British Eagle 531 project. Almost finished...

[atb]

Picked this up today for five English pounds. Despite it looking like it's been puked on by a superfluity of nuns on acid, I quite like it. It's a British Eagle with 531 tubing. The plan is to strip the nun sick off, polish the frame and have it clear powder coated.
Parts wise I want decent but nothing showy. It's going to be industrial.
Any idea what year it will have been made?

 

[doctor-bond]

Good find: I like your industrial idea.

I'd say it was mid to late 80s. Is it really 531 or just a sticker (sicker?)? Perhaps an established framebuilder responding the MTB boom.

The lugwork round the seat on yours looks higher quality than many such frames.

There a good few early UK bikes on here which should give you some build ideas.


Looking forward to seeing this develop.

 

[terryhfs]

88-90. 87 Eagles had u-brakes.

 

[Sithlord]

:shock: You've got to leave that paint man.. its funky.. :cry:

 

[atb]

Thanks doctor-bond.
The pink is the original paint, and I'm certain the 531 is original too. It's light and sounds butted.
I'm really looking forward to getting started and collecting the parts.

 

[atb]

:shock: You've got to leave that paint man.. its funky.. :cry:

The only way I'd leave the paint, is if I left the frame on a train as I hopped off. It's vile.

 

[atb]

88-90. 87 Eagles had u-brakes.

Cheers. Would it have been made over here?

 

[atb]

Hello goodbye..

Without good reason I always thought British Eagle were a pretty crap make, thinking that all the frames were Taiwanese cheapos bought in. I can't find a great deal online, but finding this written by Chris Juden on the CTC forum opened my eyes;

"My recollection is that British Eagle was founded by a bunch of ex Coventry Eagle employees who were made redundant when Falcon bought the brand and shifted production to Lincolnshire (or South Humberside if you like )

Taking advantage of development grants then available, they headed west and set up shop in the first bit of Wales you get to from Coventry: at Mochdre near Newtown.

The Touristique was by far the most notable bicycle they produced, objectively superior to the Dawes Galaxy of its day, but usually selling for less. It's a good buy, worth keeping and upgrading. Apart from a few racing models, which never achieved much recognition amongst that fraternity, the rest of the British Eagle range was distinctly undistinguished. One good model was not enough to sustain the business, which ultimately closed."

 

[mikee]

another british eagle here
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=115898

 

[XCDave]

Antoher one here, although now the headtube is ovalised it is sadly now more:

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... gle+zigzag

Mine is Reynolds 500ATB tubing, not particularly light but it lasted from 1992 until 2009, doing approximately 18,000 miles. Cost £192.00 in 1992 with cheapy parts, but was upgraded and rode very nicely. Hence why I'm looking for another. The only annoying thing about it was 130mm rear spacing.