trek 531

Icons of cycling: Reynolds 531 tubing

Not only has this legendary British tubing won more Tours de France than any other type, it helped win World War Two

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When it was launched in 1935, Reynolds 531 revolutionised bicycle frame building. The magic numbers, which adorn virtually every classic racing bike with a little sticker on the seat tube, derive from the ratio of the three main elements that are used in the make up of 531’s steel alloy tubes: manganese, carbon and molybdenum.

Reynolds 531 built a frame that had a super-light weight and high strength that had never before been achieved.

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To put it into perspective, a 531 tubeset was advertised in Reynolds’s 1947 catalogue as weighing 3lb compared to the 4.5lb of the company’s original butted tubes at the turn of the century — which were themselves revolutionary.

The 531 was so good that it remained the state of the art for four decades until the arrival of the even lighter yet fragile and highly impractical 753 in 1975.

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The Reynolds company, which had existed as a thriving nail manufacturer in Birmingham since 1841, moved into seamless steel tubing in response to the cycling boom of the 1890s when

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the Starley safety bicycle replaced the high bicycle or ‘penny-farthing’.

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Alfred Reynolds’s patenting of the butting process, which meant tubes could be made thicker and stronger at their ends without increasing their outside diameter, launched Reynolds into its position as the country’s — perhaps even the world’s — foremost manufacturer of lightweight steel tubing.

Born out of the war effort

This inevitably meant Reynolds would be called upon to equip the armed forces. Its first government contracts of World War One were for tubes for military bicycles and motorcycles but in 1916 its precision tubing began to be used for aircraft.

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That year was one of the most important in the company’s history as Reynolds put the development of 531 down to its experience in aviation.

During World War Two Reynolds was called up again, this time to build wing spars for Spitfires, sub frames for Lancaster bombers and Merlin engine mountings.

Handmade steel bikes

Post-war, 531 tubing took up where it had left off in cycling, and by the 1970s Reynolds claimed 531 frames and forks had been used in 24 out of 25 successive Tour de France victories.

During the golden era of lightweight steel tubing, Reynolds 531 dominated not only professional racing but all disciplines of cycling with variants such as 531ST (Super Tourist) and 531ATB (All Terrain).

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Although 531 does not enjoy the same level of popularity in the 21st century — mainly due to its unsuitability for TIG welding — it still has its diehard fans. In 2008 Reynolds relaunched a limited edition set of 531 tubes for lugged framesets especially for them.

For legions of cyclists past and present, a bike ‘guaranteed built with Reynolds 531’, as the wording on the sticker runs, is everything.

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Simon Smythe is a hugely experienced cycling tech writer, who has been writing for Cycling Weekly since 2003. Until recently he was our senior tech writer. In his cycling career Simon has mostly focused on time trialling with a national medal, a few open wins and his club's 30-mile record in his palmares. These days he spends most of his time testing road bikes, or on a tandem doing the school run with his younger son.

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differences between Reynolds 531 frames

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I just bought a 30 year old Trek 710 off of eBay. it's frame and fork are made with Reynolds 531 steel. I am just wondering (assuming things are equal, how much difference you can get in bikes made out of the same material. The assumptions are that we are comparing same size, and frame geometry , I know that the geometry would have a major affect on the feel of the frame. Maybe the frame geometry is the major part of the difference? martin  

Nice find. I'd love to get an old Trek like that. I had a Trek 560 and Waterford RS-11. Both were 531. The Trek was far flexier (which I liked) than the Waterford, which was about a size smaller. I think it would be tough to generalize just based on tubing.  

Should be a nice-riding frame Sounds nice. The design of the fork can play a pretty big role in how the bike rides, along with frame geometry. There were several different levels of 531 tubesets back then as I recall -- straight guage, butted, double butted. Also some frames used 531 main tubes and stays, some just main tubes with generic chromoly stays. You should be able to tell from the Reynolds sticker what tubes you have. These things relate more to the weight of the frame (and original price) than they do with the ride. www.vintage-trek.com has some old Trek catelogs where you might find more detailed info about your frame.  

