28/05/2026
The Transformation: From Barn Find to Bournville Cool 🚲✨
We were so grateful to have received this kind donation recently.
It came to us straight from a farmer’s barn. When they first wheeled it out into the daylight, only one word came to mind: funky.
Dawes always made quality bikes—truly built to last a lifetime. But back in the day, the name never quite had the "cool factor" of a Specialized or a Kona. Because of that lack of cachet, I didn't actually know anyone who owned one.
But with age comes maturity, right? And the confidence to call something out for what it is. This Dawes is a quality, humble, deeply funky bike. But as the before-and-after shows, its original creator sort of capped that potential.
That’s where we stepped in. Here is how we unlocked its true character:
1. Accentuated the Assets 🍊💜
The original decals had beautiful flashes of orange and purple that looked incredible against the pistachio green. We leaned all the way into that, popping on some orange Oury grips and purple Jagwire outers to make the colors sing.
2. Made it Nimble 💨
In trying to make this bike both a "roadie" and a "single-tracker," the original 90s components made it pretty ineffective at both. We made some smart tweaks while keeping the retro-fun alive:
Swapped the basic (and heavy!) Shimano RX100 chainset for a sleek Sugino chainset with lower ratios to increase cadence.
Fitted a longer ITM forged quill stem to get the rider’s weight over the middle for better off-road stability and on-road speed.
Added gently swept-back bars for pure comfort, paired with classic Deore thumbies to replace those notoriously naff early-90s STIs.
3. A Full Wheel Rebuild 🛠️
The Back Street model came with stunning bronze Alesa rims. I absolutely loved them. The original wheels were grindy and all over the shop, but the rims themselves? A1. To keep those gorgeous rims and hubs together for another lifetime, we stripped them down completely and did a full, loving rebuild.
What do you think of the glow-up? Drop a comment below if you remember the early 90s Dawes era! 👇
