Restoration complete ridden for first time in over 20 years!
Restoration complete ridden for first time in over 20 years!
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Discussion

Soop Dogg

Original Poster:

411 posts

265 months

Wednesday 28th August 2013
quotequote all
Following on from my thread about restoring my 30-odd year old Ellis Briggs recently, I've now completed the build and taken the thing for a ride. The last time I rode this bike was about 1991. I had started to think it would never be back on the road again, but here it is.

Really pleased with it now I've ridden it. The bars felt a little narrow, but that's probably because I ride a hybrid every day to work with MTB bars. Once I had a few miles behind me though, I was used to it again.








IroningMan

10,598 posts

276 months

Wednesday 28th August 2013
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Lovely. I built-up my old Dawes - 1983 vintage - into a singlespeed last autumn and only rode it for the first time on Monday: it was last used while I was a student. The narrow bars felt a little weird, as you say, but the strangest thing was the total silence...



Dixie

740 posts

265 months

Wednesday 28th August 2013
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Looks beautiful. It has aged really rather well. I love the cassette. It looks like it'll hardly be worth changing gear!

Well done. How does it compare to a modern road bike? Are the wheels old as well?

BOBTEE

1,034 posts

194 months

Wednesday 28th August 2013
quotequote all
Lovely...and I'm an MTBer!

Soop Dogg

Original Poster:

411 posts

265 months

Wednesday 28th August 2013
quotequote all
Dixie said:
Looks beautiful. It has aged really rather well. I love the cassette. It looks like it'll hardly be worth changing gear!

Well done. How does it compare to a modern road bike? Are the wheels old as well?
The cassette is a 6-speed 13-18 'straight through'. The hubs are old but never built until now - found them on ebay, still in their boxes! I used to race with a set of these hubs (Mavic 501), they are sealed roller bearings and are incredibly smooth. The rims are modern though - couldn't bring myself to trust any of my old rims! The frame was made to measure for me in 1981.

You wouldn't say it has aged well if you saw the pics of the frame from earlier this year! It was a mess. I'll see if I can dig some of them out...

Soop Dogg

Original Poster:

411 posts

265 months

Wednesday 28th August 2013
quotequote all
Couple of pics when in the workshop at Ellis Briggs. Messy!

The cost of the frame restoration was into 4 figures. frown



Mr E

23,059 posts

289 months

Wednesday 28th August 2013
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BOBTEE said:
Lovely...and I'm an MTBer!
Seconded. From another MTBer

Barbarossa

144 posts

248 months

Wednesday 28th August 2013
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Looks great. I would look at changing the rims to these h-son+ tb14.

Soop Dogg

Original Poster:

411 posts

265 months

Thursday 29th August 2013
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Barbarossa said:
Looks great. I would look at changing the rims to these h-son+ tb14.
Cheers!

I may have to get a set of these built next year then...

Vladimir

6,917 posts

188 months

Thursday 29th August 2013
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Mr E said:
Seconded. From another MTBer
Thirded (!). Lovely steel tubes; my favourite!