oldmuthariley

Hi all,
well i've just secured this frame and forks on ebay - my size too

It's a Dave Russell race frame - 1980 something and made from Reynolds 653.
Evidently all the frames were custom made to order from his premises in Slough, england.

The frame will be sent to my brother's place in the Uk and i'll pick it up in ..... wait for it..... 11 months time! i'm currently in New zealand and moving back next year so it will be a project for when i return...

My plan so far:

Get the F and F restored - fresh paint and decals exactly as you see in the pictures.
I'd like the addition of mudguard/fender eyes on the rear and forks too if clearances allow.

i've got a selection of new / silver varied campag 10 speed (cranks/FD/RD) cinelli 1R stem, cinelli bars, chorus aero post, rolls saddle , bluemels guards in black and some record / ambrosio excellence wheels. I need to buy a few bits over the next few months - ie: chorus brakes/brifters but the plan is , eventually, to build up a beatiful 10 speed (well 20) training bike with full guards in a traditional / modern mix.....

does anyone have any experience of Dave Russell bikes? or indeed reynolds 653?
any ideas re: build also appreciated....

here's a pic of the frame and forks



cheers! JJ

JML

Google shows some info: https://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=14883457 and https://www.classiclightweights.co.uk...-builders.html. I swear I saw one of these in the US ages ago; the name sounds so familiar.

Scooper

Reynolds 653 is a tubeset consisting thin-walled double-butted 531 main tubes, 531 fork blades, and 753 stays. It was deveoped by Reynolds after Eddy Merckx complained that frames built with all 753 tubing rode too harshly on some stages of the TdF.

MiloSC

Hi Oldmuthariley,

We're hoping that you can help give us an idea of how much a Dave Russell bike would sell for? We saw that you bought one in 2010. My Dad has just inherited three Dave Russell bikes which were made to order for my Great Uncle. We're trying to get an idea of how much they are worth and find a buyer for them. Any advice/pointers would be appreciated. The bikes are presently in Old Windsor, Berks.

Many thanks!

MiloSC

Grand Bois

I learned something today.

jon c. 

Me too. I thought 653 was it's own entity and that it replaced 753 as production costs were too high on that. But I think I 'knew' that because that's what a guy in bike shop told me.

Scooper

You'll see some sources - including documents from Reynolds TI - stating that 653 is thin-walled 531 main tubes, 531 fork blades, and 725 (heat treated chromoly) stays.

There's a problem with this assertion, though, since 725 was introduced in 1997, long after 653 was introduced. 753 (essentially heat treated 531 manganese-molybdenum) was introduced in 1976.