Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Newly acquired "Reynolds 531" frame set Thoughts? Opinions?

Hey folks just picked up a great bike frame. Its a 70's Raleigh Competition! 90% of the chrome is in great shape but the paint will have to be stripped and redone. What do you think about clear coating the bare metal and keeping the chrome bits? This is a full on Reynolds 531 bike, its super-light with stock BB. It will need a new headset. Do you think the stock BB once "repacked" will be better than my used $40 Origin 8 BB? That is if my crank will fit the spindle and give me a good chain line? Thanks for all your help. I was told this bike will ride like a dream. Paid $65

http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l615/Tony_Cobb/random/SSPX1776.jpg

Photo fail....try again.

However, I'm sure it'll ride almost as nice as the cheapest bike from bikesdirect.com until it cracks prematurely due to several decades of prior use.

I was told this bike will ride like a dream. Paid $65
You'll believe anything huh? I got a bridge for sale, I'll cut you a great deal!

Photo fail....try again.

However, I'm sure it'll ride almost as nice as the cheapest bike from bikesdirect.com until it cracks prematurely due to several decades of prior use.

Well you can say that just about any bike over 20 years old. Which we see allot of here. Will post better photos of the bike once its at home and I'm not dodging customers at the bike shop! Do you still have any of your bikes from when you were my age?

Do you still have any of your bikes from when you were my age?

Nope, sold them to idiots for way too much mone.......oh, sorry.

You all are dicks. I'm sure that frame will last just fine. I've ridden frames older than that one, rebuilt, over curbs and whatever else was between me and where I was going for years, and I haven't ever had a frame crack. Is bikesdirect paying you all to shill? They sell great cheap taiwan-made bikes for hipsters, but some people like to rebuild old frames and there's nothing wrong with that.

I figured I would keep my money in the USA. I was looking for a decent frame to ride! If I can get a couple of years out of it I will be happy.
I'm not a fair weather biker with $2,000 to "throw away" on a bike. How many of you really ride your bike everyday rain or shine? Or do you just throw it in the garage till the sun comes out? What would Sheldon Brown say? To each his own.

I figured I would keep my money in the USA. I was looking for a decent frame to ride! If I can get a couple of years out of it I will be happy.
I'm not a fair weather biker with $2,000 to "throw away" on a bike. How many of you really ride your bike everyday rain or shine? Or do you just throw it in the garage till the sun comes out? What would Sheldon Brown say? To each his own.

i didnt have 2grand to throw away with my concept or soma. i still ride both rain or shine.

Yeah, you guys are being obnoxious. It's a pretty nice older frame, it'll last just fine as long as there's not major rust. A lot better than my ****ty older frame and I like my bike a lot. And $65 for reynolds 531 is a damn good deal, all these dudes giving you trouble are idiots.

OP - First, ignore the idiots. They're just jealous that you scored that sweet Reynolds 531 oldie, which is perfect for SS or FG conversion. Fools will pay that much for a totally inferior Peugeot UO8, and then have to deal with French threading and sizing. Also, the Raleigh Competition is actually a tourer with slack angles and a lot of fork rake for a very smooth ride and plenty of room for large tires / fenders, plus toe / front tire clearance for riding fixed. Another neat thing is that they were set up with tubulars, which means that 700c clinchers will work fine with normal reach brakes. Clincher bikes of that era such as the UO8 used larger 27" clinchers. As to using the original BB, it all depends on the condition of the bearing cups and spindle races and if the length will give you a good chainline with the cranks you are using. Personally, I'd just go with a modern sealed cartridge BB and dispense with BB overhauls.

Cool chrome frame. My first bike was a conversion, served me well and the road geo was always forgiving wherever I rode. believe it or not, i think most of the members here ride alot, rain or shine, so don't bash them like that. At $65, I wouldve gotten it too, just dont put deep v's and tarcky cranksets, etc. Get some nice low profile chrome rims, gumwall tires, campy styled crankset, you get the idea.

