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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531 Professional - Superseded 531SL, for road racing and time trials.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.

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Brodie Research is a small company that was founded back in 1986. They are still growing and proud of their products. According to promo material from 1990 these were the people who were making, moulding and inspiring the Brodie products.

Paul Brodie, an aspiring veteran racer is sinking deeper and deeper into an administrative role but still finds time to TIG weld every frame. Paul made his first frame when he was 13.
Jane Slash Brodie has helped shape the company with her good ideas and sound advice. Jane's custom race shirts are in demand and help make Brodie unique.
Mike Truelove learnt the art of frame building after extensive work in bicycle retail. Mike does most of the brazing, plays bicycle polo and races in expert class

The Sovereign is meticulously crafted from a blend of Tange Logic tubing with Concept seat stays. The Sovereign is TIG welded and comes with a Gatorblade fork, Brodie handbuilt stem, Brodie Brake Booster, Brodie Lovehandles, Interloc seat post, handbuilt wheels and Shimano XT components. Designed to give you a ride with the absorbtion qualities of titanium and the price tag of steel, its perfect fo the racer who demands control.

The Catalyst race proven in Western Canada has been a success with Tange's innovative Concept tubing. With the addition of Logic chainstays its even better. Our alignment processes guarantee you get a bicycle that tracks straight, and our geometry gives you the kind of handling that builds confidence and makes you want to ride.

The Brodie brake booster evolved from work on a huge oversize U-Brake that flexed the brake braze-ons enormously. The booster is alive and well in 1991, 10 grams lighter, full of holes and racy looks.

Brodie lovehandles offer alternate hand positions for hill climbing or touring. Forged from 356 aluminium and heat-treated, they are available in silver or black, with plastic end caps and allen key for installation.

Brodie Airtime was designed as an instant, onboard air supply. It consists of three items: the CO2 cartridge, the valve adapter, and the holder. No matter what kind of bike you race, Airtime will save valuable seconds should the Flat Demon pick on you.
Frame geometry is still much like the first ROMAX. The head angle is 70.5 and fork rake is 1.75". Seat tube angle is 74 degrees.

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Elevated chain stays came in around 1989 on mountainbikes from the USA. It was a trend that hung around for a couple of years but then didn't really last to the present day. In theory they give extra mud clearance on and shorter chainstays meaning more climbing control. Poorly made frames can leave you with extra flex around the bottom bracket when you put the power down.

The bikes look pretty cool so if you can get hold of one for a restoration project there won't be many other similar ones around.

One of the early innovators in this field was Alpinestars - From their advert for the Al Mega XT...

"EOS" Elevated Oversize System, the "secret" to the system is the sum of its parts. What makes our system really work is just that - it is a totally integrated system. Mountain Bike Action said "Elevated and Oversize were 1989's top innovations". But if not combined with the right geometry and the other key elements of the complete bike they are as worthless as most of the past hype you've read about them. EOS incorporates the best of hte past while defining the Mt Bike of the future.

I think we've made our point. EOS is a totally integrated system. If after all this you think we're trying to take you for a ride... you're absolutely right! It's the only way to feel how good it really is.

Elevate Your Performance
Our oversized 15.9" chainstays break the 16" barrier in a big way. Everyone dreams about a climbing edge, We've just created yours.

Oversize Your Thinking
The goal is to maximise the properties of the tubing in a frame that is as light as possible while maintaining strength and rigidity. Our special oversize tubing capitalizes on the optimum ratios between rigidity and weight.

Steer Clear
The only answer to a total system is a complete redesign from the tires up. The combination of our new Megasized Aluminium fork with the megalise alumunium steam and 7005 series alumiium oversize handlebars gives true meaning to "Lighter, stronger and quicker"

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Taken from the original Suntour manuals-

To convert a conventional derailleur geared bike into an Accushift Plus indexed equipped machine you will require the following essential components:
A Suntour Accushift Plus rear derailleur
A set of Suntour Accushift Plus gear levers and cables
A Suntour AP freewheel or freehub
A Suntour AP transmission chain
Suntour cable stops and guides unless your frame already has these brazed on

All Suntour Accushift Plus components can be mixed 'n' matched so unless you are buying a complete groupset please make the following considerations:
Intended use, touring, racing , mtb etc
Choose a gear mechanism that has a designated capacity within the variation of the teeth on the freewheel and chainrings.
Choose a lever set that matches the number of sprockets on your freewheel.

