531 Professional SL tubing

[gavr]

Re:

I don't wish to be churlish gavr but you're confusing the 531 Professional tubeset with 653; this subject has been posted many times on RB.

Here's Wikipedia says (I'm not saying it's correct)

531SL - Special lightweight (SL) tubeset, comprising 531 main tubes drawn thinner than standard 531, and stiff 531 rear stays

531 Professional - Superseded 531SL, for road racing and time trials. Comprises 531 lightweight main tubes and 753R rear stays. Early versions used 753T rear stays.

653 - Was a mixed tubeset which superseded 531 Professional and combined tubings of different steels; cold worked main tubes and 531 rear stays and front forks

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynolds_Cycle_Technology

 

[roadking]

Re: Re:

Here's Wikipedia says (I'm not saying it's correct)...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynolds_Cycle_Technology

Hi gavr, I've taken a look at the link and there are anomalies. For example, when referring to 501 the Wiki entry suggests it was only available as a maintubes set. It was available as a full tubeset (rarely I admit, the maintubes set is more common) of 501 maintubes, stays and fork (I have a full 501 frameset - my Raleigh Corsa).

The Wiki entry is also misleading with regard to the Speedstream tubeset, this is an ovalised aero set (available for a very short period and quite rare - I have only ever seen two frames in it) and is not 531SL, it is far too heavy and commercially not a success.

There are other anomalies but I think my point is made.

With regard to SL and Pro in particular, I can only speak from my experience of (a) having the SBDU build me a frame from Pro (one of their last in this tubeset), and (b) speaking to framebuilders like the SBDU and many others over the years (e.g the late Bill Philbrook, Ron Cooper and Peter Cobb, + other guys who are still around). I have also posted before on this subject.

Hope this helps. Rk.

 

[drcarlos]

Sorry for the hijack.

RK,

I'd be interested to hear your insights into 653 as I had heard the same about it being a 531/753 mix and have been shouted down in the MTB side of this forum for those views (as you may notice I have a Butler MTB with a 653 frame).
I'd also quite like one of the Raleigh Lightweight 653 road frames to replace my Quadra as it's a bit small.
What do you know?

Carl.

 

[half cog]

Hi.
This is all getting very technical and far away from what was asked at the start.having had a woodrup 531 sl I would say you would be fine as long as you are not in the habit of falling off or leaving it in the shed where things can fall on it.Most frames apart from the very basic stuff tend to dent easily. The choice is heavy and it will take abuse or lightweight and look after it.With ordinary care sl should be fine and will give you a much better ride than some of the more basic heavy tubesets. I must admit that the odd dents I have aquired over the years have been mostly done in the shed and not on the road.

 

[roadking]

Hi.
This is all getting very technical and far away from what was asked at the start.having had a woodrup 531 sl I would say you would be fine as long as you are not in the habit of falling off or leaving it in the shed where things can fall on it.Most frames apart from the very basic stuff tend to dent easily. The choice is heavy and it will take abuse or lightweight and look after it.With ordinary care sl should be fine and will give you a much better ride than some of the more basic heavy tubesets. I must admit that the odd dents I have aquired over the years have been mostly done in the shed and not on the road.

I'm sorry to hear this thread is a little technical for you, but as we're discussing Reynolds tubesets it is inevitable that it will get a little technical - furthermore I fail to see the point of your post apart from it being mildly amusing with the comment about"basic heavy tubesets"- the thread isn't discussing gaspipe bikes we're discussing tubesets for quality lightweights.

Finally any tube,"heavy"or otherwise will dent if the clot that owns it is clumsy enough!

Rk.

P.S edited due to typo.

 

[roadking]

Sorry for the hijack.RK,I'd be interested to hear your insights into 653 as I had heard the same about it being a 531/753 mix and have been shouted down in the MTB side of this forum for those views (as you may notice I have a Butler MTB with a 653 frame).
I'd also quite like one of the Raleigh Lightweight 653 road frames to replace my Quadra as it's a bit small.What do you know?Carl.

No worries Carl.

I looked the link to your Claud, looks very nice - love the orange frame, my '88 Stumpjumper was repainted orange by Chas Roberts a few years ago.

I have to admit that I've not come across 653 in an MTB tubeset (Magnum), either way it is an excellent tubeset...I'll do a little research and get back to you with any further news.

Cheers, Rk.

P.S if I did not already have road bikes in SL and Pro I'd be looking to score one in 653 - good choice.

 

[Midlife]

Just out of curiosity I wonder when the "Designer Select" label was used ? I would have expected the 531 / 753 combination to have had that label.

Shaun

PS Roadking, I sort of drifted out of cycling in 1983 as I had to work for a living so my memory is hazy both because of my age and the amount of beer I drank when much younger

 

[drcarlos]

One thing I remember about DS moniker on R531 was that tubes with custom profiles and butting lengths could be selected from the grade of tubeset and these were different to the off the shelf tubesets and 531 DS was only 531 tubes, no 753 in there AFAIK. I can remember that Dawes used 531 Designer Select on the Edge XTR MTB but that's the only time I saw this in use.

Carl.

 

[roadking]

Just out of curiosity I wonder when the "Designer Select" label was used ? I would have expected the 531 / 753 combination to have had that label.

Shaun

PS Roadking, I sort of drifted out of cycling in 1983 as I had to work for a living so my memory is hazy both because of my age and the amount of beer I drank when much younger

Hi Shaun,
unsure of the relevance of the p.s but my memory is fine (despite my years), and I did drink a fair bit of decent beer (not lager) when I was at the Varsity (no, not uni).
Perhaps Reynolds rebranded the Pro set as 653 while changing the specification (the marketing twerps need to reinvent products every once and while so I guess that was the reason). Designer Select was what many Master Builders (like dear old Ron Cooper) had done for many years - that is mixed and matched tubes.
Cheers, Jon.
P.S have a very interesting 1970s bike in build at the moment - trying to decide on componentry (1st gen Dura Ace maybe).

 

[half cog]

Right mr roadking I did not say it was too technical for me. The man asked for an opinion not a technical discussion on tubesets.An opinion. Simple as that. Most people on here seem to be able to discuss things in a reasonable manner but there allways has to be one i suppose. Eventually you may get around to telling him what you think instead of throwing the reynolds catalogue at him