Forum menu
It's not really designed to appeal to experienced cyclists though is it?
It's a 'lifestyle' thing, like that new Pashley tourer or pretending to dislike the Beatles.
edlong - Member
If you want something that looks like it's an old road bike, why not just buy an old road bike from eBay or Gumtree for pennies?
Not with Nervex lugs, you won't.
This is basically a 1950s-70s road sport bike. If you haven't ridden a good one of those you've missed out.
Steel may look spindly but it doesn't mean it's floppy or soggy, especially if you are talking 531c or above.
As for the look of it, I think the glaring obscenity is the crankset. Looks totally wrong. You need Drillium on a bike like that. Oh, and drop the derailleur for a S-A 3 speed. You're not going to bother the racing snakes on a modern bike, so you may as well eliminate the hassles.
Next is to size it properly so its proportions look right. That means getting a larger frame size than you're used to these days. There should only be about 4 fingers of seatpost showing and the saddle close to the level of the bartops. Then you have a bike comfortable enough for 200 mile days and it will be fast enough for 98% of us.
About the only modern steel bike I have ridden that feels comparable to a good lugged Reynolds is a Fuji Track with triple butted tubes and the 1" fork.
[quote=epicyclo ]Not with Nervex lugs, you won't.
Ah, so it's lug snobbery then. I presume you'll be telling me that you'd be able to tell the difference in ride between a frame built with those and one built with some other brand of lugs in a blind test?
Steel may look spindly but it doesn't mean it's floppy or soggy, especially if you are talking 531c or above.
Is this because 531 and better steel is stiffer than ordinary steel? 😆
aracer - Member
Ah, so it's lug snobbery then. I presume you'll be telling me that you'd be able to tell the difference in ride between a frame built with those and one built with some other brand of lugs in a blind test?
No, I was referring to the market for old bikes. Tell you what, you find a bike with Nervex Pro lugs for pennies, buy it quick, and I'll give you a quid for it. No, make that a tenner! 🙂
The Nervex Pro lugs aren't any better than spearpoint lugs IMO, but no one was going to spend the money on them and then use scaffolding tube.
Is this because 531 and better steel is stiffer than ordinary steel? 🙂
Absolutely. It's why real men wear steel wool underpants. 🙂
More seriously, it's because the Reynolds product are of a reliable and given quality, and combined with good lugs, an experienced builder can cook up a decent bike. So it's a reasonable expectation that a bike with "pretty' hand finished lugs combined with Reynolds will perform as expected.
There's no outward sign with a lugless steel bike, although as I have already said something like a Fuji Track rides just as nicely. But there's a lot of scaffold pole jobs with fancy paint out there.
Looks spot on. Reynolds webpage says 531 is essentially 4130 anyway. Not that it matters anyway, its there to look nice.
[quote=epicyclo ]The Nervex Pro lugs aren't any better than spearpoint lugs IMO, but no one was going to spend the money on them and then use scaffolding tube.
Hmm, have you not checked out the bike in the original link? 😉 I'm not terribly convinced by the argument about them guaranteeing quality of the tubes when they've been so clearly used as a marketing thing for a bike which is being sold for far more than the sum of the parts.
More seriously, it's because the Reynolds product are of a reliable and given quality, and combined with good lugs, an experienced builder can cook up a decent bike.
One which is less floppy or soggy than one made of a different steel?
[URL= http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a182/Beagy/DSCF1673.jp g" target="_blank">
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a182/Beagy/DSCF1673.jp g"/> [/IMG][/URL]
Does this mean I'm a Hipster? I always wanted to be a 'something'.
(It's not a fixie though, it's got a 2 speed kick-back hub plus coaster brake. Do I lose points for that?)
[quote=epicyclo ]This is basically a 1950s-70s road sport bike. If you haven't ridden a good one of those you've missed out.
...actually what is the fundamental difference between one of those (and this) and my late '80s 531c Raleigh?
[quote=Beagleboy ]
Does this mean I'm a Hipster? I always wanted to be a 'something'.
(It's not a fixie though, it's got a 2 speed kick-back hub plus coaster brake. Do I lose points for that?)
We'd need to see pics of you in trousers to be sure - I suspect you might gain marks for the hub though.
aracer - Member
...actually what is the fundamental difference between one of those (and this) and my late '80s 531c Raleigh?
If it's a Raleigh, probably none. I stopped at the 70s simply because the bikes started to change in the 80s so generalising about them isn't wise.
One which is less floppy or soggy than one made of a different steel?
You're trolling now. 🙂
Sorry but that's a good looking bike
Looks like a classic 80's Road bike
As to whether it's any good is another matter
The shape is spot on though
Much better than the sloping, curved tubes on some current road bikes
The worst thing about the link is the Raphaesque inspirational description at the bottom. The bike's ok in a retro way but that description wouldn't sell many
Looks like The Daily Mash is a secret STW forumite:
[url= http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/man-riding-penny-farthing-is-coolest-motherfker-of-all-time-20151113103846 ]Penny Farthing[/url]
If you want something that looks like it's an old road bike, why not just buy an old road bike from eBay or Gumtree for pennies?