Mayday said: Sounds nice. The design of the fork can play a pretty big role in how the bike rides, along with frame geometry. There were several different levels of 531 tubesets back then as I recall -- straight guage, butted, double butted. Also some frames used 531 main tubes and stays, some just main tubes with generic chromoly stays. You should be able to tell from the Reynolds sticker what tubes you have. These things relate more to the weight of the frame (and original price) than they do with the ride. www.vintage-trek.com has some old Trek catelogs where you might find more detailed info about your frame. Click to expand...

martinrjensen said: I just bought a 30 year old Trek 710 off of eBay. it's frame and fork are made with Reynolds 531 steel. I am just wondering (assuming things are equal, how much difference you can get in bikes made out of the same material. The assumptions are that we are comparing same size, and frame geometry , I know that the geometry would have a major affect on the feel of the frame. Maybe the frame geometry is the major part of the difference? Click to expand...

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• 1978 Trek 714 57cm/22.5" Reynolds 531 Steel Road Bike Blue

Trek 1978 Trek 714 57cm/22.5" Reynolds 531 Steel Road Bike Blue

Frame Size: 57cm/22.5 Top Tube Length: 56cm/22" Standover Height: 83cm/32" Crank Length: 170mm Frame Material: 531 reynolds butted steel Fork Material: Chromoly Steel Wheel Size: 27" Drivetrain: 2 x 6

The Retrogrouch

Old is Good

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Reynolds 531: classic tubes.

18 comments:

Thanks for all the info. This is the kind of thing we will be tested on before we can pedal through the Pearly Gates.

Thank you for the nice article. I've not been to your blog before, but I'll check out your other postings. But there is one very common error. 753 is not stiffer than 531 or any other carbon steel. Yield strength is greater, so you can bend it further and have it spring back. But all steels have the same Young's Modulus (AKA Modulus of Elasticity) Because of their generally thinner walls, 753 tubes are usually less stiff, but may buckle before you can bend them far enough to take a set. Even some of Reynolds literature, written no doubt by some marketing type, not an engineer, repeats this common misconception. You can build a lighter yet stiffer frame using higher strength steels by making larger diameter tubes with thinner walls. Lesser steels would dent too easily if drawn to such dimensions. Mark Stonich

Thanks for the comment, Mark. I based that statement on not only the VeloNews article from '83 which I cited, but also from the comments of some 753-certified frame builders in the Kolin and de la Rosa book, The Custom Bicycle. What can I say, I took it at face value. Thanks for visiting the site!

As I said it's VERY common misconception. It's funny, because the emphasis on stiffness is marketing driven, while there is no evidence it makes you faster. Good to have stiffness for control in an all out sprint or when carrying a heavy load. But many of us believe a supple frame is more efficient.

Did I miss it or what does the number system - 531, 753, etc. -- refer to, indicate or come from?

4th paragraph -- 531 refers to the alloying metals and their proportions. 5 parts manganese, 3 parts carbon, 1 part molybdenum.

I knew it must have been in there somewhere. and yet, quick-reading it once and then scanning it again (though clearly not closely enough), I missed the reference.. Maybe in this case it would be worth tossing Style aside and being more graphic in the text. So, as per your reply: "The 531 name is a reference to the metallurgical components of the tubing - 5 parts manganese, 3 parts carbon, 1 part molybdenum." That I expect would tie the lazy/casual reader's eye in more easily..

"953 and 931 .....blows titanium away." Says who? based on what?

Based on tensile strength. 531 has tensile strength numbers of roughly 700 - 900 MPa. Heat treated 753 has tensile strength of roughly 1000 - 1200 MPa. 6Al-4V Titanium is 900 - 1150. 953 stainless steel is about 1750 - 2050.

Brooks, Your numbers only tell half the story. Assuming the middle of the strength ranges you quote from Reynolds' site then 6Al-4V is only 54% as strong but it's also only 57% as heavy. So only a slight win for 953. Easily negated by the fact that you can make a larger diameter tube for the same weight of the Ti. So I looked at stiffness. There is some minor variation in the Modulus of Elasticity of alloy steels as the alloying elements themselves have different stiffness. Stainless steels vary a bit more and are a bit less stiff than Chro-Moly steels. I don't have a figure for 953 but Ti is 53% to 55% as stiff as the various stainless steels I could find a modulus for. So, on a pound for pound basis, it's hard to make the case that 953 "blows titanium away". The two are close enough that the skill of the fabricator is likely a bigger factor.

