1982 Coventry Eagle "Red Dragon" - Vintage Bicycle Restoration

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Now this is a build I’m really happy with. I’ve had it for quite a while, sat in the back of the garage, waiting for a restoration. Even the process of restoring it was a long one but it was definitely worth it. I was actually given the bike after an old colleague of mine saved it from the scrap man. He had intentions of doing it up himself but never got around to it so passed it on to me. It was in a bit of a state; the paint was all faded, the plastic shifters too, the rims rusted, one caliper was bent and the seat was torn. Over the course of the build the majority of the components have been swapped out. I’ve kept period components but replaced the old “low end” 5 speed gear with a nice “mid range” 10 speed set. The frame has been powder coated a gorgeous deep red with a metallic finish and fresh decals have been fitted with white cabling and bar tape to add some contrast.
I think it’s an absolutely stunning bike but what do you think?
The history of “Coventry Eagle” is a bit muddled. According to Wikipedia, the company was founded in 1903 and closed in 1939. It was a company that originally made motorcycles but went on to produce bicycles and before it closed, created the “Falcon” brand. Falcon is still around today but in the late 70’s it was purchased by Elswick before being sold to the Tandem Group which operates it today.
It’s all a bit confusing with the history of British bike brands but from what I can make out, Falcon still produced bikes under the Coventry Eagle name. Bikes under the Falcon name were designed / influenced by Ernie Clements (an ex British racer and the founder of Falcon) were the higher end models whereas Coventry Eagle became the low end models.
There are a few brochures on Veteran Cycles club from the Coventry Eagle brand but digging up other information is quite tough!

[@BikeItUK]

Another great restoration and another bike saved! Criminal sending these bikes to land fill keep up the good work all the best Andy

[@BicycleRestorationMan]

Great to see these bikes hit the road again.

[@MonkeyShred]

It's always a nice feeling seeing the finished bike!

[@Koofumhead]

Enjoyed witnessing the appraisal and problem solving on this one. Old school British bicycles in good hands!

[@carbidejones5076]

Great to see someone saving good old bikes

[@FrancoDX]

Great video. Love to see old steel bikes restored, they look real classy.

[@rainbowhiker]

Wow! That is a beautiful bike.

[@veloman59]

Lovely job - cracking finish, better than when it was new..

[@johnelliott5923]

Great job ! Love your patience!

[@MonkeyShred]

Thank you! 😊

[@rockypro1]

Nice, I had one of these in the early 80s and it was a great bike. Built to last.

[@delmonti]

wow....what a job you did there! Bike looks fab!

[@ghfhdhshah]

You're first class at explaining how you went about the restore. Love your videos

[@MonkeyShred]

Thanks Neil.

[@petermorrison680]

a very excellent build !!!!

[@MonkeyShred]

Thanks!

[@C345OFR]

Superb work, sir. This and the 1980 BSA (Raleigh) Premier 12 are my faves so far. Will have to watch more tomorrow. Another weekend gone; thanks KZbin!

[@MonkeyShred]

Thanks for the kind words! This one went to a young lady who may make an appearance on it at this years Eroica Britannia so it has gone to a good home!

[@C345OFR]

Interesting, I hadn't heard of the Eroica Britannia before and, funnily enough, have been looking for an excuse to ride to the Peak District. '2 birds, 1 stone' comes to mind. Thanks for that :-)

[@MonkeyShred]

Oh really? I've been for the last two years. The first year was honestly awful because of the weather but last year, in a different location was amazing. It fell on the hottest weekend of the year too! I have videos from both events up.

[@C345OFR]

Sweet, will check those out.

[@markbudd8432]

Love your videos! Also love your patience when it comes to sourcing new parts like the caliper brakes that didn't fit. I guess patience is a must when when working with older bikes......

[@MonkeyShred]

Oh yeh, for sure. Especially when parts are seized too. Patients is a virtue then!

[@BigDuke6ixx]

Really nice.

[@MonkeyShred]

Thanks!

[@Velofil]

Wow. Just WOW!

[@johnb.9806]

You can buy it on ebay.

[@willperezmusic]

Great video. Really like how it turned out

[@MonkeyShred]

Cheers Will. Hopefully I'll pass it on and see it again at Eroica next year.

[@willperezmusic]

MonkeyShred I may see you there buddy, you doing the ride or just enjoying the festival?

[@MonkeyShred]

Both I hope! Fingers crossed for more awesome weather.

