Classic & Vintage - can anyone identify my new frame? reynolds 531c steel

initially posted this in Fix/SS forum, they reconed i'd have more luck over here

Recently bought this frame as a pre converted fixed gear. was lying in the back of a bike shop. The whole bike was very cheap. Stuck some deep V's on it, a new break lever and a bigger back cog. It’s got no markings on it at all apart from the knackered paint job and a bit of decal...

I don't really know too much about bikes in general but every bike shop I’ve taken it into has been seriously admiring the frame and I’m wondering if I’ve picked up a bit of a bargain. It’s got a 531c sticker on it, that might have been stuck on for show but its light as hell. In fact it's lighter than alot of my friend’s pretty expensive fixies. I’ve been doing a bit of research on the steel type and it seems to be fairly high quality competition racing steel. You can just make some lettering out on one of the tubes. It looks like "PH" or "FH"?

Anyway, if anyone has any ideas it'd be great to know what type of frame this is. If it's a good'n I’d quite like to restore it to it's original paint job. If not then I think I’ll just powder coat it black.

Cheers.

http://louis.wearetessellate.com/test/bike/bike.jpg
http://louis.wearetessellate.com/test/bike/tube.jpg
http://louis.wearetessellate.com/test/bike/dropouts.jpg
http://louis.wearetessellate.com/test/bike/sticker.jpg

Can't help much, but the BB shell and long point lugs indicate a frame of some quality. What size seatpost? If 27.2 that can help confirm the decal.

The front fork doesn't look like a match. The excess spacers up top help confirm this.
(Edit) Are those canti's f&r? Do they look like they were added later?

i'm not sure, a few mates have pondered this aswell, the general consensus is they were added later, but thats just a buncha hunches.

not sure about the post, i've had a look and i can't see anything that has the size on it. is there anyway to tell apart from taking it into a shop?

I'm thinking Puch.

i'm not sure, a few mates have pondered this aswell, the general consensus is they were added later, but thats just a buncha hunches.

not sure about the post, i've had a look and i can't see anything that has the size on it. is there anyway to tell apart from taking it into a shop?

You can use calipers to measure the diameter.

This might be a dumb question, but since it hasn't been asked in this or the SSFG thread, have you looked for a serial number?

Maybe some better photos out in the sun up against something white (like a garage door) might help. Take some shots of the seat-stay lugs and shots of the head-tube area as well.

The fork is definitely not original.
Italian or English threaded BB?
Calipers will help you determine the width of the seat-post.

Serial number?

The track frame ends look original, there is no clear sign of haphazard workmanship where the stays end. The workmanship and shaping of the head lugs seems good, pending better photos. Reynolds decals can be had on Ebay, so sadly that is no longer a significant sign. The angles do not look hugely steep.

I'd jump to a guess that it may well be a decent track frame, perhaps specialized for a track event where close-quarters racing was expected. Can't offer anything about nation of origin or make.

I say it's a Ribble from Northern England

The track frame ends look original, there is no clear sign of haphazard workmanship where the stays end. The workmanship and shaping of the head lugs seems good, pending better photos. Reynolds decals can be had on Ebay, so sadly that is no longer a significant sign. The angles do not look hugely steep.

I'd jump to a guess that it may well be a decent track frame, perhaps specialized for a track event where close-quarters racing was expected. Can't offer anything about nation of origin or make.

I'll get some new photos up tommorrow and check for a serial, are steep angles a good thing or bad? forgive my ignorance i'm fairly new to this game.


@jet sanchEz - i'm assuming BB is bottom bracket, how do i know if it's italian or english? is it the direction of the thread? i tried to get the bottom bracket changed so i could get an easier gear ratio (got a bigger back gear instead) but the shop couldn't get it out, managed to mangle it a bit during the attempt... it's a bit of a creaky mess now...

That is a real odd duck. Not sure I have ever seen track ends and canti studs together on anything other than a 29er SS. On the other hand, I happen to think that that is an excellent set up for number of uses.

Could it originally had an IGH hub? Or some gonzo CX person who raced ss/fg?

jim

I'll get some new photos up tommorrow and check for a serial, are steep angles a good thing or bad? forgive my ignorance i'm fairly new to this game.


