Dawes Kingpin

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
hercule
Posts: 1156
Joined: 5 Feb 2011, 5:18pm

Re: Dawes Kingpin

Post by hercule »

I had one: in purple with a tartan bag. I used it at lot, including regularly riding 10-15 miles (not that I knew it at the time - I was 12 and it was my next bike that had a Huret mileometer and I did a lot of miles on it).

Are the SA hub dynamos any good? I have two, one in a (27”) wheel and one unbuilt. Would they be OK with LEDs for a utility type bike?
rjb
Posts: 7200
Joined: 11 Jan 2007, 10:25am
Location: Somerset (originally 60/70's Plymouth)

Re: Dawes Kingpin

Post by rjb »

Sturmey hub dynamos will work well with led lights. They are capable of delivering more than the rated 2 watts if powering a led. Cheap and cheerful way to get some lighting is to run a 12v mr16 led bulb direct from the dynamo :wink: All the necessary rectification electronics are within the bulb.
At the last count:- Peugeot 531 pro, Dawes Discovery Tandem, Dawes Kingpin X3, Raleigh 20 stowaway, 1965 Moulton deluxe, Falcon K2 MTB dropped bar tourer, Rudge Bi frame folder, Longstaff trike conversion on a Giant XTC 840 :D
Carlton green
Posts: 3645
Joined: 22 Jun 2019, 12:27pm

Re: Dawes Kingpin

Post by Carlton green »

hercule wrote: 25 Jan 2022, 8:06pm Are the SA hub dynamos any good? I have two, one in a (27”) wheel and one unbuilt. Would they be OK with LEDs for a utility type bike?
I’m a bottle Dynamo user and most of my cycling is short pleasure trips and utility trips; for me a good bottle Dynamo matches my needs better than a hub Dynamo. However, that said, if I had a SA Dynahub already built into a wheel then I’d use it and if I was to be building a new wheel and had a spare working Dynahub then I’d likely use it. If I had a Kingpin with a Dynahub then I’d be using that hub with appropriate LED lights.

If you couple the Dynohub (1.8W ‘max’ output IIRC) to a low demand LED light set then all will be well enough. The perfectly adequate low demand lights (20 lux at the front) that I have coupled to my bottle Dynamo (3W ‘max’ output) are nice and bright at literally walking pace! LED lights are amazing :D , my dynamo powered LED lights are just basic models and I’ve literally never had lights that were anywhere near as good as them before - a massive change for the better and many times better than the old tungsten bulb lights - love ‘em.

With the SA Dynohub light pulsing might be a minor issue at low speed, certainly it’s worth checking out with the wheel that you already have built.

This site might interest: http://www.bicyclehub.co.uk/sturmey-archer-gh6-dynohub
Last edited by Carlton green on 27 Feb 2022, 10:01am, edited 1 time in total.
Don’t fret, it’s OK to: ride a simple old bike; ride slowly, walk, rest and admire the view; ride off-road; ride in your raincoat; ride by yourself; ride in the dark; and ride one hundred yards or one hundred miles. Your bike and your choices to suit you.
rjb
Posts: 7200
Joined: 11 Jan 2007, 10:25am
Location: Somerset (originally 60/70's Plymouth)

Re: Dawes Kingpin

Post by rjb »

Its worth a read if going down the diy route. Everything you need to know about dynamos and led lighting.
http://www.pilom.com/BicycleElectronics ... ronics.htm
http://www.pilom.com/BicycleElectronics ... rcuits.htm :idea:
At the last count:- Peugeot 531 pro, Dawes Discovery Tandem, Dawes Kingpin X3, Raleigh 20 stowaway, 1965 Moulton deluxe, Falcon K2 MTB dropped bar tourer, Rudge Bi frame folder, Longstaff trike conversion on a Giant XTC 840 :D
Slowtwitch
Posts: 744
Joined: 25 Oct 2021, 11:35pm

Re: Dawes Kingpin

Post by Slowtwitch »

They fetch a good bit of money nowadays, definitely going down the Raleigh Chopper route in terms of collecting.
Slowtwitch
Posts: 744
Joined: 25 Oct 2021, 11:35pm

Re: Dawes Kingpin

Post by Slowtwitch »

My favourite colour from Dawes
Attachments
IMG_20220128_103920.jpg
Carlp
Posts: 66
Joined: 23 May 2012, 5:17pm