For accurate and trouble free index shifting certain basic pre fitting requirements must be complied with and the following visual checks should be made on your bike
Rear wheel should align properly in the frame
The chainwheel should be in line with the middle sockets on the freewheel (fit shorter or longer BB axle)
The mounting hanger on the rear dropouts must not be damagedor bent, should have a centre-centre drop dimension of 24 to 28mm and the stop tab should be at an angle of 30 degrees to the perpendicular.
Suntour Blaze and Alpha derailleurs are fitted with a detachable bracket for fitting to dropouts which do not have an integral hanger.

All of these we take for granted these days, everything has to be in exactly the correct place otherwise we know that shifting will be well out. In the early days of index shifting though this was a novel concept with all manner of systems being bodged together!

The manual goes on in much more detail about fitting and then  adjusting the barrel adjuster to get smooth shifting. All this for 6 or 7 gears too! Bear in mind that the shifters were levers mounted in the classic downtube position and still had a d-ring adjuster that meant you could switch to friction mode if your indexing became messed up!

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Shimano’s real advance came in beating its competitors in becoming the dominant force in the early mountainbike marketplace with the creation of dedicated off road thumb shifters and beefed up brakes that could withstand the extra demands that off roaders required. By the late 1980s Shimano were the standard on off the peg mtbs.

This led to further expansion of the product range with off road shoes being added in 1988 and rapidfire underbar shifters in 1989. In 1990 Shimano revolutionized off road pedals with their SPD range of quick release pedals.

In 1995 Shimano developed its hub gearing credentials with its Nexus range of four and seven speed internal hubs for cruiser and city style bicycles as well as a lockable hub gear that could prevent a bicycle being stolen and ridden away. This was released in Japan in 1997. In utility cycling Shimano excelled as Chinese demand for higher quality bikes increased. Previously the majority of bike in china had only one gear, but as the economic fortunes of China increased so did the number of gears on their bicycles with Shimano thought to have equipped around half of the 320 million bikes sold there.

It was not all plain sailing for Shimano during this era, the largest recall of bicycle parts ever was for their cranks which had been reported as breaking do to a design fault. 2.5 million were recalled which cost Shimano $15million, an expensive downside to their popularity on virtually every mountainbike sold during that period.

Success against their main rivals Campagnolo on the road began in 1988 with Andy Hamsten’s victory in the Giro d’Italia but was cemented in 1999 when they were ridden to their first ever Tour De France win when Lance Armstrong began his winning streak, further removing the dominance of European cycling brands from this traditional area of cycle sport. One that is continuing to this day.

Shimano Innovations:

Biopace chainrings – non circular chainrings

Nexus – Internal geared hubs with coaster brake

Dyna Drive – A pedal system with no pedal axle. Did not catch on.

Freehub body – Combined rear hub and freewheel body. Allowed Sprockets to be easily changed. Did not succeed originally but was re-introduced when more sprockets were being fitted to gearing systems.

Hyperglide – ramped sprockets to allow for easier upshifting

Hollowtech Cranks - pressure die cast cranks as tubes open at the pedal end and forged closed before being threaded for pedals.

ServoWave brakes – Cams fitted to brake levers to allow more cable to be pulled at the start of the braking process and less when pads are against the rims allowing for greater modulation

STI – Gearshifts and braking all done from the same lever. Riders no longer had to take their hands from the bars to change gears.

SLR – Sprung brake levers coupled with weaker springs on the brakes themselves giving the impression of easier operation.

Some classic Shimano Groupsets include

Dura Ace

Ultegra

600

600EX

AX

105

Sante

DeoreXT

Deore XTR

Deore LX

Deore DX

Deore

Hone

Saint

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Shimano's 1990 clipless pedal and shoe combo were sneak previewed at the end of 1989 and hit the stores in 1990. Originally designed for serious racing  the double sided PD-M737 pedal sold in the UK for £100 and the grey SH-M100 shoes, which featured a recessed cleat design to give tough grip walking and maximum performance for riding for around £60.

