Another Kingpin 1977 Version

Another Kingpin 1977 Version

Purple 1977 Dawes Kingpin

I bought another Kingpin, this time a 1977 model, 10 years older than my blue one. Purple is the colour which is nice but it’s not staying that way, it’s going to be painted or powder coated gold. 

Kingpin showing Bottle Dynamo holder. 

H.G Hoare Dealer Label

As you can see, this bike still has the dealer label on H.G. Hoare from High Wycombe and Marlow. There is still a bike shop on the Marlow site, but not under the same name. I expect the Kingpin above came from the High Wycombe shop as that was near where I bought the bike from. 

There’s a couple of jobs to do on it first, both wheels feel a bit stiff and the Sturmey Archer gears are not working at all, they’ll have to be stripped down and cleaned and regreased I expect. 

UPDATE: I stripped down, took apart the Sturmey Archer gears, degreased, cleaned and bought and fitted new ball bearings. 

Dawes Kingpin Refurbish Update

Dawes Kingpin Refurbish Update 2021

It has been a few years since I updated this blog, so I thought it about time to post some more photos and add some more information.

In 2019 I wrote on another forum: 

“Some fettling today, I have swapped the wheels from KP2 to KP1 so I now have Dynohub on my bike. I also swapped the front mudguard over and removed the dynamo lights, the cable clips are missing from KP2 and the cables were held on by zip ties, they looked messy I need to source some clips. I cleaned re-set lens on the front light and polished the chrome on both, not much of a job really they are in really good condition.

Just remembered years ago l had a couple of

KP donor bikes that I removed the cable clips from, took me over an hour to find them, then I couldn't find the little one for the fork, just when I was about give up I found two under a pile of screws! Re-feckin-sult.

A tip I picked up on the Kingpin FB group Swarfega rubbed in really works on the Whitewall tyres.”

As mentioned in an earlier posts the original version of the Kingpin I had in 1970 had a Sturmey Archer Dynohub and lights, in 2019 I found another Kingpin on eBay with the correct lights and a working Sturmey Archer Dynohub from more or less the correct date year (1968). I collected the bike from Birmingham for £50 and stripped it of the hub, lights and front mudguard, seat post and swapped them with the those that were on my original Kingpin. I then sold the latest Kingpin for what I paid for it. 

I now have a bike that is pretty much how I had it in 1970. (except for the Brooks Saddle, the original white Mertens saddle was an instrument of torture). 

I have changed the rear carrier bag too for one that is a better colour match than the one mentioned in a previous post. 

Dawes Kingpin with Matching Tartan Bag