The Dawes

We moved to our house almost 11 years ago. The town's transfer station (where we drop trash and recycling) has a bicycle section that has been a TreasureBike trove from time to time. Right now I'll focus on the insipration for TreasureBike: a dark green, early 70's (I'm guessing from the SunTour derailleur) Dawes retrieved on March 7th, 2009.

The frame was in bad shape and was not safe for saving. It looks like a rider came down hard on the saddle since the seat tube was buckled at the BB. But several parts were worth keeping. In particular, the bike had a pair of Marcel Berthet Lyotard pedals -- the ones shown in the blog header.

I had been looking for these pedals for over 26 years. Yes, 26 years. I can remember being a freshman in high school (26 years ago) and picking up Eugene A. Sloane's The Complete Book of Bicycling. In that book were contained pictures and illustrations of great and classic parts. Daniel Rebour illustrations were among them. I have always recalled the technical illustration of the Berthets and have always wanted to own a pair. You can get them NOS for around $15 0n Ebay, but to find them TreasureBike-style was a great day. They are pretty rusty, and need to be repacked with new bearings, but they are still rewarding after all these years. I thought I was the only person with a fondness for these until I saw this CyclingNews.com photo from this year's Hand-built Bicycle Show. White Industries clearly has a fondness for them too.

Additionally, the Dawes provided my first head badge. The Dawes badge appears to be made from gold-tone aluminum. Its light weight and has no oxidation. It is quite intricately stamped and painted. I would guess its a cheaper version of what they may have used in previous decades (like other brands): brass and enamel. Its still an impressive piece. I have come across other interesting badges before, but always on bikes that were still rideable. I have never considered it right to rob a rideable bike of its badge. That seems kind of sacriligious. To save the badge from a dumpster-bound bike, on the other hand, seems like saving a gargoyle from a church that would be razed -- a memory of something that once brought someone happiness.

In my next few posts, I'll be writing about other parts (that I have and need to find) that could go with these pedals. I'll also contemplate what frame should be used and request your input.