Advertised under the banner of "Bike it or Hike it" Shimano took out full page advertisments in just about every bike magazine going. Describing the SH-M100 SPD Shoe "Recessed design cleat and rigid nylon mid sole for pedaling power. Soft rubber puter sole for comfortable hiking" and the PD-M737 SPD Pedal "Includes special cleat that mates to the SH-M100 shoe for improved pedaling performance"

Shimano SPDs For Sale

US Auctions Australian Auctions Austrian Auctions Belgian Auctions Canadian Auctions French Auctions German Auctions Hong Kong Auctions Indian Auctions Irish Auctions Italian Auctions Dutch Auctions Polish Auctions Singapore Auctions Spanish Auctions Swiss Auctions UK Auctions

SHIMANO XTR PD M970 MTB CLIPLESS PEDALS VG COND c2008    US $79.42

Shimano PD M 424 Mountain Bike SPDs new cleats    US $23.73

Shimano Pedals SPD Bike PD M324 MTB PD M 324 Bicycle    US $55.00

NEW Shimano SH TR02 Tri Rd Bike Shoe Mens 38 SPD SL Sil    US $89.99

NEW Shimano SH TR02 Tri Rd Bike Shoe Mens 37 SPD SL Sil    US $89.99

NEW Shimano SH TR30A Tri Bike Shoe Mens 40 SPD SL Wht    US $54.99

NEW Shimano SH TR30A Tri Bike Shoe Mens 42 SPD SL Wht    US $54.99

Shimano PD M647 Pedal DX Bike Cycling Mountain SPD BMX    US $87.00

SHIMANO SH WM40 LADYS CYCLING SHOES SIZE EUR 39 NEW    US $.99

SHIMANO SH WM40 LADYS CYCLING SHOES SIZE EUR 40 NEW    US $41.00

SHIMANO SH WM40 LADYS CYCLING SHOES SIZE EUR 38NEW    US $49.99

NEW Shimano SH R085W Road Bike Shoe Wms 37 SPD Sil Wht    US $59.99

SHIMANO SH WM40 LADYS CYCLING SHOES SIZE EUR 42 NEW    US $5.50

NEW Shimano SH R085W Road Bike Shoe Wms 36 SPD Sil Wht    US $59.99

Shimano XTR SPD Pedals pd m858    US $3.25

Shimano Ultegra SPD pedal w cleat PD 6500    US $18.51

Titanium Ti Bolt Shimano SPD M970 M770 540 Pedal    US $15.00

Shimano Cleat SM SH51 51 SPD CLEAT    US $10.13

Shimano Fitness Bike Shoes SH FN50 Size 43Eur US 90    US $13.38

SHIMANO SH R095 ROAD SHOE SIZE 42 NEW NEW NEW    US $49.00

SHIMANO Dura Ace BR 7800 10 Spd Brakeset BRAKES EX    US $99.99

2008 Salsa Casseroll Single 57Cm with extras    US $700.00

Shimano SH R098A Road Bike Shoes Mens 38 SPD SL New Blk    US $39.95

Shimano R540 SPD SL Cycle Pedals In Black    US $22.97

Shimano SM SH51 SPD Cleats RRP £20    US $9.73

Shimano Deore XT SPD Pedals PD M770 x xxx look time s l    US $69.99

Shimano PD M324 SPD MTB Touring Pedals inc Cleats    US $33.73

NEW Shimano 6700 Ultegra SPD SL Road Pedals    US $61.44

SHIMANO PD M424 MTB SPD pedals pop up mechanism    US $9.74

Diadora Team Racer Magnum Cycling Shoes size 43 RRP£130    US $50.95

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"Shimano Pedaling Dynamics is the new generation shoe pedal interfae that lets you bike it or hike it without compromising performance.
With its leat locked tight into the PD-M737 pedal, the SPD shoe becomes part of an integrated high performance pedaling system. Off the bike, the deep tread rubber sole makes it a comfortable sure-footed hiking shoe.
Advanced Shimano design and a unique "recessed design" cleat make it possible. Get Shimano Pedaling Dynamics for increased comfort and perofmance-on or off the bike"

Look and Adidas had already come out with early pedal systems but these were designed for road use. Shimnano SPD was the first designed for off road use and were an immediate hit. The small pedals also had the advantage that there was less to break - no cages to hit against tree stumps accidentally and bend.

One early concern however was mud clearance and in Canada, UK and northern Europe this was a genuine concern, especially for mtb racers who could often be seen stamping their feet down on their pedals after a muddy running section to try to shed mud from the area surrounding the recessed cleat.,

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Today’s bicycle giant Shimano started life back in 1921 when Shozaburo Shimano founded Shimano Iron Works in Sakai City, an area known for its production of swords and gun barrels. Its first product was a single speed bicycle freewheel which was soon made in enough numbers to allow its export to China.

Shimano began production of other bicycle componentry in 1956 with production of a derailleurs shortly followed by an internal three speed hub whichbecame the default choice for the American market. With this success Shimano invested in cold forging to allow more products to be made with greater efficiencies.