Or maybe get a very nice 80's road bike for around £500 rather than a crappy one for pennies.
I would rather have a very nice condition respected brand 80's road bike for £500 than a modern one for £2000
[quote=epicyclo ]You're trolling now.
Well you did line me up for it with:
[quote=epicyclo ]Steel may look spindly but it doesn't mean it's floppy or soggy, especially if you are talking 531c or above.
given that one made from scaffold pipes will be less floppy and soggy.
Took my 531c touring once - that was horrible with the back end wiggling all over the place.
Though I'm kind of 😳 by that Mash article, given I do most of my riding on a unicycle.
aracer - Member
Took my 531c touring once - that was horrible with the back end wiggling all over the place.
I can agree with that. I've made the mistake of going touring on lightweight steel bikes - well touring wasn't the mistake, taking the kitchen sink was. Whippy is the best description.
The second time was an outback tour in Oz on dirt roads on my Peugeot PX10, complete with tubs. Mistake was taking my wife because I ended up with all her gear too, and she didn't just take the kitchen sink but the vanity unit too.
I've got a Pompino in the attic in case I ever succumb to touring again. They're not whippy. 🙂
But I'd probably end up taking my Flying Scot and my credit card...
I would rather have a very nice condition respected brand 80's road bike for £500 than a modern [s]one[/s] pretender for £2000
FTFY. I've had both and I'd definitely take the modern bike, just not that one. Once you've gone black...
I like it, it would b better in all red/white, but overall a nice looking vintage style roadie.
I'll stick with this .. Full dura ace 74**
[url= https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7364/16553617705_e537316476_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7364/16553617705_e537316476_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/rdMBPP ]image[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/54931015@N07/ ]Plus one2010[/url], on Flickr
Not having downtube shifters is a fail in my book.
Funnily enough, I'm today re-hosting kit from a 2000 ally frame to a 1980s 531c Raleigh, with the exception that I'm not transferring the brifters. I've got some lovely dura-ace downtube shifters to put on.
The problem is that you're getting a bike with a quill stem mated to a 1in steerer and thin forks, antiquated brakes and heavy cheap wheels... And paying £2k for the privilege.
No thanks
Looks spot on. Reynolds webpage says 531 is essentially 4130 anyway.
Just to adress some of the more 'wrong' comments on this post.
531 is manganese molybdenum.
520 is similar to 525 and 4130 and is crome molybdenum.
The difference is you cant weld 531 so its now rare as hens teeth. Theres little between a brazed 531 and 520 frame anyway except the builder/owners vanity.
aracer - Member
Took my 531c touring once - that was horrible with the back end wiggling all over the place.
Thats because 531c was a (very nice at the time) tubeset for racing bikes c=competition.
They also did 531 (the normal tubeset) and 531st (super touring) which used stiffer (thus heavier) tubes.
[quote=edhornby ]The problem is that you're getting a bike with a quill stem mated to a 1in steerer and thin forks, antiquated brakes and heavy cheap wheels... And paying £2k for the privilege.
No thanks
But, but, it looks kind of like an old bike (if you ignore all the modern bits) and old bikes are cool, so it must be worth it. Because looking cool is by far the most important thing, and unlike a proper old bike I can still change gear on this despite being incapable of taking one hand off the bars.
I've got faux-retro Cooper. It's got spindly 531 tubes attached by lugs, a quill stem and one inch steerer plus a SA 5 speed hub with a down tube shifter. It looks a bit like the bike in the o/p and I like it. I don't have a beard.
It's well proportioned and nicely finished, so definitely not ugly. However I do have an issue with the ugly styling of most modern mountain bikes, especially full suspension ones. Why the **** do they put a curve in every tube when the strongest shape would be a straight tube when under compression. Also the bland colour schemes with black components throughout leave much to be desired. All a question of taste, or lack of, I suppose.....
*rubs thighs*
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
[url= http://road.cc/content/tech-news/171536-check-out-wilier-superleggera-ramato ]http://road.cc/content/tech-news/171536-check-out-wilier-superleggera-ramato[/url]
£1700 f+f but not fugly and probably worth it, in my book.
^^ Oh my...
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder & in my eye I think it's quite handsome.
Not sure about the spec etc, but definitely not fugly!
I don't like scrawny tubes, and I also don't like horizontal top tubes.
molgrips - Member
I don't like scrawny tubes, and I also don't like horizontal top tubes.
Then take a trip to my home state in Australia and pick up one of these...
Llewellyn Bikes - Crescendo, XL sized lugs and tubing (price is a bit XL too 🙂 )
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
Llewellyn Bikes - Crescendo
That's much nicer. However I still would not buy one 🙂
Although I might test ride one, see if it's any different to a good carbon bike.