Tom Fritts

The Phil Wood hub on the front wheel caught my eye on the $100 lugged steel bike at a garage sale and nearly justified the purchase by itself. The bike turned out to be a "custom" built by Diablo Cycles, Concord California with decals labeling it as a McReynolds - by Boone. The bike was in great shape with good paint and a matching Silica frame pump. I'd guess it was built for touring with several features that suggest it having been built for a woman or a small framed male -- e.g. narrow dropped Cinelli 380 mm handlebars, 165 mm Avocet "road" cranks on a 54 cm frame; and a short extension stem (80 mm). The frame is an ornately lugged steel frame but there is no indication of what tubing might have been used. The frame has all braze-ons for fenders, front rack, and water bottles and a pump peg under the top tube. Even the screw holes for the water bottle on the down tube are reinforced with a luglike plate. The triple chain ring half-step drive train has probably been upgraded to allow indexed shifting with a 7 speed cassette. Componets include Suntour Superbe Brakes and Levers, Shimano STX RC Derailleur (rear); Shimano 105 Derailleur (front); Shimano 105 rear hub; 700 cc Araya RS-430 rims. If I'm correct that the indexed shifting and rear derailleur are newer upgrades, my best guess would be early to mid 80s for the bike's age. Any other perspectives would be welcome. I'd be curious to know more about bikes by Boone or Diablo Cycles or a probable age of the bike. Google does not help so the shop must not exist in its previous encarnation. The best of all worlds was when I discovered it is the most comfortable fit of any bike I have ever ridden including any of the 5 road bikes I currently own. I?ve now installed load rider front racks and am planning some long distance touring when weather permits.

BUGSY

I just recently purchased at a Garage sale a McReynolds bike for $10, it has Campagnolo cranks, modolo handle bars weights 19lbs and I'm new to cycling. But I know for a fact this was a quality built bike.

But are there any suggestions in terms of where I might be able to take it to get definitive information in terms of the tubing that was used in its construction, actual size, or bikes by Boone in general. And with such fine construction why isn't there any additional information on this builder.

Please no idiotic jokes if you can help yourself.

Thanks.

pastorbobnlnh 

Could you take larger pictures and more closeups of the components, lugs, seatpost collar, etc.? Tell us more about what is on the bike, and then there will be plenty of nice folks to help you out. Thanks for stopping by.

bigbossman 

I live not too far away, and as far as I know Diablo Cycles doesn't exist except for as a motorcycle shop.

Just spit-balling here but Rivendell is in the very next town over, literally only a couple of miles away. Could there be a connection? I know that Rivendell was started by Grant after he left Bridgestone, but maybe he absorbed some local talent along the way or something.

Tom Fritts

Here is some information that I received via a private email that sheds some light on McReynolds bikes. since the PM option was used by its sender, I am cutting and pasting it without identifying its source.

Boone McReynolds lived in Concord, CA and his business was Diablo Cycles. Boone made about 100 frames or so. He used Henry James lugs I believe. At Cirque, Ed Litton mentioned that he painted the last batch of frames that McReynolds made and even had spare frame decals. Wish I would have known that. I had my McReynolds repainted by Steve Bilenky about 2 years ago and had to do it without the transfers. From what I understand, Boone lives in Willets, CA. I have attempted to contact him but I think his phone # is unlisted.
I have photos of lugs and framework on my bike but have not mastered the photobucket process, but can send them to you if you provide an email address.

USAZorro

Pictures are easy. Right click on the photo in photobucket, and click save picture location. Then in the post here, click on the symbol of the mountain with the sun and the yellow sky, and paste the location into the box that pops up for the address (Ctrl+V does the same thing with one less step).

Tom Fritts

Thank for the suggestion, Zorro, but I can't find anything that says save picture location in Photobucket. Copying a direct link works on other forums that I use so here goes.
https://i275.photobucket.com/albums/j...lds/boone7.jpg

Thats two attempts 1 just pasting the info copied from photobucket. and the second using the mountain logo above. I'm in new territory. tom

bigbossman 

Abracadabra.....

DiabloScott

There used to be a bike shop in Walnut Creek called Diablo Cycles (or something very similar to that). It was on Olympic Blvd and they went out of business (maybe 1991?) it was in the building that later housed The Sports Rack, and then a billiard shop, now something else I think.

I don't think there's a connection between Diablo Cycles the shop and Diablo Cycle the bike built by Boone but could be. I just don't remember that they had a house brand or anything, but they were a high-end mostly roadie shop. "Diablo" is a pretty common thing to name stuff around here.

I'm pretty sure there's no Rivendell connection either.

Tom Fritts

Thanks, I think I get the picture now. Maybe I'm ready for the present century now. tom

Lamplight

Looks like you got a great deal! I've never heard of the company, but I can tell you that Shimano STX components are mtb parts and debuted in 1994.

Bikedued

Not really relevant I guess, but that paint looks to be Imron. I can spot those huge metallic flakes and candy like gloss from thirty feet away.,,,,BD

pacifico

Here's a link to an identically branded bike owned/sold by/for sale by Lou Deeter:

https://www.serotta.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38057

So it appears that one Boone McReynolds did work at Diablo Cycles, and also did some framebuilding while there.

