Classic & Vintage - Reynolds 531 identification

Hi all,

I'm wondering if you can help me identify this frame which has been painted to look like a bianchi... sadly.

Its original colour seems to be metallic red, it has lovely lugs and a unique looking seat stay, seat clamp junction.

The seat post seams to be 27.2mm

The dropouts are stamped with BREV CAMPAGNOLO vertical and seem to be the 1010/1 type http://campagnolo.wikispaces.com/Dropouts

The numbers 1617 seem to be stamped into the bottom bracket and it has 3x cable guides along the top tube with mudguard eyelets.

Also the front face has cut outs similar to the Oscar Egg http://flying-scot.com/frame_dtl_pages/lugs_prugnat_1.html

It seems that the head tube panel, was gold and it has a large band of gold on the seat tube. There is some remanence of blue transfers on parts of the gold and on the fork.

The red is a darkish metallic red which is the first colour the bike was.

Dimensions wise it is as follows:

22" Seat tube (centre of BB to top of top tube)
22" Top tube (centre of headtube to centre of seat post)

Looking at the relatively short frame number I wondered if it could be a Harry Quinn? Without the Q?
http://www.classicrendezvous.com/British_isles/Harry_Quinn/HQuinn_registry.htm

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7037/6978954400_ff26e617cc_z.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7134/7125044483_2759251a09_z.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7265/6978961274_d444bbe94f_z.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7268/6978963952_1c84caa7a8_z.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8008/6983055722_bd63f69a12_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7062/6983064596_f57569ba24_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7213/7129154859_906fc873c6_z.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8018/7129158553_185b267907_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7258/6983076786_2e26d1da0e_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7270/6983058604_4fa482b0a0_z.jpg

Any help great fully appreciated!

I would say that unless your seat tube is terribly pinched, that you do not have a 531 frame. Check you measurement. The seat post is often marked with size.

That's a very Stalinesque brake bridge.

I would say that unless your seat tube is terribly pinched, that you do not have a 531 frame. Check you measurement. The seat post is often marked with size.

Thanks for your replies. Any ideas what it could be? It seems to have some nice features for a lesser frame though? The lugs on the head tube look really intricate and the fastback seat stay seems odd?

Pull the fork and see if there are any markings on the steerer. Bear in mind that presence of 531 markings on the steerer does not guarantee the frame is 531, but it does increase the odds. Conversely, the absence does not prove it is not 531. It does have some nice features. But I agree with Charles that the brake bridge is "unique" That may well be your identifying feature.

Pull the fork and see if there are any markings on the steerer. Bear in mind that presence of 531 markings on the steerer does not guarantee the frame is 531, but it does increase the odds. Conversely, the absence does not prove it is not 531. It does have some nice features. But I agree with Charles that the brake bridge is "unique" That may well be your identifying feature.

CHeers, I shall do that tonight. I also thought the brake bridge was 'unique' ;), it looks to have some thought put into though due to the diamonds on the ends where it joins the seat stay, but then is quite ugly where the brake caliper bolt goes through. I wondered if this was for strength for mudguards or pannier mounts, but then why would it have a fastback seatstay cluster.

if you go very carefully with a very thin coat of paint stripper you should get the blue off and not the paint under it.do not leave it but watch it and wipe it off when the blue starts to react.

I have found that original paint is very hard and stubborn, odds are the top coat will fall off very easily.

try in a place where there wont be decals first- then when you can contro it go to the downtube and decal areas.

about the 531, on the forks it will be stamped in the tubes very near the top, the seat tube will be 1/3 of the way up marking the reynolds tayper, the steering tube is as mentioned.

Pretty lugs.

How does it ride? Does it fit? Is it straight?

I'd strip the paint as puchfinnland described and rebuild it. Ride it. It doesn't matter if it is Reynolds or not if it fits and is a fun ride.

That's a very Stalinesque brake bridge.

:lol:

Whats the seatpost diameter?

EDIT!

It has a 27.2mm seat post!

if you go very carefully with a very thin coat of paint stripper you should get the blue off and not the paint under it.do not leave it but watch it and wipe it off when the blue starts to react.

I have found that original paint is very hard and stubborn, odds are the top coat will fall off very easily.

try in a place where there wont be decals first- then when you can contro it go to the downtube and decal areas.

about the 531, on the forks it will be stamped in the tubes very near the top, the seat tube will be 1/3 of the way up marking the reynolds tayper, the steering tube is as mentioned.

It looks like where it has had decals in the past, the paint has been taken down to bare metal, as these are the thinnest areas of green paint

It's got some strange and unique features: congrats on the 27.2 seatpost, that's a good sign. The headlugs do not look like Oscar Egg, but they are some high quality make. Have you confirmed that the BB is BSC (British) threading? If so, how come there seems to be a fixed cup in the LH side? That's strange...
I think the features generally point to a '70s frame (the vertical Campy DOs were in use from the '60s thru the '80s, especially with some English builders), the over-BB cable guides and 3 eyes on the TT, no shifter bosses...but a chance it's an older frame that had a few braze-ons added. The fork bend seems much more "modern" than typical of a '70s frame, but with a custom-build it's still possible to be original, pull the fork and check that steerer for a Reynolds stamp.
If you are very careful with stripping the paint, you might still find some faint "ghost" images of the decals either in the early paint or even the bare metal: don't scrap with any blades or use abrasives if you want to have any chance finding those.
Never seen that brake bridge before: truly a unique piece and possibly a good clue for the right sleuth.

Thanks for your advice. I will remove the BB and investigate

a thought on the brake bridge- could that be a botch repair? investigate please.


After you finish stripping to see the labels as above described, yes look for the sunburn from the decals-goo tip.

maybe there is traces of the 531 decals-you know where they should be!

when you are done look into "soda blasting" the frame- sandblasting will warp the tubes and weaken them.
it is almost impossible to paint strip completly under the cable guides- i just did it on mine and it was really difficult.

you can CAREFULLY bend maybe 10-15mm the left guide outward with your thumb.
the front of it and the back of it to gain access to get behind it

please remove your BB with the proper tools, It is well worth 5 bucks or so to have your LBS take it off correctly and not have it all butched up with channel lock scars!

we all want to know what you have!
mike

I want to know the story on the bike acquisition. Did somebody try to sell you a "Bianchi" and you called their bluff? What's the scoop?

I want to know the story on the bike acquisition. Did somebody try to sell you a "Bianchi" and you called their bluff? What's the scoop?

The seller knew it wasn't a Bianchi as he sprayed it and stickered it up, all he knew was that he thought it was 531. Its got MAFAC brake levers, and full Shimano 600 groupset apart from a Campag chainset. When it is rebuilt it should be a nice bike, I just want to find out more so I can get some decals made up as I would rather have a brand on it rather than looking like a 'white label'.

I took the forks out this morning and found the numbers 12092 stamped on the steerer...?

as you are comitted to a paint job, strip the forks- the fork blades have reynolds stamped on them on the upper.

my frame is bare at the moment and it is clearly visable

The frame looks VERY 1960s-1970s British to me.
The forks sounds like a newer replacement, but maybe not? Make sure that the top and down tubes aren't damaged right behind the tips of (the lower side of) the head lugs. Missing fork usually means front-end crash, but not always...

Thanks for your advice. I will remove the BB and investigate

It is possible that the BB was re-tapped to Italian at some point, and some brainiac (aka the seller) put the BB cups in backwards. He painted the headset cups, so no big surprise, I guess...