follis bike - how to tell if it's 531?
 

i'm going to take a look at a follis frame. there are no markings to indicate the model or if it has reynolds 531, but it does have simplex dropouts. would that be an indication or could those be on any bike?

I'm nearly finished restoring a Follis 072. If you've done any digging, as I did, you probably discovered that there's not a whole lot of information available about Follis. I found a couple of references to frame tube materials that - quite frankly - are just a little bit suspect. I think that some bike owners are listing tube materials based more on hopefulness than actual knowledge; I discovered various bike database entries for Follis frames listing the tubing as Reynolds 531. Don't know about their frames, but mine is pretty heavy - substantially more so than my Peugeot PX-10 for instance, which I know is constructed out of the mythical Reynolds material. I'd try lifting the frame by hand first to judge whether or not it's a lightweight racing material or not. Don't let that dissuade you though - Follis frames are handmade, and I'm very pleased with the way mine is taking shape.

Attachment 165880

if it has forged Simplex dropouts, it's probably something good. My old Follis had those as well as some very fancy pierced lugs that said FOLLIS and LYON in the front of the headlugs. When I stripped the paint there were very small stampings on the tubes that read "Reynolds 531 DB", including on the steerer.

Where were the stampings? near the ends?

It's been a long time, but IIRC they were on at least the TT and DT (maybe not on the ST, I can't recall) and they were near the headlugs. I believe that nearly all 531 tubes came stamped like this, but often get cut off on smaller frames since they are near the end(s), on the butted section. This particular Follis was a 25" frame (and too big for me).

Assuming it has a French-standard 28.0mm OD seat tube, if it takes a 26.4 or 26.6 seat post, it's either DB 531 or another high-end DB tubeset.

thanks for the tips. i think i'll go take a look at this frame.

All the tubes were stamped, but as you note the stampings on the main tubes were often lost when the tubes were trimmed to size. The usual places to find them on such frames is the bottom bracket end of the chains stays and the steer tube above the fork crown:
http://www.os2.dhs.org/~john/531-steer.jpg

here's a couple pics. hard to tell what sticker that was!

Looks like the remnants of a Reynolds sticker.

Whatever it is, it's not a 972, the great one.

The metal work is indicative of something nicer than a Peugeot UO-8, but not up to a PX-10. Should make a nice rider.

spooky similarities
 

Spooky in that I JUST posted a message about another bike 10 minutes ago and the details look startlingly similar to yours.

Though my fork crowns (don't have a picture) are not as ornate as those on the Follis.

so is your follis a branded generic frame?
or is my "what I thought was a generic frame" actually a follis that lost it's Follis decals?
are there any distinguishing features of a Follis?

peter

interesting, does yours have simplex dropouts? here's a few more pics.

The top of the seat lug doesn't look like any 531 frame I've seen. It looks like the walls are thick and the seatpost is small diameter.

i finally picked it up and it's quite light. seatpost is not marked but it is larger than the 26.4 from my px-10, probably 26.6. i think this is 531 3 tubes it looks like a "3" in this photo.

any suggestions for a crankset?

Mine has Huret dropouts apparently.