Reynolds 531, 653, 753 and 853 Steel Frames
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When you think of classic bike frames of the bygone era there is one main frameset tubing supplier that instantly sprinsg to mind... Reynolds.
Their 531 steel frameset has been proven as the ultimate workhorse time and time again. Whether it's in its racing guise as Reynolds 531c or its touring flavour as Reynolds 531st its been the serious cyclist's tubing of choice for classic frames that can easily stand the test of time.
The Reynolds Tube Company as we know it today was founded in 1889 by John Reynolds in Birmingham, England. In 1897, the Reynolds had patented the process for making tubes which are thicker at the ends than in the middle, which we now call butted that allowed frame builders to create frames that were both lightweight and strong. The double-butted tube-set was the 531 which Reynolds introduced in 1934. Unfortunately Reynolds 531 tubing is now only available on special order so if you want a 531 frame you'd be better off looking back to the classics.
There were different variations of 531 tubing for different use -
531ATB and Magnum- Designed for Mountain, All terrain, Off road
531C - Racing- Road, cyclo-cross, track and time trial.
531OS - Oversize
531 Professional - Superseded 531SL, for road racing and time trials.
531SL and Professional - Special lightweight (SL) tubeset
531 Speed Stream - 531SL Oval shaped aerodynamic tube for time trial bikes
531ST and Super Tourist- Stronger touring tubeset
Reynolds 753 tubing was made for professional level racers. It's essentially Reynolds 531 heat treated to increase its tensile strength and with a reduced wall thickness to keep the weight down. It will only be found on frames by built by master craftsmen approved by Reynolds.
Reynolds 653 tubeset came about with the input of former campione di campioni Eddy Merckx. He instructed Reynolds that a vanilla 753 frame was too harsh for certain stages of the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia. Combining 753 stays with 531 forks and main tubes which were actually a slightly thinner walled version of regular 531. This combination worked well for the racers and resulted in an ultra stiff efficient frame while at the same time providing a forgiving ride when needed.
Reynolds 853 was a newer addition to the ranks as a seamless air hardened heat treated tubeset that also came in an OS oversized flavour making it very popular with mtb purists.
Reynolds' latest tubing development is the 953 which they have been designing with Carpenter Special Alloys. Based on a stainless steel alloy with very thin tube walls it is currently only used by a few specialist builders.