They're just jealous that you scored that sweet Reynolds 531 oldie

I'm soooooooo jealous, I'll give you ten centz for that frame!!!!!!!!!!!

In regards to building it up, do what Squeegee said, no v shaped rims, nice low pro clinchers and a classy looking crank. No track drops. Some fenders would be nice.

You all are dicks. I'm sure that frame will last just fine.

I was just bustin' you balls earlier. To be serious, I've bought and built up many bikes in the last few years. Three of them were conversions built with decent quality vintage frames from the 70s and 80s that all looked nicer than your frame. Two of them cracked after a few months...the other one (from the early 90s) has lasted several thousand miles of very hard riding. Old frames are nice aesthetically, but they really aren't any better than a modern TIGed Tiawanese frame. Despite what many vintage-philes want to believe, bicycles have come a long way in the past few decades. A 30+ year old battered frame isn't likely to last nearly as long as a new frame. I can buy a new butted chromo frame that is probably lighter for barely more than $200 (hence the BD reference). I suppose I'd pay $65 for an old frame if I was interested in a vintage-looking build and didn't plan on putting a lot of hard miles on it, but I wouldn't pay much more unless it was absolutely mint. I hope yours holds up, but don't assume that it will. Good luck!

In regards to building it up, do what Squeegee said, no v shaped rims, nice low pro clinchers and a classy looking crank. No track drops. Some fenders would be nice.

Let the man do what he wants with the bike. It's his.

OP- I'd say keep the chrome, gives it a classy look but its up to you.

Aerospoke FTW.

^^^ trollmod ^^^

Yeah well, they were well aware of my ways when they asked me. :lol:

In seriousness though, that's a cool old frame and a steal at what was paid for it. Good find, IMO.

Ha glad everyone is happy now!
Will post some progress pics soon.
Thanks for your help!

I found a Raleigh Clubman the other day, no wheels though...a mix of component, SR cranks, Custom stem, SR Laprade seatpost, Campy downtube shifters, Campy Deraileur and a Tange bottom bracket...

Stem + seatpost are seized though, I actually kind of want to use the frame.

i didnt have 2grand to throw away with my concept or soma. i still ride both rain or shine.

But I'm pretty sure you spent dam near close to 2 grand on both these bikes!
Just a guess but a Pista Concept (frame-set only) brand new is around $750

But I'm pretty sure you spent dam near close to 2 grand on both these bikes!
Just a guess but a Pista Concept (frame-set only) brand new is around $750

750? I cant even sell mine on local cl for 400.

I think we all need a good :hug:

I think we all need a good :hug:

Agreed!!
I forgot here in Portland everything is price jacked! Try to find a "decent" 10speed on our C.L. for under $200!!!
I should go back to Savannah GA and clean up! :-)
check out this joker!!! Give me a break



http://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/bik/1984552206.html
For only $499 Any suckers out there?

As far as Reynolds goes, 531 is nothing special. Thats just their number they put on their version of 6130 Chromoly. I rode and old Trek 560 Pro frame which was made out of 531 as both a conversion (with aerospoke, scrod) and as a road bike built with modern parts. I didn't notice too much frame flex while riding it fixed, but once I switched it to road I noticed the frame had a lot of flex in it compared to modern aluminum and carbon roadbikes. It should make a fine SSFG bike, definitly gonna be a comfortable and smooth riding bike. Solid frame, I'd take it over any of the Tainwanese bikes being labeled as "bianchi" or "trek" or "motobecane" nowadays...

-Connor

As far as Reynolds goes, 531 is nothing special. Thats just their number they put on their version of 6130 Chromoly.
Bzzt! Wrong.

Reynolds 531 is a Manganese/Molybdenum alloy; no significant chromium content.

https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Reynolds_531

OP: that's a nice frame and should give you plenty of riding pleasure. Just please don't "drew" it.