Ribble - free, would need rear wheel and few other bits

[Tail End Charlie]

Anyone want this? It's Ribble 531 frame and forks from about 1990 (I bought it secondhand in 1995). It has been powdercoated and touched up in places where the coating was thin. I have many of the things to build up into a bike, apart from a rear wheel (although I can't find the chainset but I'm sure I still have it). The shifters are 7 speed indexed, with a friction option, stem is a nice Cinelli one. When built up it's a light bike - when I bothered with Strava it was the bike on which all my PBs were set.
I'm in the Macclesfield area, but could meet up somewhere if someone is coming a way for it. I don't want to post and don't want anything for it.

 

[fossyant]

Dare I ask what size. I've just refurbed my 22" Ribble. I think if I'm going to do anything I need to build a cross bike on @dan_bo's orders..

 

[cyberknight]

Again what size and drop out spacing please? I still have the aerospace frame sitting untouched as it's too big for me🙁

 

[dan_bo]

Looks 23 ish to me. Could be wrong.

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

Size please. Not too far from Macc.

 

[biggs682]

Shame about lack of postage as that would do nicely
@cyberknight it looks 23" to me and @dan_bo

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

23??? Just about my size.

 

[Tail End Charlie]

Size is a 23.5", drop out spacing is 130mm.

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

I'm defo interested. Size is just right for me. What chance have I?

 

[Tail End Charlie]

@Darius_Jedburgh You're the first definite, so it's yours. I'll send a pm.

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

OK. @Tail End Charlie
Good to meet you in Knutsford last Monday evening. Thanks for the frame and the box of bits.
I've been beavering away and the bike is now ready to ride.
I had forgotten how easy it is to work on simple steel frames. The bike has a turbo tyre on it because in the present climate and in the present weather that's where I'll be spending a lot of time. Back in the last century I used to do all my riding on 7 speed 501 frames. I set several club TT records (many of which still stand) on a set up almost identical to this. I even managed 4th in Nat 25 Champs one year!
Nearly all is Shimano 105, the handlebars did fit into the stem so I am using them.
The paintwork is "interesting", but that is only cosmetic and for the time being is perfectly acceptable. Even the fount of all criicicsm - otherwise known as the wife - says that it's acceptable. Maybe I'll give a strip down and respray in the summer; maybe not.
All I really needed to buy was a rear wheel, but I found a great deal by buying a pair, and that included a 7 speed block. Apart from bar tape and a couple of bottle cages I needed to buy nothing else. An excellent offer from you. Thank you very much.
The two spare front wheels were not needed, so they are going to a local charity that employs autism suffers to repair old bikes which are then sold back into the community.
Anyway, you asked for a photo so here is one.

Once again very many thanks. I will be sweating on it this afternoon

 

[Tail End Charlie]

Great to see it living again!

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

Well I finally bit the bullet and had it powdercoated.
Stripped it all down and rebuilt it. I'd forgotten how easy it is to work on steel frames. No wonder we always built our own way back when.
Only slight trouble is that gears are 8 speed not 7. That caused a bit of head scratching, but an 8 speed block screws on a 7 speed hub nicely so problem solved.

Decals ordered from Lloyd's, but he didn't tell me that they don't stick to powdercoating until they arrived. We will sort that out one way or another.

So, once again, many thanks to @Tail End Charlie. It has made a nice retro bike.

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good afternoon,

If you can't get a solution elsewhere I have bought Ribble stickers from https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/globalbicyclestickers?_bkw=ribble

But I used them on a spray painted bike so they may be no better than the ones you already have, but no harm in asking.

Bye

Ian

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

Good afternoon,

If you can't get a solution elsewhere I have bought Ribble stickers from https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/globalbicyclestickers?_bkw=ribble

But I used them on a spray painted bike so they may be no better than the ones you already have, but no harm in asking.

Bye

Ian

Thank you. That's worth knowing.
The decals I have come with the message that powdercoating is baked so hard that the glue won't take. The suggestion I've been given is to spray clear lacquer on the frame and the decals should stick to that. I'll try that first and see what happens.