobob, I will upgrade your demand to riding it when I am done. All you have to do is find me in Mckinley Park, Chicago. I was looking for a good candidate for the ABCE Tour in September. This one will be perfect. All are welcome to join in this fantastic ride. Look it up on the internets.

bikamper

I expect to see it at the ABCE. Very nice.

Ivandarken

bikamper, were you there last year? Perhaps we have met? I rode a 60's Dawes Realmrider and Sheldon's Raleigh Competition. Regardless, would be happy to see a fellow CV'er there. Barley Johns has my favourite beer in the universe which they make in small batches.

Maddox

May be obvious, but doesn't isn't the handlebar supposed to clamp underneath the forward stem bar?

bibliobob

Hmmm. Well, I did just bring a '65 Mercian back from England a few days ago....

McKinley Park? Did I sell you a Rudge 3 spd. a couple years ago?

clubman 

They're designed to give you the choice. These were popular in six day races when the riders would agree to "rest" periods while their team mates were asleep. They'd slip the bars off and invert them so they could sit up and relax.

Running the bars like the Dawes works for those that don't need or want a very aggressive posture. It's over 3 inches of change.

rhm

Wow!

I'm looking forward to more photos. Anything that needs replaced, give us photos. I have some odd bits that I don't understand, and I'm sure other people have as well. You might get lucky!

What are the rims?

bikamper

I couldn't make it the last two years but I have vacation time set aside for this years event.

beech333

I posted that in the "Are you looking for one of these" thread with high hopes that it would go to one of us...I'm glad to see it was you. Nice score. More pics at earliest convenience please.

Ivandarken

Maddox, actually, the part I will need is the big clamp right above the headset which secures the stem. It has a small crack. I think it's usable for the short term.

bibliobob, a nice Mercian will certainly be welcome! I will identify you through it I have a few Rudge... maybe I did buy one from you, what part of town?

rhm, I will post more photos this weekend. That's a good idea to post photos of replacement parts, though I will have to find some online images of the shifter. I will identify the rims for you tonight. I doubt I will be able to find NOS rims.


bikamper, make it a permanent mark on your calendar. Really good people, good beer, and good bikes. There is also a parts swap if you want to bring some vintage British items from your collection.


beech333, I just saw it. The seller was a very nice man, and he was only going to sell it to someone who would restore it. Though I'm tempted to hit it with the dremel and make the world's oldest fixie. (kidding). He gave me a great deal on the price as well, so I am very grateful. Dawes is one of my favourite makes. I miss my 60's Realmrider I sold a few months ago because it was too large. Photo below just for fun.

beech333

^^ As I recall, you beat me to that Realmrider by just a few minutes about a year ago, unless I am getting you mixed up with someone else. It pained me again when you mentioned selling it. I'll have to settle with a consolation prize of seeing the '37 if we can ever make it to a Chicago area ride.

Ivandarken

That was me, sorry. I would have gladly offered it up to you if I had remembered, but somebody saw it and made me an offer... and because I'm buying a house I let it go. If it's any consolation, it took me a good 4 months to get it into the condition shown in the photo... and at some expense.

I sometimes forget that we are sort of all in competition with each other for the infrequent good CV bikes.

Maddox

Thanks for this. I hadn't ever heard or seen photos of the flipped stem/bar setup on the old race bikes.

This = why I love C&V.

PDXaero

What size is the stem? I have been looking for brampton headsets for a holdsworth and an old timer at the lbs had some random british headset parts, no complete headsets so I passed but I will gladly go back and check.

SingeDebile

I would call/email the guys at VIA bicycles https://bikeville.com/ they have everything

(beautiful bike!)

Ivandarken

Here are some more photos.... The first two are of the part I need to replace because of a small crack.




Seat tube decal


You can tell where I have been cleaning... the blue paint is quite intense once you get the grease and time off of it. The green over paint is not as tough, and can't be cleaned too aggressively or it will start to thin out.

Ivandarken

and more...

left side (untouched)

right side (lightly cleaned)

Big Block

perhaps a new one from here