6door74

Can anyone give insight into this frame? R.E.W. Reynolds in a chrome type finish... Is there a model name for this bike? Can anyone guess a year range?

Thanks

veganbikes

I would ask the moderators to move your thread to https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...th-appraisals/ or at least Classic and Vintage it would get the best traction as it is a vintage frame under those modern parts.

Koyote

Looks like an eight speed cassette, which (I believe) would make it 1990s, I believe. (Assuming it was originally an eight speed bike.)

6door74

It's an 11 speed but I'm sure it's not original.

6door74

I wasn't sure if I should put it there since I wasn't really looking for an appraisal. Though a question about value would have inevitably come up.

Camilo

Yea, Classic and Vintage (not necessarily appraisals) is always the best place for questions about old bikes like this. I'll bet you'd have already received some intersting info already if you'd posted there.

6door74

Can anyone give insight into this frame? R.E.W. Reynolds in a chrome type finish... Is there a model name for this bike? Can anyone guess a year range? Thanks

jgwilliams

R.E.W Reynolds are still going, but it seems they only do cycling apparel now, not frames https://reynolds-england.com/

Doug Fattic 

REW Reynolds was a bike shop in Northhamton in about the center of England. They didn't make frames themselves. The frames they sold under their name were made by Woodrup in Leeds (which still exists). Sometimes they were painted at Ellis Briggs in Shipley (but in the same metropolitan area as Leeds). I learned to build frames at Briggs and remember taking some frames to be chromed in a small nearby town but I don't remember exactly where that was. The Reynolds bike shop was known for selling leather cycling shoes. Again they weren't the makers (I don't think) but rather the sellers.

Your frame in your pictures doesn't appear to have any braze-ons and also does not have recessed brake holts. This was the fashion in the 60's and early 70's. If you got this bicycle in the UK, then it might be mid to late 60's. If you got it in the States then it is more likely to be early 70's. Almost no adults rode "10 speed" bikes in the US until after the bike boom that started around 1970. Woodrup made very nice frames so you have a good one.

By the way during that time period upper end frames were not usually sold as complete bikes. When you went to the store, you bought a frame and equipped it with whatever parts you wanted. Obviously your bicycle has had its original parts replaced.

pastorbobnlnh 

You certainly have a stunning bike. Thanks for sharing and thanks to Doug for the background on the frameset!

6door74

Thanks for that wealth of knowledge! So this frame may have been chromed I'm guessing? What kind of steel was used? It definitely catches your eye and is probably a nice ride with the modern dura ace, Ultegra, 105, mix of components. I know I couldn't keep up with my cousin when we were riding one day.

Koyote

Huh. Must be a couple more cogs hiding in there!

6door74

I'm looking more closely now and you're right. It's my cousin's bike that I'm considering buying and I thought he said it was an 11 speed when we spoke. He sent me pics but I didn't really look at it until you pointed that out. I think I see 9 cogs. Thanks!

Koyote

If it's got nine cogs, then that drivetrain may have been updated if Doug Fattic 's info is correct -- and he seems to know what he's talking about. A few other features, such as the quill stem, support a belief that the frame predates nine-speed drivetrains.

cb400bill

Merged duplicate threds.

himespau 

Since the rear triangle was likely spread (if it's a 60's or 70's bike it likely had 120 mm spacing in the back when built, the current rear wheel has an axle that's 10 mm wider now), it might be worth checking alignment before you buy. Depending on how much you pay and what it's worth to you of course.

6door74

He switched from campi to Shimano and had the bike shop install the parts below. So I guess it's back to 11speed LOL

Doug Fattic 

I'm pretty confident your frame was made somewhere just before or after 1970. Of course someone could have requested those details at a much later date but that is unlikely. Your long slot 1010A Campy dropouts is another clue. Campy started making shorter ones after 1975 and those became more popular. Also your frame has a full sloping internal fork drown which was common in that era too. At that time it would have used a 5 speed freewheel and the distance between the inside of the dropouts would have been 120mm. When newer parts were put on, the rear distance would have been spread wider.

Most likely your frame was made out of Reynolds 531 tubing with probably a 21/24 gauge top tube and 20/23 down tube. That was the best tubing commonly available in the UK at the time. In other words yours was a top notch maybe custom or off the peg frame when it was bought. They would have paid extra for the chrome and then extra again to have the head tube painted. I'm still curious if you are US or UK based? It is not common at all to see a REW Reynolds frame here in the States.

Here is a story about watching a REW Reynolds frame being painted at Ellis Briggs when I was there in 1975. E-B painted many of Woodrup frames - some of them were marketed by REW. The paint room at Briggs was on the 2nd floor next to the frame building department. We would eat together at lunch. I observed this Reynolds frame being painted an unusual combination or maroon and yellow among other colors. When I went back to the States a bit later to continue teaching high school near Dayton, Ohio, I went into the Kettering Bike Shop and there to my total surprise was this same maroon REW Reynolds frame. The world can be a small place sometimes.

6door74

Wow. There's actually a maroonish REW frame for sale on ebay right now. By the way, i'm in the US. The bike is my cousin's which he got from his dad who is an avid cyclist. From what I got, his father owned the bike for 20+ years. He's considering selling it and I'm considering buying it. I wanted to get more info on it as we start discussing fair pricing.

1989Pre

If you do Facebook, there is a REW Reynolds group there, and I'm sure they'd be eager to talk about your frame-set.

6door74

Thanks. I checked but couldn't find it

1989Pre

www.facebook.com/REWReynolds1/

6door74

That was what I found but it's not a group so I can't join and post anything. Thanks though