[@griftereck]

I had a bike frame with Silstar cranks on it. It was sitting on the earthen floor of my garage, with the crank teeth in the soil. Some of the big ring teeth dissolved away. :o So I cut down the rest of the big ring teeth, filed it round. So it was a single ring chainset, 40 tooth I think it was. With the big ring as a chainguard. I put it on an Elswick Hopper Whirlwind racer that I wanted to build as single speed. I built a pair of 27" wheels for it. From stuff I had. I built the rear wheel from a 5 speed, to single speed. I swapped the drive side spokes to non drive side. put the spacers on the NDS side of axle. So the single speed freewheel was close to the drop out. hopefully to get ok chainline. I didnt change the drop out width. Tried mudguards on it. but no clearance. As the bike was supposed to be 26 x 1 1/4" wheels. Ran weinman 500 brakes.

[@rileyfriesen715]

When restoring a old bike a wire wheel works great for all the little metal parts

[@patrickhadley1548]

Can you do a video about your polishing process? Those components look way dope.

[@MonkeyShred]

Possibly. I’ll try and remember next time I’m polishing.

[@monkeywrench5942]

Nice build and if it were here in the states I would jump on it to purchase its my size lol.

[@Chancla196]

Hey! Really enjoying all of your videos, keep doing the great job! Definitely would buy a bike if I would live in the UK 😊👍🏼 Best

[@MonkeyShred]

Hey Konrad. Thank you! Appreciate the kinds words

[@batbawls]

Pretty paint. The Hobbit that becomes its new owner will love it.

[@MonkeyShred]

The Hobbit! Haha.

[@domenicoflorianrescigno4377]

Man I love your content! I'm happy to follow you since you had sub 100 subscribers

[@MonkeyShred]

Thanks for your support Domenico!

[@iiredeyeiiredeye1569]

When you are trying to straighten aluminium parts. Completely strip it down, then stick it in the oven and heat to 250c for hour or so. Material will now be nice and malleable for straightening.

[@MxCraven]

I know this is very old, and you might never see this comment, but at 10:30 you're taking about the cranks stripping out the threads. It's possible to repair that with thread reducers by boring the hole bigger and then putting in a thread reducer. I've heard some motorcyclists swear by them, even on safety critical parts like brakes. Might save a crank in the future.

[@anthonylanemusic]

Why do all these old bikes seem to have the saddle pointing up in the air?!

[@markusseppala6547]

The crankset is awesome and props for getting original decals, I restored old peugeot px10 but went with long reach dual pivot calipers, the braking power on old bendy ones is just too awfull.

[@Peeuf]

Wow dude you are putting so much effort and money on a low end bike ! Really nice restauration though :)

[@johnb.9806]

Won't get even half of what he spent back, but if you enjoy doing it that's all that matters, I suppose.

[@MonkeyShred]

You don't even know how much I've spent ;) I kept costs very low on this.

[@johnb.9806]

How much was the powder coating? I was quoted €104 for a bike.

[@MonkeyShred]

I've replied elsewhere but in case anyone else see; £40 is what I pay for blasting and then coating of frame and forks. Add mudguards and chain guard and it goes to £60.

[@Peeuf]

Wow where do you get something that low priced !

[@bullwhipjohnson8247]

Good call on all of the replacement parts. Just wondered what the Crank Length turned out to be?

[@MonkeyShred]

Thanks bullwhip. Not sure off the top of my head. Either 165 or 170mm. I'd have to check.

[@MegaFoxey1]

Nice build as always ,one point handlebar taping not your strong point 😋

[@isaakmartinez9784]

When could you restore a benotto? I like the classic benotto, Of course I love your job my brother

[@ParkerWoolsey]

Excuse me if this has been asked a bunch, but where do you get your new decals for the bikes from?

[@MonkeyShred]

It's a website by the name of H Lloyd Cycles.

[@jackhammer40k_]

Have you ever heard of Helicoil? Can be a good way to save a crankset (or anything else) with ruined threads.

[@MonkeyShred]

I've just looked it up. Interesting!

[@crapiecorn]

Did you consider figure 8 wrapping the bars ? It's a nice build (verry nice) but I don"t like the brake clamps being exposed.

[@MonkeyShred]

Ah I know. I was disappointed with that too. The tape wasn't quite long enough to get the wrap I wanted plus looping more around the brake area.

[@escorts2]

Just acquired one of these today, free from a garage clearance. What size tyres and tubes did you use?

[@MonkeyShred]

27 x 1 1/4" I believe. You should check your own though to make sure

[@megansnellock4164]

Awesome job - how much do you think the restoration cost you? I've got an old Coventry eagle, probably similar state to this one was.

[@MonkeyShred]

Powder coating for me is around £40 Decals were probably around £15-20 Cables, chain etc you might be able to pick up for £20 or so The components I got from a donor bike which probably ended up costing me nothing. Tyres - depends on what you go for but lets say £20.

[@RubberTramping]

I have watched a lot of your rebuilds you make a very good job of them :-) where do you put them up for sale?

[@MonkeyShred]

Hi Michael. Only on eBay at the moment. I need to branch out in to other places though..

