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identifying difference of 531 vs 531 SL

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Old 11-14-12, 09:50 AM
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identifying difference of 531 vs 531 SL

not getting any response from framebuilders, So I guess I have to ask here...



I just picked up a frame,

the seat tube has the Reynolds imprint on it.

there is no question the tubing in the frame is 531, but I have heard these frames are 531SL

as the frame is chromed, It is easy to look for the reynolds name on the tubing.

tips anyone on telling the difference?
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Old 11-14-12, 10:00 AM
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Originally Posted by puchfinnland
not getting any response from framebuilders, So I guess I have to ask here...



I just picked up a frame,

the seat tube has the Reynolds imprint on it.

there is no question the tubing in the frame is 531, but I have heard these frames are 531SL

as the frame is chromed, It is easy to look for the reynolds name on the tubing.

tips anyone on telling the difference?
Is it a secret frame? :-)

I've never heard of Reynolds 531SL. I've heard of Reynolds 531 and Columbus SL but never the two together.

Regarding the secret, why not tell us the name of your frame?
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Old 11-14-12, 10:12 AM
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Below the Reynolds 531 stamp should be another stamp with "D/BUTTED" and the tubing gauge. At least that's the way they did it though the 1970s. The standard Reynold 531 single butted seat tube was 21/24 gauge. I believe 531SL is 22/24 gauge. Lacking that, the other thing you could try and do is to measure the innner diameter of the bottom bracket ends of the seat and down tubes using a caliper, as it's the butts that are thinner on 531SL.
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Old 11-14-12, 10:16 AM
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I see in the picture, ....TED 20/23 (cant see the BUTTED as I only have the pictures so far)

I load a few pics after Im done cooking, A househusband's work is never done.....

531SL is the same as 531 Professional, the name was changed shortly after.



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Old 11-14-12, 10:20 AM
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Originally Posted by puchfinnland
531SL is the same as 531 Professional, the name was changed shortly after.


Not exactly correct. 531SL was superseded by 531 Pro. SL used 531 stays, Pro used 753 stays.
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Old 11-14-12, 10:22 AM
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Originally Posted by puchfinnland
531SL is the same as 531 Professional, the name was changed shortly after.


So it's not really Reynolds SL. Too much mystery, I'm out.
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Old 11-14-12, 10:34 AM
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I stand corrected,

this bike frame should have 531 superlight tubing,

Well I might as well let the cat out,

Its a 1982-1983 Austro Daimler Ultima frameset, smoked chrome.
the decals are shot, but this frame is the same frame set as the Grail Bike I am looking for.
the 82-83 PUCH MISTRAL ULTIMA with drilled dropouts with 531 SL tubing

PUCH and AD are one in the same, in the final years of being imported to USA they did not bother doing the AD panto work on the seatstays and the fork crown,they put the PUCH panto on, the headbadge was even PUCH, only the decals said AD.
the serial numbers match perfectly,
PUCH ULTIMAS were chrome plated under that lovely Green paint.
So- I found a AD Ultima with bad chrome, and I think you can figure out what comes next!
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Old 11-14-12, 12:11 PM
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The definitive proof would be to chop up the frame and measure the wall thicknesses of the tubes.



Source: The Paterek Manual, 1st Edition
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Old 11-14-12, 12:25 PM
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Originally Posted by JohnDThompson
The definitive proof would be to chop up the frame and measure the wall thicknesses of the tubes.
He can read the gauge markings on the tubes.
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Old 11-14-12, 12:25 PM
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Originally Posted by puchfinnland
I stand corrected,

this bike frame should have 531 superlight tubing,

Well I might as well let the cat out,

Its a 1982-1983 Austro Daimler Ultima frameset, smoked chrome.
the decals are shot, but this frame is the same frame set as the Grail Bike I am looking for.
the 82-83 PUCH MISTRAL ULTIMA with drilled dropouts with 531 SL tubing

PUCH and AD are one in the same, in the final years of being imported to USA they did not bother doing the AD panto work on the seatstays and the fork crown,they put the PUCH panto on, the headbadge was even PUCH, only the decals said AD.
the serial numbers match perfectly,
PUCH ULTIMAS were chrome plated under that lovely Green paint.
So- I found a AD Ultima with bad chrome, and I think you can figure out what comes next!
I believe the frame tubing is marked on the downtube close to the bottom bracket, I just forgot to look before packing it. I wouldn't say the chrome is bad just yet. By the way it's on it's way, dropped it off this morning.
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Old 11-14-12, 12:48 PM
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Always learning... nice chart John, thanks!

