Reynolds 501

[PW]

It's almost certainly better than the gaspipe Viscount I'm intending to use for the same purpose! Good luck and enjoy it.

[fraxinus]

So how many bikes is that now then

[hubgearfreak]

So how many bikes is that now then

one or more less than enough, obviously

[PW]

I historically ran three - a tourer, a fun bike and a hack to save wear and salt damage to the other two. Currently I don't have a hack - the mtb went to my daughter-in-law in Germany. (DOH! ). End result is that I'm commuting on the tourer, so it'll need a rebuild in the spring and there has to be a replacement ready.

[fraxinus]

I only ask because I am up to ten and I need to convince myself that I don't have a problem.

[Colin63]

This will be bike No 4. I do have a perfectly good Trek hybrid which I can use as a hack, but this is just good fun.

[fraxinus]

Be carefull Colin thats how it starts. Before you know it you will be scouring Fleabay , rummaging through skips and chasing after rag and bone men. It breaks my heart when I see a bike on the back of a "tat wagon" probably hardly been used. Yes you will do anything to get your next fix......err I mean project.

[Secret Sam]

I'm sad and have a good memory...so here goes:

501 was a response to the wave of new chro-mo frames from Japan and the USA, partly driven by the new MTB craze in the mid 80s. Reynolds needed a cheap tube to compete that was easy to build. 501 was it - they also did a MTB version for a while.

It was one rung below 531, around that time (?? '86) there was 753 - 653 (replacing 531 pro) - 531 (Various grades - mine's 531c) - 501. Later Reynolds added 453, main tubes unbutted only as an alternative to gas pipe - don't know if this took off as I started my biking hiatus around then

You COULD get 501 forks - the Holdsworth Elan (I think - or maybe Avanti) swithced to 501 main tubes and forks around that time, which was a shame as I wanted one in the old 531!!! Don't think anyone did a bike with 501 stays, though.

In terms of quality, no idea how it would rank against current tubes - no doubt much less laterally stiff, and don't think it was suitable for welding.

Sad, huh? Back to work...

[Colin63]

Be carefull Colin thats how it starts. Before you know it you will be scouring Fleabay , rummaging through skips and chasing after rag and bone men. It breaks my heart when I see a bike on the back of a "tat wagon" probably hardly been used. Yes you will do anything to get your next fix......err I mean project.

It's happening Today I was at my bosses house and I mentioned to him that I was rebuilding this bike. He then took me into his barn where there was a pile of 5 bikes, mainly budget MTBs but also a 1960s Dawes road bike. He says that I can take them off his hands on the condition that I take the lot and don't cherry pick. The collection of bits and pieces has begun

[Tonyf33]

On one Reynolds brochure they quoted their 501 AND 531 tubes as been of equal tensile strength as manufactured with 531 only 10% more post brazing.
It also said that frame weights would be 2300g for 501, 2200g for ST, 2050g Competition, 1900g Professional (what size frame it didn't state)
Further still Reynolds mention that bikes with butted 531 (main) frame tubes could have non reynolds stays (so 'gas pipe' in some people's eyes!)
The only reference Reynolds makes to 501 stays that I know of were actually made for racing BMX's.

[TwoWheelsGood]

Reynolds did make 501 stays - they're mentioned on this chart (see item 17):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sashae/2072364171/sizes/o/

I suspect that 501 stays were relatively uncommon since bikes cheaper than those with a full 531 frame probably opted to use 531 or 501 in conjunction with the aforementioned gas pipe tubing.

[Ontherivet77]

I've just saved an old Windsor race bike from the great skip in the sky. It has 501 tubing and although heavy seems fairly indestructible. On a test ride the bike rolled along nicely and I didn't notice the weight. I remember seeing an article saying that these frames are more resilient than 531?

[York Commuter]

Secret Sam

regarding 501 forks I briefly owned a British Eagle frame and forks - the frame was 531CS (now that's another story) and the forks were 501.

By the style and few original componants that it had i'd say it had been a cyclo-cross bike

rgds

Stephen

[Secret Sam]

Secret Sam

regarding 501 forks I briefly owned a British Eagle frame and forks - the frame was 531CS (now that's another story) and the forks were 501.

By the style and few original componants that it had i'd say it had been a cyclo-cross bike

rgds

Stephen

What's 531CS?!?!?!?!!

[Mick F]

531 Cyclo crosS

????????

Dunno, never heard of it.