After Shozaburo relinquished control of the business to his three sons Shimano made more brakes and other components although they never ventured into the complete bike market. Futher expansion led to Shimano building what was then  the largest bicycle parts plant ever in 1970 in Yamaguchi Prefecture and it was here, according to Design Week, that Shimano’s vision of modern bicycle parts began to be formed when they started recruiting engineers to create a unified look among component systems as well as elevating their performance.

Foreign expansion beckoned with a European office in Dusseldorf Germany, a manufacturing plant Singapore and a sales office in California in 1974 meaning  the company was well placed to benefit from the expanding bike market in the United States during the 1970s. During this period Shimano invested heavily in research and development that would benefit it for many years as well as branching out into precision fishing equipment.

Groupsets that many might remember today started to be released with AX racing grouppo launched in 1980 followed by its first off road dedicated groupset Deore XT, a name which still stands today. With the advent of indexed gears shimano’s fortunes increased further with sames exceeding 50 Billion Yen by the mid 80s.

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There was a time when Mavic used to make a whole lot of beautiful components apart from just bicycle wheels and rims. Back in 1990 they launched their new MTB groupset.

Comprising unsurprisingly of four different rim types you can see where there heart lay but the shifters, headset and derailleurs were also classic pieces.

US Auctions Australian Auctions Austrian Auctions Belgian Auctions Canadian Auctions French Auctions German Auctions Hong Kong Auctions Indian Auctions Irish Auctions Italian Auctions Dutch Auctions Polish Auctions Singapore Auctions Spanish Auctions Swiss Auctions UK Auctions

Mavic Fury mountain MTN MTB bike cycling shoe 9 2010    US $169.00

Specialized Epic 2004    US $700.00

Specialized StumpJumper Mountain Bike Bearing Kit    US $26.99

MAVIC FREEHUB OS BushingBearingPawlsSealSpacer Kit    US $37.50

MAVIC FREEHUB BushingBall BearingPawlsSealSpacer    US $37.50

NEW HUBDOCTOR PRO MAVIC FREEHUB FULL HYBRID CERAMIC    US $39.95

VINTAGE CINELLI STEM 262 CLASSIC 130MM 1    US $19.99

SWEET ROCK SHOX JUDY XL TRIPPLE CLAMP 1 1 8 X 8 1 8    US $150.00

VINTAGE MARZOCCHI XC 500 400 1 1 4 X 6 1 4 AIR OIL    US $49.99

NEW NOS VINTAGE DIAMOND BACK LAID BACK SEAT POST 222    US $9.99

NOS VINTAGE SUNTOUR XC PRO EXPERT CANTILEVER BRAKES    US $14.99

NOS AVITAR 58 BCD 22T GRANNY GEARNEW GRAY    US $14.99

VINTAGE CINELLI STEM 262 CLASSIC 125MM 1    US $19.99

GT LTS RTS BAR ENDS BLACK OLD SCHOOL RARE ALLOY    US $5.99

NOS MACHINE TECH TITANIUM XT BRAKE LEVER SHIFTER    US $19.99

1 1 8 DELTA Threadless stem RISER extender 70mm 2 3 4    US $4.99

ACS SEALED BMX HUB FLIP FLOP BLACK 36 HOLE    US $19.99

SHIMANO DURA ACE 7700 BRASE ON FRONT DERAILLEUR 9 SPD    US $19.99

NICE BLACKBURN SMP 2 SHORTY MTN PUMP MTB ALLOY SILVER    US $7.99

NICE BLACKBURN MMP 2 MAMMOTH MTN PUMP MTB ALLOY SILVER    US $7.99

New Sun SOS 32h Disc 6 bolt MTB QR Wheelset    US $69.99

26 Mavic CrossMax SL Disc 2009 Wheelset    US $400.00

MAVIC RHYTHM MOUNTAIN JERSEY Large    US $50.00

Specialized FSR Mountain Mint    US $485.00

MAVIC SWITCHBACK TRAIL JERSEY Large    US $30.00

MAvic MTB front wheel 26    US $20.00

09 Kona Stinky Deelux Custom Freeride MTB    US $2,435.94

White Industries Mountain Bike Wheel Set with Mavic rim    US $60.00

NEW MAVIC WOMENS ZOYA MTB CYCLING SHOES 95    US $49.99

NEW MAVIC WOMENS ZOYA MTB CYCLING SHOES 9    US $49.99

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M231CD
Ultra rigid profile rim with side walls inclined 3 degrees to ensure precise contact between the brake block and the rim whenusing cantilever brakes. Extra surface treatment for longevity and strength and single stainless eyelets. 410 gramms

