Originally Posted by
tajimirich
I want to make a frankenbike. I don't have the money to just buy a complete roadbike of the ilk I'm after, but I'm happy to take my time and I want to start off by getting myself the ideal frame.
What is that frame?
I am dreaming of a Reynolds 531, double- or triple-butted, lugged steel frame, which i can give a new lease of life to and ride around Japan. 58cm. I don't need it to be mint - I certainly can't afford mint - but I'd like it to show no rust or deformation from some old collision, or anything like that. I don't need wheels, chainset, pedals and all that - I'm happy to put all that together at a later date. I just want to start off by getting my dream, lightweight, flexible steel frame. Would be nice if it had brackets and the like that could allow for modern components to be fitted to it...
I live in Japan, so shipping would have to be a consideration.. There are ever-so-few steel frames of my size over here.. I find it hard to believe that there aren't some super well made 80s steel frames from japanese companies that i can find here... but there it is.
So, yes, I'm really interesting in getting my hands on the frame for a reynolds 531 steel frame bike with maximum butting, tasteful lugging and - in theory - enough life left in it for me to ride it all over Japan.
If anyone knows a good website for finding such an item, or indeed if anyone is selling such an item, I'd really appreciate some help! I've tried ebay uk, gumtree in australia, whathaveyou, maybe I'm missing out on a no-brainer website?
Rich'
One point is that Reynolds traditional products were made in straight gauge and double-butted sets, not triple-butted as far as I know.
Another is that the "magic" of it is based not on the branding, but on the diameter of the tube, the length, and the butting profile. The butting profile sums up the wall thickness at each of the butts, in the middle (aka "belly") of the tube, and the tapered transition. There are quite a lot of different designs over the years. The magic also depends on the elasticity of the steel itself, measured by the modulus of elasticity. This is never talked about because its the same for all of the different forms and formulas of raw, unshaped steel. What changes with different butting profiles is how flexible a tube is and hence how easily a built frame will flex in response to pedaling stresses, initiating turns, and running over irregularities in the pavement - thinner diameters and thinner wall thicknesses result in more flexibility, also less strength.
Similar tubes feel the same. Differences include workmanship, finish quality, adherence to specifications and dimensions. For example, famous Columbus SL has butting 9/6/9, same as Reynolds 501. 501 has different butting profile than 531, but it is the same as that of Columbus SL. Its alloy is also the same as that of Columbus SL, a little less strength that the alloy of 531. But in practice, framebuilders have said Columbus is easier to build with because of its accurate sizing and better finishing. Does that make a better bike? I don't know.
There is a load to say. Several posts over the >20 years of BF go into this stuff in great detail and completeness.
And there are about 5 other brandings and basic classifications, involving stronger alloys, thinner profiles, larger diameters, lugged/not lugged, circular/oval, and other variations. In more modern times thinner walls, stronger alloys, and larger ciameters have become popular.
I say if you like 531 due to reputation, and like for the great British racing frames of the 1970s and 1980s, find a framebuilding class and go for it. If you are in Japan, be aware Japanese materials and workmanship were also at a very high level, usually higher. So there are a lot of models you can imitate, but a good framebuilding class will also teach you how to design. This frees you from the need to imitate, if you don't want to.