Can someone tell me about Reynolds 555SL tubing? As much as I can tell, it looks like it was only around for a short time. Is it similar to Columbus SL? Is it good quality? Was this just a temporary deviation from the norm (501, 531, etc.) for Reynolds that didn't really last? Thanks for any info!

Are you sure it is not "Raleigh 555SL" tubing? Raleigh had their own knockoff tubing with their own nomenclature.

+1. 555 is a Raleigh tubing.

Raleigh 555RSL may be relabeled Reynolds 531

Tube Investements owned Reynolds AND Raleigh right? It seems like they owned just about everything.... I don't know what grade the 555 tubing it is comparable to though.

RSL or SL? RSL was used only on the Team Pro replicas, and is rebadged 531. 555SL was used on the Grand Prix up to the Prestige, and nobody knows what it is, except that I've found evidence that its seamed. 555T is completely unknown.

-Kurt

It's not Reynolds. It was purposely labeled with a sticker that is deceptively Reynolds-like, but it is not Reynolds.

Schwinn had a chrome-manganese-molybdenum tubing they used back in the early seventies that also wasn't Reynolds.

Raleigh 555sl is likely Tange Champion #2, as Raleigh 502 is likely Champion #4, IIRC. Those Raleigh USA bikes were made using Japanese tubing (Technium and Team 753 excluded) and were imported and marketed by Huffy.

555RSL is a mag-moly compound badged in the early '80s. Raleigh, by virtue of being a TI Industries company, owned Reynolds tubing. Anthony B. here on the forum already dug up a 555RSL Team Pro replica that had Reynolds 531 stamping on either the steer tube or the crown race; don't recall.

RSL is unquestionably a form of Reynolds 531. Perhaps a thicker gauge.

-Kurt

Thanks for all the info. There's a very nice looking Raleigh Racing USA Super Course frame on eBay with this tubing. I'm going to pass on it, but some of you may have an interest. Here's the link....

https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

By reading the decal you can tell it is a manganese moly alloy steel tubing made by Ti-Reynolds - there's not much choice - it has to be some form of 531 - its not going to be 753...

Why Raleigh should choose to use this decal rather than a standard 531 decal is anybody's guess though.

I thought the Manganese alloy Reynolds tubing was the 501 series tubesets.....
So is the 555 Raleigh tubing really more like 501 Reynolds?

Chombi

501 was chrome-moly alloy steel...

The brilliance of Raleigh's marketing department here in the states (run by Huffy at the time, unsurprisingly). They smartened up in 1986 when they put proper 531 decals in place of this oddity (lasted from '83-85). The 555SL bikes were also upgraded to 531 tubing variants.

-Kurt

...and 531 the mag-moly.

-Kurt

I sort of remember the Peugeot 501 Reynolds stickers on their 80's bikes saying "Manganese" on it.
Maybe I got it all flipped around....
Chombi

Interesting, I just saw a 555SL bike from this era in my building. It is some sort of hybrid; cantis, wide clearances, big gear-range etc and has some of the ugliest welds I've ever seen. When you mentioned Huffy, this clicked.

That doesn't add up. I haven't seen any non-lugged 555SL frames, and certainly nothing of the low caliber you speak of. Huffy was restricted to management - all the 555SL machines were very nice Japan or Taiwanese contracts.

Are you sure that frame isn't 555T?

-Kurt

Well, I can't for the life of me imagine what kind of FOOL would think that placing a dippity-doo fake label on Reynolds tubing was a good idea, but it seems typical for a BS American rip-off company to do so. Could it have been a "trademark" issue?

Raleigh and Reynolds were parts of the same company then. Raleigh sold the marketing rights (i.e. the name) to Huffy. Huffy sold Asian-made bikes and US (Seattle) made bikes under the Raleigh USA name. Very possible that it might have been part of an agreement, but on the other hand, Huffy sold Raleigh USA bikes with both 753 and 531 stickers. Quite possible that it is another "Columbus Tenax" or "Columbus Bianchi Special" story, where 'consumer grade' (whatever that might mean) SL or SP was stickered with those names by Schwinn and Bianchi.

Either that, or Huffy had been licensed the Raleigh name, and not the Reynolds name (until 1986).

It still wouldn't explain the 531 and 753 Team Pro replicas, for if some legality did prevent the Japanese machines to be badged with Reynolds tubing, it doesn't explain why the base replica Team Pro was offered in 555RSL.

-Kurt

There is no need to license the Reynolds name... Every tube set comes with the Reynolds stickers that you are free to use on the particular tube set...

The agreements between framebuilders and corporate management may differ. Obviously, someone thought it a good idea to rebadge an unknown as 555SL, and a form of 531 as 555RSL.

-Kurt

And (maybe from about the same era?) 453 was the titanium manganese alloy seamed butted tubing for frame tubes only. Only ever seen one frame made of this, my Coventry - Eagle 'Commodore'. Slightly heavier than 'standard' 531 although the fork blades, stays, etc. are 531 but a really strong, stiff bike to ride. One for touring, rather than racing!

Kurt, what's the significance of the red numbers, rather than green?