Re: Dawes Kingpin

Post by Carlp »

ANTONISH wrote: 20 Jan 2022, 11:24am Dawes Kingpin 001.jpgMy partner recently resurrected this from the back of the shed.
It was bought second hand forty years ago and not used for the past thirty.
She has cleaned it, got the 3 sp Sturmey gears working, inflated the tyres which have remained inflated and is now using it for shopping.
The front hub dynamo and light both worked.
We were wondering as to it's actual age - nothing on BB to help.Dawes Kingpin 003.jpgDawes Kingpin 003.jpg
That looks like a kosher early bike, the early mudguards with the pressed seam and lipped front, cast front dropouts, and cast seat post and steerer clamps. It probably would've had a "dash-dot-dash" chain guard, a rare thing and hight sort after by DKP enthusiasts. You have the " red dot" Weinman brake levers too which indicate an early bike ( I know you know the hub date), the front dynohub will also have date stamp on it, there will also be a date stamp on the rear of the brake callipers.

The front wheel is on the wrong way round, the dynohub should be on the right, because that is where the lamp bracket on the front fork is ( the front light would have been here originally.

Nice early example, should clean up nicely.

I include a couple of photos of mine in this post. Image
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/u3MZ ... authuser=0

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/oJVn7 ... authuser=0
ANTONISH
Posts: 2967
Joined: 26 Mar 2009, 9:49am

Re: Dawes Kingpin

Post by ANTONISH »

Carlp wrote: 15 Feb 2022, 4:21pm
ANTONISH wrote: 20 Jan 2022, 11:24am Dawes Kingpin 001.jpgMy partner recently resurrected this from the back of the shed.
It was bought second hand forty years ago and not used for the past thirty.
She has cleaned it, got the 3 sp Sturmey gears working, inflated the tyres which have remained inflated and is now using it for shopping.
The front hub dynamo and light both worked.
We were wondering as to it's actual age - nothing on BB to help.Dawes Kingpin 003.jpgDawes Kingpin 003.jpg
That looks like a kosher early bike, the early mudguards with the pressed seam and lipped front, cast front dropouts, and cast seat post and steerer clamps. It probably would've had a "dash-dot-dash" chain guard, a rare thing and hight sort after by DKP enthusiasts. You have the " red dot" Weinman brake levers too which indicate an early bike ( I know you know the hub date), the front dynohub will also have date stamp on it, there will also be a date stamp on the rear of the brake callipers.

The front wheel is on the wrong way round, the dynohub should be on the right, because that is where the lamp bracket on the front fork is ( the front light would have been here originally.

Nice early example, should clean up nicely.

I include a couple of photos of mine in this post. Image
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/u3MZ ... authuser=0

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/oJVn7 ... authuser=0
Thank you for the information.
The wheel may have been that way round for some time.
The brake levers are reversed to UK standard RH lever operates rear brake - which is very ineffective.
The brakes definitely need an upgrade.
It looks as if I'm going to be called upon to rebuild the wheel with new rims because the lady wants Marathon tyres and the original rims only take 37 - 440 and all that is available are Michelin white walls as now fitted.
Carlton green
Posts: 3645
Joined: 22 Jun 2019, 12:27pm

Re: Dawes Kingpin

Post by Carlton green »

steve.y.griffith wrote: 21 Jan 2022, 4:15pm 1968 so quite an early one .Kingpins are regarded by many as the best small wheeled bike of the era. I know a few people who stripped them down and fitted alloy parts . One problem I had with my 70,s one was tyres as it has the old imperial size 20” wheel. I got some white walled Michelin which are ok but won’t take much pressure .It is possible to fit metric 20” wheels with much better choices of tyres .
Re brakes mine has Weinmann centre pulls which work fine with brake blocks in harder rubber for steel rims
I don’t suppose, please, that you have any photos of the fitted centre pull brakes? It sounds like a good way to go to me.

SJS do Hutchinson tyres for the 500A rims, perhaps they might take more pressure than the Michelin’s.
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/tyres-small ... 35a-37440/

The 37 - 440 size seem hard to find. Here’s some black wall ones: https://bikesand.co/product/two-500a-37 ... cba1185463
Don’t fret, it’s OK to: ride a simple old bike; ride slowly, walk, rest and admire the view; ride off-road; ride in your raincoat; ride by yourself; ride in the dark; and ride one hundred yards or one hundred miles. Your bike and your choices to suit you.
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