Can anyone tell me the model number of this old Dawes bicycle? Dawes, it seems, cannot!?

Question

I am trying to find the model number of my old Dawes alloy bicycle frame. It began, I think, as a 10 speed.

I contacted Dawes, even sent photographs, but they did not recognise it. They said that the factory had moved, and I guess the old records lost. And it seems there was no one there is old enough to remember it! .

Anyway, here are four photographs of the bicycle. I have taken close-ups of the joints at the base of the seatpost, of the column below the handlebars. and one of the chainset/bottom bracket area.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26803150@N07/2511182577/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26803150@N07/2511182251/.flickr.com/photos/26803150@N07/2511182577/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26803150@N07/2512011848/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26803150@N07/2511181923/

Thanks for any help!

Answer 1

There are a couple of reasons that Dawes may not have recognised your bike, mostly based on your description.

First, the frame is not alloy- aluminum alloy, that is. It's a steel frame. The joints are called lugs. The tubes are mitered and inserted into the lugs then brazed.

You are probably correct in the bike starting life as a ten speed as it is likely from the late 1960s/early 1970s. At this time in Dawes history they made some REALLY nice frames and some that were acceptable for the masses. Yours falls into the latter category... nothing special.

As time went on and bikes from Asia became commonplace Dawes and a number of other Euro bike companies (like Mercier and Motobecane) were purchased by marketing companies who used the name recognition as a launching pad for sales. They bear no resemblance to the traditional European level of the craft.

Back to your bike. There was probably never a model number developed for the one you have, but you MIGHT be able to get some infomation from Bob Jackson Cycles in Leeds England- I think they trade as RJR Cycles. They have a loooong history of framebuilding in the UK and may be able to help you.

Just so you aren't disappointed, your bike is probably not worth the trouble to restore it unless it is of some sentimental value.

EDIT: Reynolds 531 IS sSTEEL. In fact, it is the benchmark steel tubeset for bicycles, made in England. Made of manganese molybdneum steel. Since you have provided this bit of info I can confidently say that the frame is one of Dawes' better items and is a classic frame.

I can tell you the size bottom bracket you need if you provide the crank you are using and number of teeth on the chainrings.

EDIT 2: OK, I assume that the crank is original. You can use a 70mm Shimano UN72 bottom bracket, 122.5mm spindle, with a 2mm spacer on the drive side. If you can't get a 70mm you can use a 68mm but the adjustable cup (non-drive side) will not be flush with the frame- it'll go inside the frame a bit.

EDIT 3: You must be measuring incorrectly. Measure the spindle ONLY, not the threaded studs (if so equipped). No bike has ever had a spindle length that was over 133mm- and that is for a super duty mountain bike. Even crossover tandem cranks (with chainrings on both arms) only have 127.5mm spindles. According to my data, the modern spindle I provided above is correct. Just remember to put that 2mm spacer in between the bearing cup and frame. Um, you DO have the correct bearings installed, right? That would cause your problems. Also, if the spindle is installed in reverse that could be a problem as well.

EDIT 4: I'm at a loss. I checked some other sources I have including http://sheldonbrown.com and they all say the same thing... 122.5mm spindle with 2mm spacer on the drive side.

There is one other thing to check. Measure the width of the bottom bracket on the frame. It should be 68mm wide (or very close to it). If it is 70mm, OK, no problem. If it is greater than 70mm then you have some weird setup that I don't know about. There are wider bottom brackets, but not back when that frame was built!

EDIT 5: Deleting threads like this makes the forum poorer. Many people refer to this kind of esoterica when trying to work on their bikes so don't delete.