So for example, an early-mid '70s bike with 531 butted decals, would this be the same as the Competition or Club Sport entries in the table above?
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Old 11-14-12, 02:05 PM
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Originally Posted by JohnDThompson
The definitive proof would be to chop up the frame and measure the wall thicknesses of the tubes.



Source: The Paterek Manual, 1st Edition
About a decade earlier, Reynolds also made 3/10 tubing where the unbutted wall was .3 mm, with the butt sections at 1 mm allegedly not the .7 noted on the top line of the chart, OD's were for the French market. Now those were darn light for their time on a road bike, But limber. And not to be clamped in a Park shop stand....
I saw the results... Thank goodness I was not the one to do it.
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Old 11-14-12, 02:46 PM
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Originally Posted by puchfinnland
I see in the picture, ....TED 20/23
I too, have an frame (unknown builder) with this stamped on the DT. Did you figure out what Butted 20/23 was?
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Old 11-14-12, 02:53 PM
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it is on the seat tube, sorry if I made a mistake
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Old 11-14-12, 02:55 PM
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Originally Posted by puchfinnland
PUCH and AD are one in the same, in the final years of being imported to USA they did not bother doing the AD panto work on the seatstays and the fork crown,they put the PUCH panto on, the headbadge was even PUCH, only the decals said AD.
the serial numbers match perfectly
They could have made things simpler just by labelling everything ADP, like they did with the Pinzgauer.

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Old 11-14-12, 03:00 PM
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Originally Posted by puchfinnland
it is on the seat tube, sorry if I made a mistake
No worries, but does it designate 531SL?
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Old 11-14-12, 03:04 PM
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PUCH Ultimas are advertised it as 531SL, and this is no fake!
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Old 11-14-12, 03:07 PM
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Old 11-14-12, 03:12 PM
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Originally Posted by KvltBryce
I too, have an frame (unknown builder) with this stamped on the DT. Did you figure out what Butted 20/23 was?
It designates 20 gauge tubing at the butts with a 23 gauge tubing middle section. This translates to 0.035" thick (approx. 0.89mm) at the butts and 0.025" thick (approx. 0.64mm) in the middle.
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Old 11-14-12, 03:15 PM
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Originally Posted by puchfinnland
...PUCH Ultimas are advertised it as 531SL, and this is no fake!...
But a 20/23 gauge tube is not Reynolds 531 SL.
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Old 11-14-12, 03:25 PM
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Originally Posted by T-Mar
But a 20/23 gauge tube is not Reynolds 531 SL.
That doesn't really match anything in the chart if that is the seat tube? Maybe a 531 competition downtube match?
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Old 11-14-12, 03:30 PM
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the frame should date 1982-83, maybe even 84.

could be competition..
shame the seat tube decal is missing.
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Old 11-14-12, 03:37 PM
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Originally Posted by T-Mar
It designates 20 gauge tubing at the butts with a 23 gauge tubing middle section. This translates to 0.035" thick (approx. 0.89mm) at the butts and 0.025" thick (approx. 0.64mm) in the middle.
T-Mar the invaluable well of knowledge strikes again! Thanks man.
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Old 11-14-12, 03:39 PM
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That fork decal is from the period when Reynolds 531SL was replaced by Reynolds 531 Professional. Both 531 SL and 531 Proferssional had their own fork blade decals with 531 in red.

Edit: The only Reynolds 20/23 gauge seat tube listed at this time was Reynolds 501.

Last edited by T-Mar; 11-14-12 at 03:46 PM.
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Old 11-14-12, 03:44 PM
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this thread is getting better all the time!
shame the frame is too small for me but nelli is growing!
I have been looking for this frame in 57-59 for several years.
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