[@bensheffar1060]

Hey I have basically the same bike! I’ve been looking to repaint and redo the stickers, where did you get this pack I haven’t been able to find this generation of graphics

[@ocelot2234]

With the crank just use a re threading tool

[@Sir_Arlin]

freakin rabbit holes mate! she looks good though! very impressed she turned out so well Only wish you hadn't needed to replace so many parts... I would ride it because I ride a 50 cm, not sure if i'd buy it- not without knowing what kind of tubing it is- my current ride is a '86 trek 400 with reynolds 531 and a 3x9 speed ultegra i've put on. disappointed you still haven't put up a peg board yet ;) I'm sure that bike will now live for many many more years and give its future owner years of enjoyment! you've done well!

[@MonkeyShred]

Ah you know what, those parts didn't really cost me much. I keep finding donor bikes at the moment so costs are minimal. The hours of eBay searching turns out some really unloved bikes with some very nice parts on that go for cheap. Haha don't worry, the peg board will come soon (ish).

[@MonkeyShred]

Oh and 531 tubing. Very nice!

[@johnb.9806]

I'm collecting a Coventry Eagle 531 today I bought in Dublin. www.adverts.ie/road-bikes/vintage-racer/14008933?notification=9fc22d0af5d6af280be815583bbb927d-1508012483#comment_92377249 I see yours is on ebay.

[@pk93cov]

Think I come across one the same some old chap left out for scrap i took it n got £70 as it was n mine was in alot worse condition

[@MonkeyShred]

Did you do anything to it?

[@pk93cov]

@@MonkeyShred nothing at all mate rode ot home n it sat in mt shed for a year unrouched

[@nserestoration2271]

what is the name of the music on this piece?: 25:27

[@MonkeyShred]

I'll have to try and dig it out.

[@florascent9ts]

hi, not trying to hate; your work is excellent and this could really go somewhere. i just have some tips you might have considered which might make your videos more popular: -write a script (dubbing later is great option for these resoration videos, too) -simplify your explanations. really though, it's to a point of excess. -reduce video length, unless you've got a stellar personality like AvE or RJtheBikeGuy, watching long videos will be a bore. you can do this by showing sped up footage of you working on the bike) plan what you film and not only will your videos be entertaining, they'll be helpful and realistic. good luck, i look forward

[@MonkeyShred]

Ouch, knife to the gut. I really don't think you can call these videos unrealistic. Everything I do is real. Amazing I know, but it is real.

[@florascent9ts]

haha i didn't mean to offend, just to offer some constructive criticism. the shaky camera work while talking about components is interesting, but the matter in which it is presented isn't very appealing. let me rephrase: the skipping over the labor makes the video feel like the bike just slowly appears. the best part of restoration videos is watching the object come to life at the hands of the video maker. film yourself working on the bike and speed it up and include all those hardships, details, and where you sourced your parts. you did the work and you did it well. let's see that. keep up the good work.

[@MonkeyShred]

I'm curious, have you watched many of my videos? This one did turn out to be a "talky" video (and I think I even apologised for that) because it wasn't a straight through build. I did other builds at the same time. In my other videos you will see work, sped up and normal speed. Also, you've slightly contradicted yourself there. In the first post you told me to reduce the video length, but in the second you've said to include more by filming myself working and speaking more about the parts and where they are sourced. Adding those things would most definitely increase video length ;) If you haven't already seen it, here's one example that includes work: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kIPXeWVoe7WgpNk

[@johnb.9806]

Look at this earlier one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJbZcnd_a6erbdk

[@andrewstorm514]

i prefer these videos compared to some that are more thought out and pre-planned. it's more natural and much more relatable. someone else doesn't have to change to be more like people you prefer. go watch their videos, or make your own and do it the way you'd like. let him do his thing the way he likes to do it. i enjoy longer videos and the amount of talking and detail is great. keep on doing your thing monkeyshred

[@twizzlestickx7]

Must be worth all of £75 now

[@MonkeyShred]

You ok Darron? You don't seem happy here.

[@twizzlestickx7]

@@MonkeyShred I'm knackered cycled to Birmingham today from Tamworth 😂

[@michael61985]

Its a okay bike not a bike i prefer

[@MonkeyShred]

You don’t seem to prefer many bikes on this channel 😅

[@johns3106]

So...as stated in another comment, you're in for about £100. Are there really people out there who would buy a bike like this for more than what you've invested in it? Why? This was a cheap bike that probably sold for around $200-$250 (U.S.) when new almost 40 years ago, and really doesn't have any "classic" desirability. I don't want to sound critical, I'm just always curious about the market for these very ordinary old bikes.

[@MonkeyShred]

In most case, yes. Why? They like the bike. It might be a case of they want a nice looking old ride to roll around on but don't want to spend hundreds, if not thousands, on a Bianchi or some other high value brand.