Dawes identification help

[Timm92]

I have just bought a vintage Dawes bike and I'm struggling to identify the model/year. Can't see any decals or serial numbers so I'm at a loss!

 

[midlife]

You might find it's older than you think. It's well before my era which is the 70's...

 

[Timm92]

You might find it's older than you think. It's well before my era which is the 70's...

I was thinking this, it looks older than the 80's catalogues I've been looking through!

 

[Timm92]

Never seen wheels like this either

 

[midlife]

Dimpled steel, meant to shed water and help braking. All it did was make a weeeeee sound as you ran into the back of a stationery bus!

I'd try 50-60's catalogues.

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

Never seen wheels like this either

Really? They were once common.
As ever, if you need advice on the age of old bikes the Retrobike forum is your saviour. Google is your friend. They have a long thread dedicated to Dawes of all ages.

 

[Timm92]

Really? They were once common.
As ever, if you need advice on the age of old bikes the Retrobike forum is your saviour. Google is your friend. They have a long thread dedicated to Dawes of all ages.

Thanks! Born in the 90's, so it's new to me haha

 

[midlife]

Retrobike seems to have gone all retro MTB at the moment....

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

Retrobike seems to have gone all retro MTB at the moment....

That's true. Mods have even made a plea for more retro road posts. A pity as I have a couple of boxes of retro road gear that I'd like to sell!!

 

[Paulus]

From the head badge it is quite an old bike

1949-1963: 1st Model

• 1963 as end date based on the introduction of the Galaxy in ’63/’64, and a M-serial (1962) frame with ‘1st model’ and P-serial (1963) with ‘2nd model’ head badge
• This model badge has many different colour variations. The earliest ones having a White letter ‘D’ on a dark blue Background, similar to the head transfers

 

[Timm92]

From the head badge it is quite an old bike

1949-1963: 1st Model View attachment 590071

• 1963 as end date based on the introduction of the Galaxy in ’63/’64, and a M-serial (1962) frame with ‘1st model’ and P-serial (1963) with ‘2nd model’ head badge
• This model badge has many different colour variations. The earliest ones having a White letter ‘D’ on a dark blue Background, similar to the head transfers

Amazing, Thanks for the information!

 

[midlife]

VCC library used to be good for this sort of thing but I think you have to be a member to use it now

 

[Cycleops]

I’d say that is quite a high end frame. Those dimple steel rims are a red herring as they would have been fitted to much later budget machines.
What derailleur is fitted? Brakes?

 

[midlife]

I think someone has cut off the tangs on the dropouts. Not sure why but happened a lot. Lovely frame and for the era has a very elegant fork rake.

 

[Timm92]

I think someone has cut off the tangs on the dropouts. Not sure why but happened a lot. Lovely frame and for the era has a very elegant fork rake.

Not the original derailleurs, I think they were Dawes calipers and weinmann brake levers