Raleigh lightweight 531 main tubes only frames

I have acquired a 1980's Raleigh lightweight (W prefix frame number) which has Reynolds 531 main tubes with the stays & forks in high tensile carbon steel.

What are these frames like for quality & ride characteristics?

The reason I ask is because I was planning on buying a full 531 / 653 frame & fork before I unexpectedly got this one. Is there really that much difference between them in the real world? (The Raleigh catalogue lists a full 531c bike as 400g lighter and the full 653 as 500g lighter but they also have higher spec groupsets which I should think were lighter as well).

I'm also 200lbs - am I better suited to the partial 531?

Thanks.

Re: Raleigh lightweight 531 main tubes frames

Type 8806 531 training frame?

Shaun

Re: Raleigh lightweight 531 main tubes frames

It's a 1989 Lightweight Elix - it looks like the same frame as the type 8904 531 Race looking at the catalogue?:

http://veterancycleclublibrary.org.uk/n ... %20Library).pdf

I had an early 90s one and I really liked it. Built weight was about 9.3kg with good quality tyres. I liked it quite a lot. Nice comfortable ride and pretty much indestructible. I did a few races and triathlons on it and wouldn't say I ever had a disadvantage on it over the carbon fibre wannabes!

Jonny69":2kuxpk31 said:

I had an early 90s one and I really liked it. Built weight was about 9.3kg with good quality tyres. I liked it quite a lot. Nice comfortable ride and pretty much indestructible. I did a few races and triathlons on it and wouldn't say I ever had a disadvantage on it over the carbon fibre wannabes!

Click to expand...

Thanks that's great to hear!. What model was yours can you remember?

Sounds like a decent bike to me. I really think that a Kg here and there is just people being anal.

If you have a 11 Kg bike and you weigh (as I do) 200 lb. how does a 10Kg or 9Kg bike make a difference?

I have several steel framed bikes ranging from about 11 to 13 Kg and they are all nice to ride. 501, 531 mains, full 531, 753, 653 and and new bike with Tange Prestige.

I also ride a high-end Early 90's Ally framed bike that came with full tri-color 600 which weighs 10.5 Kg

Fit the bike correctly to you with the right saddle and bar height and decent saddle to bar reach length and just enjoy the ride.

The Ally framed bike is the least pleasant to ride even with curved forks as it's so stiff...

These are all 60-62 cm frames. The 62cms are the most comfortable for me at 6 feet 2 and 200 lb with 35" inside leg.

I think that the correct fit and the right gearing for your terrain matters the most.

That's my experience.

Matty

Thanks - all very good points. I'm exactly the same height & weight as you but with a 34.5" inside leg. The bike is a 60cm so hopefully it will be a good fit. I'm told the whole bike weighs 10.7kg including pedals. I also have my trusty Turbo saddle to fit

How do you find the main 531 rides compared to the others?

Re:

Sounds like a good fit.

I'm guessing you'll be on about a 55 cm saddle tip to bar centre length there which should be about right.

difficult sometimes to get the quill on the bars high enough on these old frames but if you can get saddle top to bar top at about 6 to 7cm drop you should find it comfortable

Enjoy it

Matty

I will do thanks
How do you find the main tube 531 rides compared to the others you have? You are the perfect person to ask considering your identical weight & variety of frames you have!

Re:

I don't really think they ride that differently.

There is a weight difference but IMO this is not significant especially after a big fried breakfast - and I'm not racing after all.

It's clearly very nice to have the "531 butted tubes, forks and stays" legend on a bike; as you know you are riding a quality machine which will have a higher-end original groupset by the nature of it's status in the line-up. The fact is that many 501 and 531 main triangle frames are not running on the original component group any more as upgrading is common-place.

I have upgraded my Raleigh Kellogs (501 tubing) to a mix of 9-speed Ultegra and 105 components so it's a much better riding experience than it would have been on the original component group as supplied.

I think it's hard to pick subtle differences between frames of these different Reynolds tubing specs when they are so close in reality. - I am certainly no expert on this!

Matty