Reynolds c.1987 Tube Talk — What Each Set Is For, With Set Weights and the Respray Marks

A four-page folder from TI Reynolds 531 Limited, printed in four languages throughout — English, French, German and Spanish — pairing every transfer in the range with a description of the tube set it certifies, and closing with a specification table that gives set weights.

Three things make it the most useful of the three transfer documents in this collection.

It is the only one that says what each set is for rather than only what it contains. 753R is designed for road racing, cyclo-cross and sprint; 653 for road racing, road time trials and pursuit; 531 Competition for road racing, track, time trials and cyclo-cross; 531 Special Tourist for performance touring; 501 Cromalloy-M for the sports and touring or training frame; 500 for volume manufactured conventional sports cycles and BMX; 453 for sports and general purpose use.

It is the only one that prints set weights. The closing table gives ten sets with wall gauges tube by tube and a weight in grams for the set: 753R at 1650, 653 at 1700, 531 Competition at 1800, 531 Special Tourist at 1935, 531 All-Terrain at 2400, 501 All-Terrain at 2450, 501 SL at 1875, 501 at 2025, and the three-tube 500 and 453 sets at 990 and 1050.

And it documents the respray transfers. Reynolds shows three — a 753 cycle tube respray mark and two 531 respray marks, one professional — and states that they are genuine, available only direct from TI Reynolds and allocated only to authenticated Reynolds frames. Those marks turn up on repainted frames and are routinely mistaken for the original build transfers.

Dating. Undated. The imprint places it precisely between the other two Reynolds sheets here. It reads TI Reynolds 531 Limited, PO Box 765, telephone 021-706 3333, telex 335024 TIREY G — the later box number of the c.1990 sheets, but still the earlier telephone number of the c.1981 sheet, and still a telex rather than a fax. The range includes 653 described as new, which puts it after about 1986, and 453. About 1987 follows.

A note on the transcription. Every entry on pages 2 and 3 is set out four times, in English, French, German and Spanish. The English text is transcribed here in full. The three translations are not separately transcribed; they are present on the page images and are noted here so that their absence from the text is visible rather than silent.

The folder reached the Ebykr collection through the National Cycle Archive in partnership with the Veteran-Cycle Club, whose courtesy card is the first page of the source file. That card is not reproduced here.

— Page 1 —

REYNOLDS / TUBE TALK

[The cover. A magenta band down the left carries the title turned on its side. Three photographs are set against the white field: a group of riders on knobbly-tired machines racing on a dusty track past a Suzuki banner; a professional road rider on the drops in the heat, his jersey carrying world champion rainbow bands; and a heavily loaded touring machine with four panniers and a bar bag being ridden up a bank against a dark sky.]

REYNOLDS

— Page 2 —

[Nine transfers are reproduced down the left margin, each with its description set out four times across the page in English, French, German and Spanish. The English column is transcribed.]

REYNOLDS 753 RACE transfer. These transfers show that REYNOLDS 753 tube is used throughout – BUTTED frame tubes ‘wide’ oval TAPER GAUGE fork blades and plain gauge head tube, steerer and stays. Designed for road racing, cyclo-cross and sprint.

[753 FORK BLADES] These are used only in conjunction with REYNOLDS 753 transfers and are applied to the REYNOLDS 753 TAPER GAUGE fork blades near the crown.

REYNOLDS NEW 653 tube set is designed for the dedicated cyclist. This set features 60 tonne strength frame tubes and increased stiffness in the rear stays. REYNOLDS 653 is recommended for road racing, road time trials and pursuit frames.

[653 fork transfer] Fork Transfers. These are only used in conjunction with REYNOLDS 653 transfers and are applied to the REYNOLDS 653 wide oval TAPER GAUGE fork blades near the crown.

REYNOLDS 531 COMPETITION transfer, a bicycle built with any one of these is a real thoroughbred built with REYNOLDS 531 BUTTED frame tubes, BUTTED steerer, ‘wide’ oval TAPER GAUGE fork blades and plain gauge head tube and stays. Designed for road racing, track, time trials, and cyclo-cross.

REYNOLDS 531 SPECIAL TOURIST transfer, BUTTED frame tubes, BUTTED steerer, ‘thin’ oval TAPER GAUGE fork blades and plain gauge head tube and standard taper style seat stays. A set born out of many years experience in producing lightweight cycle tubes for performance touring frames.