@jet sanchEz - i'm assuming BB is bottom bracket, how do i know if it's italian or english? is it the direction of the thread? i tried to get the bottom bracket changed so i could get an easier gear ratio (got a bigger back gear instead) but the shop couldn't get it out, managed to mangle it a bit during the attempt... it's a bit of a creaky mess now...

the cups will be italian sized (36 instead of 1.37) and the both cups will be right-hand threaded, for an Italian bottom bracket.

that thing would be oh so sweet with an IGH and some nice strong wheels

found a serial: 5571

New photos... hope that helps.

Serial
http://louis.wearetessellate.com/test/bike/new/serial.jpg

BB
http://louis.wearetessellate.com/test/bike/new/BB.jpg

Decal
http://louis.wearetessellate.com/test/bike/new/decal.jpg

Front
http://louis.wearetessellate.com/test/bike/new/front.jpg

Headset side
http://louis.wearetessellate.com/test/bike/new/front_side.jpg

Full
http://louis.wearetessellate.com/test/bike/new/full.jpg

Rear Brake
http://louis.wearetessellate.com/test/bike/new/rear_brake.jpg

Rear Brake 2
http://louis.wearetessellate.com/test/bike/new/rear_brake_2.jpg

Seat Stay (i think?)
http://louis.wearetessellate.com/test/bike/new/seat_stay.jpg

whats the best website for identifying bikes from serials?

whats the best website for identifying bikes from serials?

No such animal, AFAIK.

A track bike with canti brakes?? That seems really weird to me. Can't wait to see what people come up with.

Too bad about the fork.

it is an odd one: some of those features look to be "British" like the rear loop cable bridge and the "Dutch" style seat clamp bolt (which may take a inch-fraction Allen wrench rather than Metric) but why the canti brakes and track ends! The fork could be a replacement for another that had canti bosses. Construction looks very good, and the serial number points to a small-output/custom shop, which makes sense with these unique features...is it 55cm? That could explain half of the 5571 number, but I doubt that 71 is the year, probably the 71st frame from this builder. (on second thought it looks bigger than 55, so scotch that) On third thought: the paint on the top of the rear triangle is masked and re-sprayed (badly) so now I think the loop and canti-bosses were add-ons.
Too bad it has that horrid half-round-divot lockring (I hate them) but you might just resort to "full destruction" of the BB unit, and there's nothing about that Nervar that demands to be saved. If you can get the LH crankarm off, try soaking the lockring in penetrant and then use a sharp chisel and try to hammer-turn it off. If no luck then I'd *carefully* cut it away with a Dremel and cutoff wheel.

A track bike with canti brakes?? That seems really weird to me. Can't wait to see what people come up with.

Too bad about the fork.

My guess... Used to be road frame. Somebody wanted cantilever brakes and track drop outs, so they added them. Bike's from the mid to late 80's though. Forks not original, as others have said. Gearing is insane though; must suck to go up hills. :eek:

it is an odd one: some of those features look to be "British" like the rear loop cable bridge and the "Dutch" style seat clamp bolt (which may take a inch-fraction Allen wrench rather than Metric) but why the canti brakes and track ends! The fork could be a replacement for another that had canti bosses. Construction looks very good, and the serial number points to a small-output/custom shop, which makes sense with these unique features...is it 55cm? That could explain half of the 5571 number, but I doubt that 71 is the year, probably the 71st frame from this builder. (on second thought it looks bigger than 55, so scotch that) On third thought: the paint on the top of the rear triangle is masked and re-sprayed (badly) so now I think the loop and canti-bosses were add-ons.
Too bad it has that horrid half-round-divot lockring (I hate them) but you might just resort to "full destruction" of the BB unit, and there's nothing about that Nervar that demands to be saved. If you can get the LH crankarm off, try soaking the lockring in penetrant and then use a sharp chisel and try to hammer-turn it off. If no luck then I'd *carefully* cut it away with a Dremel and cutoff wheel.

Cheers for that info on getting the BB off. need to wait till next payday to get a new BB, i'm a bit scared of knackering it so i'm going to take it into a bike fixing shop.


My guess... Used to be road frame. Somebody wanted cantilever brakes and track drop outs, so they added them. Bike's from the mid to late 80's though. Forks not original, as others have said. Gearing is insane though; must suck to go up hills. :eek:

heh, aye, it was a bit brutal going up the hills... i stuck a 22 tooth gear on the back so it's a bit easier now. though my knees are still pretty sore. had the seat up pretty high to counter, but put it back down as i wasn't fond of using my testicals as a shock absorber.