...to identify this bicycle:



Reynolds 501 frame.

are you sure that it's Reynolds 501?
Doesn't look like the right time or level to be built from that tubing...

need drive-side and head tube (head badge) photos at the least.

I have not personally seen the bike that is for sale. The Raleigh type fork it may help in identifying...

Thanks

correct it does look like a Raleigh Record or similar fork crown, but that style was also used by other brands, including a lot of Italian "City" bikes. I'd ask the seller to provide a close-up pic of the tubing decal on the seat tube, I'd bet it's not 501 (or legitimate, if it has one). Based on the graphics and your location I have no idea what brand this could be.

The tubing decal could well be a Reynolds 531 decal, which, if you aren't familiar with it, is easy to misread for 501 since (if the tubing is butted) the word REYNOLDS goes right through the center of the 3. The frame appears to be fillet brazed.

With 36 spoke wheels it's almost certainly not English. The stem and handlebar and seat all look French to my eye.

At any rate, if it's really a fillet brazed frame made from butted 531 tubing, being sold by someone who doesn't know a Reynolds 531 decal when he sees one, it's probably a pretty good deal.

The other available image:




Seller information:

simplex gears
weinmann wheels

Find something similar



The brand is DURAND and i think is portuguese.

If I had the chance to buy either of those bikes, I would jump at it. Even if they are too small for me (which they are).

Can't tell you what it is, other than that it is very good-looking.

In my garage











And yes, its a Reynolds 531

Better photos tomorrow.

VERY interesting...some early and rare Simplex bits, not sure about all the rest of it and STILL would like to see a clear close-up of that 531 decal, it looks very early.

More photos:

those are some good pics, I'd say you have a 531 frame from around '48 to '53 (based on the decal and when the experts say that style was in-use), it's fillet-brazed and I'm going to guess Portuguese (not because of the flag decal on the headtube but the 2-color paint on the stay-caps).
You have a Simplex '599' single lever and I think a "Tour de France" rear derailleur and 4-speed rear (which also fits this approx. era).
The thing I've never seen is that brand saddle: Made in Lusitana? That's unique! Actually, that's Roman...looked it up and that's another clue you have a Portuguese bike since that's a Portuguese (or maybe Spanish) saddle.
Anyway, the oddball stuff includes the SR stem, (maybe bars) new chainring (but it fits the crank!) and not sure about the rims...those could be original but seem newer.
All-in-all a great project: go slow removing stickers and cleaning and you might find more clues...BTW the HS is missing a toothed washer.

very cool bike, i love it.

Wow! All I can say at point is congratulations, you did very well, that is a beautiful old machine. I hope you are not thinking about repainting it!

I think Lusitana is an old portuguese manufacturer of bicycle components. The complete name is "Sociedade Ciclista Lusitana, Lda". In 1965 they stop the manufacturing of saddles, that was transfered to a new company named "TABOR", that still today produce leather saddles.

Thank you for the given help

No repainting. I'm not going to do anything, except lubrification.