"M Steel" bike

[Espresso vecchio]

My adult daughter was knocked off her bike this week in London. She was concussed (scan normal) and bruised but extremely fortunate to have nothing worse. Her cherished and nice 1989 Peugeot is a complete write-off with buckled frame etc.

As she liked the era and style of her Peugeot I started looking for a replacement. First stop was our excellent LBS, established almost a century ago and still in the same family hands. He had an M Steel (Gosforth) bike: nice frame with Campag dropouts, high quality Campag fittings, right size and right price. Someone has looked after it. Of course I bought it unseen by her, and am feeling very pleased. Pity it's not my size...

Google gives some info about M Steel, whose business sadly folded a couple of years ago but it was obviously a good bike business.

Thanks in advance but does anyone know more about their bikes?

Stephen

 

[Pale Rider]

Steels was latterly in the hands of former Olympic cyclist Joe Waugh, in partnership with Dave Yates who enjoyed an excellent reputation as a frame builder.

Joe was a very popular guy, but in the last few years he rather lost control of the shop.

The staff became famously snotty - they were not interested unless you were buying an expensive roadie bike or component.

Put more kindly, Steel's failed to move with the times.

The shop shut without warning one Saturday,

Staff came back to work on Monday to find it had been cleared of all stock.

Something that was also a surprise to the firm's bankers and creditors - if rumour is to be believed.

It was all rather sad, not least because the attitude of the staff in the last few years meant many people were not that bothered about the closure.

I don't know much about the bikes, but given the reputation of Steel's at the time, I reckon the one you have bought will be a worthy replacement for the Peugeot.

Your daughter ought to be chuffed with it.

 

[annedonnelly]

Steels was latterly in the hands of former Olympic cyclist Joe Waugh, in partnership with Dave Yates who enjoyed an excellent reputation as a frame builder.

Joe was a very popular guy, but in the last few years he rather lost control of the shop.

The staff became famously snotty - they were not interested unless you were buying an expensive roadie bike or component.

Put more kindly, Steel's failed to move with the times.

The shop shut without warning one Saturday,

Staff came back to work on Monday to find it had been cleared of all stock.

Something that was also a surprise to the firm's bankers and creditors - if rumour is to be believed.

It was all rather sad, not least because the attitude of the staff in the last few years meant many people were not that bothered about the closure.

I don't know much about the bikes, but given the reputation of Steel's at the time, I reckon the one you have bought will be a worthy replacement for the Peugeot.

Your daughter ought to be chuffed with it.

Got to say that Dawn who was their Brompton expert was lovely - couldn't have done more to help when I was buying mine. Can't really comment on the other staff - though one guy did refuse to sell me an over-priced track pump & sent me off elsewhere to get one at a reasonable price.

 

[biggs682]

@Espresso vecchio sorry to hear about your daughter but thankfully she is ok .

Bike sounds like a nice machine .

We need some pictures though please

 

[Espresso vecchio]

Pictures. biggs682? Of course, sorry....I forgot as I was so excited. Now added to original post.

It looks even better since I cleaned the chainrings, cassette and chain (Campy and all in good nick). Rides well and very comfortable & smooth

 

[biggs682]

Pictures. biggs682? Of course, sorry....I forgot as I was so excited. Now added to original post.

It looks even better since I cleaned the chainrings, cassette and chain (Campy and all in good nick). Rides well and very comfortable & smooth

Even better very nice indeed , i was half expecting a mixte

 

[Espresso vecchio]

Update time.

6 months ago I posted a couple of pics of the 'new' bike I bought for my adult daughter whose bike was demolished by a driver who hit her in London in daylight (amazingly, apart from 24hr concussion - head scan - she was ok). It was clearly a very nice bike indeed which had been looked after well. The only problem with the bike was the unusual pale mauve/purple colour which almost nobody could like; frankly it was awful! 3 months later after riding it and being happy+ with the bike, she decided to have it painted. Lots of you gave helpful advice about the various painting options on another thread I posted, and I appreciate that.

..Well. It came back today, and we collected it from the proper, family-run (almost 100 years) LBS where I bought the bike, and who stripped it down and rebuilt it after painting. The moment she saw it my daughter said how it now feels 'her' bike. Exactly the colour she wanted (Dark Blue Flamboyant). What took my breath away is the quality of the finish; the bike has been transformed beyond words. For that transformation we think the cost was worth every penny.

Take home messages: a good LBS is priceless, & superb paint jobs can still be done. A very big Thank You to Madgetts bike shop in Diss, and to Mercian who did the paint.

 

[Ian H]

Steels was latterly in the hands of former Olympic cyclist Joe Waugh, in partnership with Dave Yates who enjoyed an excellent reputation as a frame builder.

I haven't heard from Dave for a while. I think he was retiring but perhaps still doing the occasional job. I have seen a bare-metal Yates frame, and can confirm they are very well-built.

 

[carpenter]

Madgetts is a wonderful shop

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

That blue colour is very nice. I hope she is pleased with it! I know if it wasn't too small for me I would be happy with a machine that looks like that one has turned out.
The tatty donor Dawes with a R500 frame I bought about a year back was a rather unattractive colour - a sort of mauve/pink/green blended job that were the fashion in the late 80's and early 90's. It's probably why, like your daughter's bike, the "price was right" - because out of favour paint schemes are hard to shift, just as with cars.