BUGSY

Thank you Tom,

My camera isn't that good but I've included some pics of the bike.





















I guess my final question is.......... is the McReynolds considered a classic/vintage road bike or just a certain novelty by a local bike builder in Concord. I'm trying to ascertain its value and if I did find a rare bike/find attempt to restore it, though I think its in realitively sound condition considering it was probably made in the early 80's. It has a Cinelli stem, Campy brakes, cranks I'm what you might consider a very very ill informed novice in the cyclying world. But this purchase has sort of gotten me interested in cycling and I think I'm going to invest in a new hobby. So everyones comments are very much appreciated. I'm a middleaged guy who's just looking for some help with regard to the history of this builders cycling lineage if you will to determine this bikes worth.

Lamplight

That looks like a fine bicycle to me. But I can't help but notice that the fork crown is the spitting image of that on my Nishiki. Perhaps the builder simply bought a premade fork like many do now?

BUGSY

I'm not sure lamplight, but I don't think the fork was premade. Any and all other opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Lamplight

I think you're right, because the fork ends match the chainstay and seatstay ends perfectly. Darned if the crown doesn't look the same though!

SingeDebile

you made out light a bandit, that is a beautiful bike! if its your size you should never think of selling it

Tom Fritts

Maybe I misinterpreted the comment about forkends, but a quick check of my McReynolds (the charcoal one above) disclosed that the dropouts on the fork are marked Shimano SF (with an fa on the inside surface). The rear dropouts are marked Shimano SFR. They match and might not have if the fork was one purchased instead of being custom built (?). Cheers. tom

Lamplight

Actually I meant that where the tubes meet the dropouts are the same front and rear, so no, it's not the same fork. But the crown is very similar.

XBikeRep 

Hey Bugsy- I am intimately familiar with Boone McReynolds from Concord, California. We sold his frames when I worked at the Bike Route in Concord. He was a meticulous builder who would utilize whatever tubing he felt might be best for his frames; Reynolds 531, Colombus (SLX/SPX & SL/SP), and Ishiwata 016 for those riders that could utilize such lightweight tubes. He mixed tubes on his frames too. I have one of his frames that uses Tandem gauge chainstay tubing as well as SPX. It's not light but it was built for a friend of mine who was 250 lbs and was a real pedal pounder. He wanted the ultimate climbing bike for a big guy to use on 4000 foot Mt Diablo. Seeing that he was nearly the same size I was, when he wanted to sell the frame I bought it from him and got him a Della Santa (Reno, Nevada) C-Record bike in beautiful Pearlescent White. He still has that bike to this day. I think he was nuts to sell a custom bike like the McReynolds which was built for him to get a more or less stock Della Santa. But to each his own. He did turn me on to my favorite bike of all time; the Malvor Bottecchia (SLX/SPX) Mavic equipped bike. Bicycle Guide called this bike: "God's plan," and I agree. In the 62cm frame I own, it has 71'50 degree seat tube angle coupled with a 75' degree head tube angle and a fairly short top tube (59.5cm). You think "left" it goes left! This bike is astounding but definitely not a no hands ride. Consider yourself lucky to own the McReynolds. There are only a few of us out there. Boone researched and studied hundred's of frames in design and construction before beginning his own fabrications and refining his own frame building jig. He really epitomized a great synthesis of technologies from the past with an informed and intelligent modern approach to design and engineering (he is an engineer btw). His paint jobs were superb and usually included a painted to match Silca frame fit pump with a Campagnolo head which I still use on almost all of my road bikes. I would likely think he would have used a Reynolds 531 blend for your frame in that size. He often remarked that Colombus tubes required a lot more clean-up and prep before use. He generally only used Colombus tubing if the customer specified it. I don't know if he ever became certified for "753" but I know he was considering it in the mid-80's. BTW- He had nothing to do with Diablo Bicycles on Olympic Boulevard in Walnut Creek. Totally different enterprise.

gugie 

I worked at that shop, it was owned by a lady named Priscilla. Her son John Alden went on to be a VP at Specialized, and now has a shop up in Chico, I believe. No connection with Bonne McReynolds.

The shop's name was Diablo Bikes, btw. Our frame stickers had a likeness of The Little Devil, an old comic book character. As for high-end, well, mostly we sold SR, and for a few years Ross when they were hot in mountain bikes. We did move a few Ron Coopers and a Davidson now and then. When I left they got into Cannondale when that was just getting going. I think they went out of business well before 1991, late 80's?

The most interesting thing to me was that it was managed by a fellow by the name of Marc Singer. He started managing it in high school, went to Cal, and continued to manage it while he was working at his undergrad classes.

Grant would most likely know of Boone, they were contemporaries.

3alarmer 

.
...here's a bike by Boone McReynolds I bought last year and just finished rehabilitating.

AFAIK, Boone McReynolds got out of the frame building business after producing a couple hundred of them because he could make more money as a mechanical engineer, and repairing stuff like sewing machines...which I think he now does out in Pueblo, Colorado. I just took it for a short test ride, so I can't say much about the ride, other than it's got longer chain stays and a sport touring design that I tried to take advantage of in the rebuild.

The Golden Boy 

That's a lovely looking bike.

3alarmer 

.
...thanks, I have great hopes for it as a California Delta tourer.