1980's Ernie Clements

[Illaveago]

Bit of me time this morning so I stripped the Galaxy. I couldn't resist loosely putting some parts onto the Clements frame to get an idea of how it would look.

I was just reading your first post again .
Wouldn't it be better to sell your Dawes Galaxy complete to fund your Ernie Clements build ? Surely the Galaxy would be worth more and more sought after and so get a better price ? You could buy a cheap donor bike with the components that you need .

 

[Oldbikefan]

I was just reading your first post again .
Wouldn't it be better to sell your Dawes Galaxy complete to fund your Ernie Clements build ? Surely the Galaxy would be worth more and more sought after and so get a better price ? You could buy a cheap donor bike with the components that you need .

Too late it's stripped. I did consider selling the Galaxy but I'd have to find/pay for a suitable donor and refurbish parts again which I've already done for the Galaxy.
I'll be selling the Dawes frame which should more than cover the cost of the powder coat.

 

[Oldbikefan]

A bit more work on the Clements. Just the chain and cables to do.

 

[Oldbikefan]

Chain and cables done. Finally finished.

 

[Oldbikefan]

Quick update on the Clements. I wasn't happy with the Weinmann Vainqueur centre pull brakes. They just felt spongy so I changed them for side pull which would have been fitted originally to the frame. The braking is much improved now.

On the subject of the frame. I contacted Ernie Clements Lightweights and they informed me that the frame was made by Ribble, who made all his frames at that time, and sold out of his Ledbury shop.

I have recently changed the bar tape and scored an old Brooks B17 saddle on ebay to complete the look.

 

[Illaveago]

Quick update on the Clements. I wasn't happy with the Weinmann Vainqueur centre pull brakes. They just felt spongy so I changed them for side pull which would have been fitted originally to the frame. The braking is much improved now.

On the subject of the frame. I contacted Ernie Clements Lightweights and they informed me that the frame was made by Ribble, who made all his frames at that time, and sold out of his Ledbury shop.

I have recently changed the bar tape and scored an old Brooks B17 saddle on ebay to complete the look.

It's looking nice.
Have you ridden it yet?

 

[Oldbikefan]

It's looking nice.
Have you ridden it yet?

Only done short local rides so far which is why I changed the brakes and saddle. I did have this saddle on it which looked good but wasn't comfortable.

I haven't tried the tatty Brooks saddle yet thanks to Covid.

Incidentally, the Dawes Galaxy frameset is travelling the lanes of Denmark.

 

[Oldbikefan]

Quick update on the Clements. I contacted Ernie Clements Lightweights for more information. They told me the frames from that period were made by Ribble and the bikes were assembled in Ledbury. I've ridden it a few times now and it rides lovely but it's on saddle number three now.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

assembled in Ledbury

Ernie's son Edward still runs Clements Cycles in Ledbury.

 

[wakemalcolm]

Yes, I bought a Clements from Colin Armstrong in Middlesbrough in the 80s.
Although it was 531 it was very much a pile em high sell em cheap item.
Eventually got Martrac (of Paul Curran fame) to braze some canti bosses onto it and it became a half decent tourer.
A few years, and maybe a couple of crashes, later I noticed it seemed to be getting longer. Found when I got home that the forks were tearing off at the crown. Flogged it to a mate as a project and bought a Diamond Back.