Dating a Dawes Horizon Tandem

[skogar]

Hello,
I have recently bought a Dawes Horizon Tandem. I haven't been able to find many of the Dawes Catalogues etc on line, only 1993, 1994 and 2007. I am wondering if anyone can give me a better idea of the age or set upp of the bike.

.
More photos to follow in next ppost because I don't think I can add any more on this one.
Many thanks.

[skogar]

Here are a few more photos of the tandem in case they give any more clues as to the age.

Many thanks

[reohn2]

Between 1989 and 1993.

[Brucey]

some of the original components (eg those from shimano) will have a two-letter date code on them. I'd guess slightly later than R2 suggests, based on the knowledge that solo Dawes touring bikes didn't turn to 7s for several years after it was available.

cheers

[skogar]

many thanks for the replies. To be honest I'm a bit confused as to the date. The one in the 1994 catalogue is a lighter purple colour than this one but I have seen a picture of one in a similar colour to this which is 6 speed rather than 7 which I would assume was probably the previous / earlier model and would fit the date suggested by R2. However this seems to early for 7 speed unless there was one in between where they changed to 7 speed and kept the old colour. There was no equivalent bike in the 1993 catalogue so I was guessing this might be when the design was changed to the 7 speed. I'm assuming the tandem probably had drop bars originally and if it did is it possible the gears were changed along with the handlebars. Many thanks for the tip on the codes on the gears - I will see what I can track down there. I'm afraid I know very little about pushbikes so am not sure how you usually work out ages. There may be a number on the frame but from reading up it may not be possible to trace this way as I think Dawes no longer have the old records.

[reohn2]

Is the rear hub a screw on frewheel Suzue matching the front?
I suspect there's some no standard bits on the bike that may have been fitted when the bike was swapped from drops to dpstraights maybe.

[NetworkMan]

If it's like my horizon solo of 1992 you'll get the date from the first two digits of the serial number, probably under the BB. My 1992 catalogue shows a 3x6 speed horizon with drops.

[hamster]

Looks almost identical to my Kickback Two which was 1992. It had identical script and handlebars.
The levers and shifters definitely are far later.

I always suspected that the Kickback and Horizon / Galaxy shared the same frame with some detail differneces in the braze-ons. In particular it struggled to take a rear tyre larger than 26x1.9, suggesting the back was designed for 700c with a fattish touring tyre.

[reohn2]

The combined brake and gearlevers are not standard as the brake lever in the photos is a V brake lever,but the brakes are cantis.

[NetworkMan]

It's very like my 1992 catalogue except for the lack of drops. Looks like unicrown fork. My 1992 solo and the tandem in my catalogue have a 531 fork. IIRC in 1993 they changed forks. My guess is a 1993 or 1994 converted to straight bars. BTW horizon uses 501 butted cromo. Colour is "interference violet" if same as mine - it looks similar. Other 3 tandems in my catalogue are 531. I await serial number from OP......

[skogar]

Many thanks for all the responses. I haven't managed to find the serial number yet on the frame but I'm sure it will be there somewhere. Will try and have another look in better light.

[Bonefishblues]

It's very like my 1992 catalogue except for the lack of drops. Looks like unicrown fork. My 1992 solo and the tandem in my catalogue have a 531 fork. IIRC in 1993 they changed forks. My guess is a 1993 or 1994 converted to straight bars. BTW horizon uses 501 butted cromo. Colour is "interference violet" if same as mine - it looks similar. Other 3 tandems in my catalogue are 531. I await serial number from OP......

Not'94 - decals wrong for the year (I have a Double Edge '94)

[skogar]

I think it will be earlier than 1994 as the 1994 catalogue shows the bike in a lighter purple and with different decals. There is a 1993 catalogue on the same link but that doesn't have the horizon in http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... 38&t=94770 with the 4 tandems shown already on 7 speed so I am assuming that is when the design changed.

Someone mentioned that they had a copy of the 1992 catalogue with the horizon tandem in. Is is at all possible please that you could send a scan of the horizon picture and details as it would be nice to see what the original spec was.

I had missed that the brakes and brake levers don't match and the brakes are calipers so thanks for the spot.

Rear hub is also a Suzue but I am not sure if it is the type you mean. I will try and take a pic.

I did have another look but still haven't found the serial number although the light was no better. Doesn anyone know where Dawes used to put the serial numbers on their tandems - just in case I'm looking in the wrong places.

many thanks.

[reohn2]

If the rear hub is Suzue then it's a screw on freewheel (opposed to a cassette hub)and therefore the freewheel could have been changed from 6 to 7speed at the same time the combined brakelevers/gearlevers assemblies.
I'm leaning toward it being a 1991,92 or 93 model.

[NetworkMan]

See enclosed,done in a hurry with this phone. That 1993 cat is Dutch so not many drop bar bikes. Yours probably not the enclosed, colour and wrong fork. I still go with 1993.