A nice discussion of the main component of most classic bikes. There are other steels, of course, but the basic information is good - you want a substance that is strong yet has some "give". Anyone switching between an alloy road bike and a steel frame road bike would feel the difference. In my opinion, alloy frames "buzz". They are so stiff they transmit all the road surface variations too directly. I find it annoying, but I agree you can get a good ride at a good price with a modern alloy frame. Knowing the English (and the history of the industry here) as well as I do, I suspect they got a bit complacent with their local-market success and ignored exports, leaving it to other to take advantage. It seemed the British bike industry was always boom or bust. I do like 531. I have one 531c frame (not built up) that is amazing light. I'm almost afraid to touch it. I've a recent hand-built 631 frame (24.5") that I can see (let alone feel) the bottom bracket move when I stand on the pedals. That's a bit too much, and reminds me why Reynolds 501 (not mentioned above) was a good option for the larger rider. It also gives a pleasing ride, but is heavier. I've two titanium bikes - one bought built up and then upgraded - made in Taiwan. Excellent workmanship and alignment - fantastic value. One of my favourite rides. The other was built up from a frame I bought second-hand (never used) which turned out to be of Russian origin. I don't know much beyond what claimed on the stickers (3AL-2.5V) but it rides well and has become my all-round bad weather ride. To my senses, a titanium frame is just a bit stiffer than 531. I've got a few Columbus-tubed bikes (Colnago, Bianchi) and of course the quality of steel used varies. In some cases, the steel is a proprietary brand of Columbus (for F. Moser or Coppi) and it's a bit difficult to make any direct comparisons - of course they all ride well enough. I even have one mystery frame, hand built in Cape Town, with the "fluted" tubing used on some Colnagos (Gilco, I think). Pretty and rides very well. Then there are the Japanese... I've just brazed up my first 853 frame. It's still off at the painters, so we'll see how it "shakes out" but I'm guessing it will be good. It's a large-clearance touring frame, so I'm not expecting it to leap about like the Ti frames. But we specced it up using oversized tubes for strength so while it has the classic shape it is more rigid than you'd achieve with standard size tubing.

Obviously I'm a huge fan of steel, but you mention titanium. I feel like titanium is a good choice for bicycles -- a good mix of strength, stiffness, and weight, and super longevity. For me, though, the only drawback is purely aesthetic -- I just can't get excited about welds -- I love the look of a nicely lugged frame. I know that an expertly welded frame has a lot going for it, and some people even like the "industrial" looking quality. I simply prefer the look of lugs. But you won't hear me gripe about titanium the way I do about carbon fiber.

this stuff is great. thanks

i like very much thx

For what it's worth, you can purchase a Pashley Clubman made of traditional lugged and brazed 531 Reynolds tubing with investment cast lugs. I believe here in the states, it can be ordered from Universales Cycles

the discussion about strength is moot; once the tubes have been joined they will have a different strength right where the bending loads are liable to be highest. Brazing does different things vs welding and what happens varies quite a lot with the steel you are dealing with. Most forms of CrMo will become softer in the HAZ, and/or harder and much more brittle. Often you will see both things happen in a single weld HAZ. Most tubing manufacturers skate over this, but post-joining strengths are usually way down on 'as received values. Reynolds witter on about 'air hardening' etc and in truth there may be some cleverness in the microalloying in some of their steels but the reality is that the HAZ is utterly banjaxed vs the original state of the steel. IIRC the hardness data they present has the indents so far apart that in a TIG weld HAZ you could miss a narrow zone that is either much harder or softer... 931 looks brilliant until you heat it up, and then it suffers badly. I have seen several 931 frames crack in the HAZ. Same goes for other similar steels from other manufacturers. Arguably the approach taken with 753 was (is) the correct one; if brazed correctly it retains a high proportion of its pre-joining strength and doesn't appear to be made unduly brittle or anything. Similar benefits can (of course) be had in 531 and 653 tubing if that is silver brazed (at low temperatures)too, BTW. ~~~Brucey~~~

Any info on Reynolds 531 Special Lightweight (SL) tubing? I have an 80's Super Mondia that has 531 SL Decals on the frame. Bought new from PA Bikes long ago (don't recall when). Nice light, responsive bike. Very stiff, yet comfy ride. Top tube 26.6 - Down 28.36 - Seat 28.17 Best I could uow/ on my digital caliper. Thx

I built an Ultegra bike based around a 531 SL Kalkhoff professional frame. the frame weight is Frame 3.69 lbs or 1675 gm very light but it is a 51 cm small Fork 1.33 lbs or 603 gm. Total bike weight is 21 lbs including saddle and pedals. I weigh 190 lbs and frame is plenty strong, not much flex. Ride is good but still fairly stiff. I have an old Carlton Corsair that has more compliant ride, but weights about 27 lbs. I also ride a Zurich 853. About same weight as Kalkoff and similar ride. Nothing beats the Carlton, but it is a bit heavy.

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