Reader Project: Charlotte's (Mom's) Dawes

Charlotte runs the very wonderful Chic Cyclist blog, which we've mentioned here before, and has recently picked up a new old bike to refurbish for her mother to use on errands.  It's a 1954 Dawes, made in Birmingham, England that has been kept in a family friend's basement for some twenty-odd years. Charlotte rides a Dawes herself, and had lots of nice things to say about them. You can read more about Dawes' old-time bicycle philosophy here, but Charlotte is quick to point out that the new Dawes bikes, which you can find on eBay for $200, are now made by an American company and have nothing to do with the old English-made cycles.  Here's what Charlotte plans to do:

The current plan is somewhere between refurbishment and restoration. I want a clean and pretty bike my mother looks forward to riding. There are some decals which are gone. I haven't decided what I want to do about that. Perhaps I'll hand-paint them back on? That would probably be in the refurbishment category? I figure anything I do will stay true to the original Dawes vision of nice frame which one customizes with personal component choices....

You can see more photos here, and I'm sure Charlotte will continue to post about her progress, or at least give us a nice "after" photo with her mom aboard.

Posted in: 1954 Dawes,reader projects