M261CD
As M231CD but with double stainless eyelets and a wider section. 460 grams

Energy M7 CD Rim
Ultra rigid tubular profile with maximum brake surface. Double eyelet with small visible eyelet in stainless steel and top eyelet with sunken head for easy mounting and tyre centering. 580 grams

MA40MB Rim
For narrow tyres from 19 to 25mm. Double eyelet with visible eyelet in stainless steel. Surface hardening treatment giving exceptional rigidity. Intended for top of the range mountainbikes. 400grams

Mountain Bike Headset 315
This headset incorporated Mavic's innovative new locking system. The lock nut and washer are eliminated and locking is carried out by a 2.5mm hex key in the side of the unit. The stack height of the upper race locking system was increased to reduce the chance of the race loosening which was a common occurennce then with mtb headsets. Races and bearings in stainless steel with plastic seal and baffle to ensure maintenance free performance.

ATB637 Chainrings and Cranks
Cranks in anodized forged alloy 170 or 175 mm
4mm thick annodized chainrings - 46/36/26 teeth 700grams

Front Derailleur 875
Designed to match the AR845 rear derailleur, the cage is specially designed for easy accurate shifting.

Levers 825
Indexed ergonomic under bar fitting shifters. Unique double push-pull lever for both thumb AND index finger changes. Inner cables are pre-stretched and outer cable has anti compression.

Rear Derailleur AR845
Fully indexed 6/7 speed mtb derailleur specifically designed for racing  and serious off road use. 250 grams

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Electronic gear shifting isn't as new a invetion as current component manufacturers would have us believe. Chris Boardman rode on a Mavic system during the late 90s although it was prone to problems with mis shifting when it got wet during the rain. For a short TT though where the weather could be reasonably predicted it was worth the risk for the advertising for Mavic.

Before Mavic and Shimano though was Browning. In the late 1980s amid the hype around disc wheels, tri bars and mountainbikes Browning were working on their own revolutionary addition to the cycling world - Browning Automatic Transmission.

Picked up by the third component manufacturer of the time, Suntour, they combined it with their Accushift indexed gearing system and come up with BEAST - Browning Electronic AccuShift Transmission.

From the marketing materials at the time...

The Suntour Beast is an entirely new gear shifting concept for bicycles. The Beast allows for precise gear changes while riding at high speed over varying terrain and grades. Perfect shifts are accomplished even with full power to the pedals and since no special skill is neccessary for smooth shifting, the Beast is ideal for hte difficult conditions of off road riding.

The gear changing system of the Beast is like the switching system of a railroad track: the outer and middle sector of the Beast's chainrings function in the same way as the switch which allows a train to move from one track to another. At the hinged portion of the chainring, the pawl moves the swinging sector, which then drops or picks up the chain to the next chainring.

Suntour has spent a full year testing and refining the original Browning technology before offering the Beast as an alternative to the original front derailleur. The Beast is compatible with all Suntour drivetrain components. For 1990 it is offered as original equipment to bicycle manufacturers and custom builders only.

It came with a nice little attachment that went on the centre of your handlebars that contained two little rubber buttons - one for up and the other for down. That was it, it worked well in the showroom. Out in the rain and much was a different story and it never really took off.

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Welcome to the world of Retro Vintage Cycling. Over the coming months and hopefully even years I'll be delving deep into the history of classic cycling equipment and manufacturers resurrecting memories from an earlier time when bikes and their components were made from metal rather than that plastic stuff they call carbon fibre and reliability was a given.

We'll be looking at classic early groupsets from Shimano such as the 600EX and Sante as well as their Suntour equivalents from the time. And no website on cycling would be complete without the leading marque of all - Campagnolo and their offerings such as Nuovo Record and the aesthitcally, if not quite functionally perfect Delta brakes.

Hopefully we will get around to looking at early off road offerings too with a trip down memory lane on the frames that made mountainbiking such as Kona Cinder Cones, Specialized Stumpjumbers and for our UK readers the classic Muddy Fox Courier.

We'll also take a look back at our first bikes such as PK Ripper BMXs, Raleigh Choppers and a whole host of Schwinns.

If you want to join in the fun please subscibe to our RSS feed or if you would like to share your memories then please get in touch.

All the Best

John