Incoming…another Dawes Kingpin

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Went to pick up the ‘I didn’t mean to buy it’ Kingpin today. What colour is it? Burgundy? Brown? Anyway it rides ok, the brakes work and it stops, eventually, the gears are stuck in 3rd ATM, but that’ll be ok. Saddle is in good condition, but lost its badge, not sure if it a Mertens, Middlemores or a Brooks, I think it’s the latter but not certain. There’s a bit of rust which I’m sure I can sort out. Chain guard is really tatty, that’ll need work. The year 5/80 on the hub. I’m rather taken by the front rack and the D shaped light bracket. Not bad for 18 sovs.

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Looks a bit crusty in parts, guessing it's been stored outside for some of its life, and may account for gear change problem.

On my recently acquired Stowaway, there were a couple of issues with the indicator chain. It had been over tightened at some stage, and twisted badly as a consequence. Upon removal to straighten it out, the shaft appeared to be a bit on the longish side. It was indeed too long compared to others of that era in my possession, so a replacement was fitted from my spares department.

So far so good, then onto the elephant in the room, the grip shifter. A more modern one fitted (will do till a trigger shifter comes my way), and all gears change perfectly now.

I believe you're comfortable with dismantling the hub if necessary, and you're welcome to any spare bits I have from a hub of around that date.
I'm glad your grubby hands are getting more grubby now - keep us posted :okay:
 
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EltonFrog

EltonFrog

Legendary Member
Looks a bit crusty in parts, guessing it's been stored outside for some of its life, and may account for gear change problem.

On my recently acquired Stowaway, there were a couple of issues with the indicator chain. It had been over tightened at some stage, and twisted badly as a consequence. Upon removal to straighten it out, the shaft appeared to be a bit on the longish side. It was indeed too long compared to others of that era in my possession, so a replacement was fitted from my spares department.

So far so good, then onto the elephant in the room, the grip shifter. A more modern one fitted (will do till a trigger shifter comes my way), and all gears change perfectly now.

I believe you're comfortable with dismantling the hub if necessary, and you're welcome to any spare bits I have from a hub of around that date.
I'm glad your grubby hands are getting more grubby now - keep us posted :okay:

I am indeed familiar with dismantling the hubs, I can’t begin to tell you the joy I felt when discovering that rear hub was going to need a good fettling. I’m very much looking forward to it.
 
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EltonFrog

EltonFrog

Legendary Member
An update.
This week I fettled the Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub. It was stuck in third gear and wouldn’t budge, I removed the wheel, and could only get the toggle to move with a pair of pliers.
I poured some degreaser down the axle and it started to move and change gear, but obviously I couldn’t leave it like that, so I took the whole thing apart, left the parts soaking overnight in diluted ScrewFix degreaser solution.

Next day I cleaned all the parts digging out old thick congealed gunk, dirt etc., with a toothbrush and rinsed and let it all dry off.

I was feeling confident about putting it all back together, I’ve done a few of these now, but I still referred to RJ The Bike Guy’s video to jog my memory on a couple of things, like which way round the pawl spring goes. ( remarkably I dropped the effing thing twice on the floor, but managed to find it!).

It probably took me about 90 minutes to reassemble the gears, including getting the sprocket circlip back on ( feckin awkward thing) then realising I'd forgotten to put on the sprocket dust cap, and had to take off the circlip, the sprocket, the washers again, then put it all back on.

Once the wheel was back on I took the bike for a quick test ride, including going up a small hill, the gears now work perfectly.

I really enjoy taking apart and servicing these gears, I am in awe of how they even came up with the design in the first place. It’s utter genius.

I‘m not sure what I’m going to do with this bike ultimately, but what ever I do the gears needed sorting one way or the other.
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Gwylan

Veteran
Location
All at sea⛵
This will be my fifth through the door, currently have two, plus I’ve had about four R20s and 2 Puch Promenades.

How do you sneak that past the management?

A set of disc pads struggles to get through front door security
A bag of cable ties precipitates a full enquiry.
Getting stuff delivered to Vanessa works sometimes.

Another bike could cause the next apocalypse.
 
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EltonFrog

EltonFrog

Legendary Member
Some more fettling today, I’m not sure where I’m going with this bike, a restoration, a tidy up or what, but I thought I’d have a go at the handlebars, they looked pretty crap, I wanted to see how bad they are. As it turns out they looked worse than they were, and have cleaned up quite well.
some before and after photos.
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the clamp lever was quite bad too, but it’s cleaned up ok.
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Gunk

Guru
Location
Oxford
Wire wool and WD40?
 
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