MiloFrance

Thanks Gaucho, I can stop calling random numbers in Paris now...

MiloFrance

Maybe I should read more....

gaucho777 

Since this thread has been bumped, I'll add a more recent photo of my 753 Look since it's undergone some changes in the past couple years since I first posted on page 1:

RaleighSport

I must confess to not knowing what type of 753 mine is.. and I also can't imagine the technium model will get much love in this thread. But here's my 753 bike.

RaleighSport

I think maybe I'm starting to see what all the fuss about LOOK is about.. that is quite a stunning bike even though I'd normally HATE that color palate.

Ed.

His and hers.

It's been a long time since I've seriously ridden another bike, so it's hard for me to comment on its riding characteristics, but I pretty much trust my life to it, and it responds like we're wired together.

cyclotoine

There is something to be said for loyalty.

beautiful pair.

Dolanarc1

The road bike was the nicest riding bike I've ever had

Ed.

Hey, I was an employee, and it was a heck of a deal...

By the by, I've now a DVD containing my Fathers photos from TY - did you ever stir any interest up there with respect to his films? I love this photo:



Taken at Burwash landing. (With apologies for thread drift)

Ed.

"Had"??? Sounds like there's more to the story.

Dolanarc1

It's not that there is more to the story other than the fact I've owned a multitude of road bike in my over 40yr of riding.
This lovely Raleigh puppy was made in the Ilkeston plant for me in 82. Over the following 8 years it developed two hair line fractures.

One at the base of the seat tube. Raleigh kindly repaired and resprayed it for me. When the second one developed behind the seat stays I put out to pasture.

Interestingly it was 32yr ago today "Aug 27th" when I was racing on the 753 track bike in this event.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uBN65cT7p0

obrentharris 

Great Race!
Please accept my congratulations, even if it is 32 years after the event.
Brent

rjhammett

My daughter's RTP:

Ed.

Nice ride!

Interesting about the bike. Early on such issues were not uncommon, I was charged with cutting up more than a few frames to send the cracked bits back to GOD's facility, but I thought such issues were well done by the time of my departure in 81, or was it 82...

verktyg 

In 1983 Reynolds introduced 753R (road) and 753T (track) in "Imperial" (inch) sized tubes. Before then Reynolds 753 tubing was only available in metric sized tubes.

The original 753 had the following wall thicknesses in the main tubes:

Top tube 0.71mm x 0.36mm x 0.71mm

Seat tube 0.71mm x 0.36mm

Down tube 0.81mm x 0.56mm x 0.71mm

The seat stays a 0.5mm wall thickness and the forks were made of 753 tubing.

753 was the same as 531 except it was heat treated to to give ~50% higher strength.

The "new" 753R had slightly thicker wall thicknesses on the main tubes.

Top tube 0.71mm x 0.5mm x 0.71mm

Seat tube 0.71mm x 0.5mm

Down tube 0.81mm x 0.5mm x 0.81mm

The forks were made of standard 531 tubing.

753T track version kept the same main tube wall thickness as the original 753 tubing.

The thicker non-butted sections of the main tubes were supposed to reduce cracking plus meet the demands of the pro riders for slightly stiffer frames.

For whatever reasons, there were less reported failures in 753R frames than with the original 753. It may have had to with frame builders developing better brazing skills, better fitting lugs and the use of lower melting temperature silver brazing alloys than had been previously used.

With thin wall tubing it only takes a few seconds to overheat a tube. Also some builders never bothered to clean up the ends of the tubes to remove grease, mill scale and rust. Their view was that at brazing temperature, the flux would clean up the tubes.

verktyg

Chas.

embankmentlb

Ecrevisse

1994 Rivendell by Waterford

TheDavid 

Reynolds 753R

mrybczyn

Winner for best picture

pcb 

'95 Riv Road, by Waterford. First build was as a fixie:



Second build went to a Sturmey-Archer S3X fixed 3spd hub:



Currently mostly looks the same, but I changed to a bar-con shifter for cooler runnings. No pix on that build yet.

rccardr 

Jake sold me his 753 professional about this time last year -I had it resprayed by Al Wanta.
Full DA 7700 with Cane Creek Volos wheels and Gatorskins. It's nice for fast club rides...

twolegs

botty kayer

Thread dredge, but I couldn't see any other 'show us your 753' threads, and I'd not seen this one before so enjoyed reading and seeing the bikes contained here.

I've been riding and enjoying my 753 Merckx around London this week, took me a while to find a backdrop the same colour as the 753 decal, but I managed it in the end

I've got a nice old 753 jersey too, it is more purple than it looks in these pics.

easyupbug 

Gorgeous bike, I assume a restoration? I have never seen a chromed 753 as Reynolds did not recommend it for reasons that are not clear if you follow cycling frame metallurgy. The arguments are around hydrogen embrittlement and risk management by Reynolds lawyers. Surprising Merckx would violate a direction from Reynolds. Dave Moulton said he only would chrome the dropouts, an inch or so. That said I read the literature from the Reynolds engineers on cold setting and they said it could not be done which the below Colin Laing 753R frame with 1,000s of cold set miles,126 to 130 is one positive data point.

1simplexnut

here is another one with chrome .
Has survived for 40 plus years with chrome bits so I guess the Peugeot team bulders knew what they were doing ?




Peugeot