[531 FORK BLADES] Fork Transfers. These are used only in conjunction with 531 COMPETITION or 531 SPECIAL TOURIST transfers.

REYNOLDS 501 SPECIAL LIGHTWEIGHT. A BUTTED Chrome Molybdenum tube recently added to the range. This tube has the performance of many of our competitors tube whilst having the advantage of the specially developed Chrome Molybdenum tube. Designed for all types of racing.

REYNOLDS 501 chrome molybdenum BUTTED frame tubes. BUTTED steerer ‘thin’ or ‘wide’ oval fork blades and plain gauge head tube, and stays. A TRUE performance tube set for the sports/touring/training frame.

— Page 3 —

[Nine further transfers, again with descriptions in four languages. The English column is transcribed.]

[501 CROMALLOY-M BUTTED FRAME TUBES] The top tube, seat tube and down tube with this transfer are REYNOLDS 501 BUTTED tubes with a plain gauge REYNOLDS 501 Head tube, stays and fork blades may not be of Reynolds manufacture.

[501 CROMALLOY-M FORK BLADES] Used only in conjunction with REYNOLDS 501 transfers and are applied only to REYNOLDS 501 fork blades near the crown.

[531 BUTTED TANDEM TUBES] A mixture of BUTTED and plain gauge, round and oval tubes all in REYNOLDS 531, to conform to the latest TANDEM design philosophy. TAPER GAUGE fork blades and plain gauge stays complete the picture.

[531 BUTTED FRAME TUBES] The top tube, seat tube and down tube of a bicycle with this transfer are REYNOLDS 531 BUTTED tubes. Head tube, stays and fork blades may not be of Reynolds manufacture.

REYNOLDS 531 ALL-TERRAIN transfer. REYNOLDS 531 BUTTED frame tubes throughout, (Top – DOUBLE BUTTED, seat – SINGLE BUTTED, down – plain gauge for extra strength) with stiff chainstays, standard taper seatstays and special heavy duty fork blades. Designed for all-terrain – on/off road. 120,000 psi STRENGTH

REYNOLDS 501 ALL-TERRAIN transfer. A similar set to REYNOLDS 531 ALL-TERRAIN but manufactured from REYNOLDS 501 Chrome Molybdenum tubing. The fork is of a ‘unicrown’ design. 120,000 psi STRENGTH

REYNOLDS 500 Cr-Mo series tubing. Cycles showing this transfer have top, down and seat tubes only, manufactured from plain gauge REYNOLDS 500 Chrome Molybdenum tubing. Head tube forks and stays may not be of Reynolds manufacture. Designed for volume manufactured conventional sports cycles.

REYNOLDS 453. Cycles bearing this transfer have frame tubes manufactured from REYNOLDS 453 Chrome Molybdenum tubing. These sets are single BUTTED. Forks and stays may not be of Reynolds manufacture. Designed for sports and general purpose use.

[Three respray transfers: 753 CYCLE TUBE RESPRAY, 531 PROFESSIONAL RESPRAY and 531 CYCLE TUBE RESPRAY.] These are genuine Reynolds re-spray transfers for refurbished or repaired frames. These are only available direct from TI Reynolds and are allocated only to authenticated Reynolds frames.

— Page 4 —

TUBE SIZES (mm) / ROHRABMESSUNGEN / DIMENSIONS DES TUBES / TAMAÑOS DE LOS TUBOS

Columns: Set — Material — Top Tube — Down Tube — Seat Tube — Head Tube — Fork — Seatstay — Chainstay — Steering Column — Set Weight (grms)

753R — Mn Mo — 0.71/0.55 DB — 0.81/0.55 DB — 0.71/0.55 SB — 0.91 — 1.02/0.55 — 0.61 — 0.61 — 1.55 — 1650
653 — Mn Mo — 0.71/0.55 DB — 0.81/0.55 DB — 0.71/0.55 SB — 0.91 — 1.02/0.55 — 0.61 — 0.61 — 1.55 — 1700
531C — Mn Mo — 0.81/0.55 DB — 0.91/0.61 DB — 0.81/0.55 SB — 0.91 — 1.02/0.55 — 0.55 — 0.81 — 2.34/1.63 BS — 1800
531ST — Mn Mo — 0.81/0.55 DB — 1.02/0.71 DB — 0.81/0.55 SB — 0.91 — 1.22/0.81 — 0.91 — 0.81 — 2.34/1.63 SB — 1935
531ATB — Mn Mo — 0.91/0.61 DB — 1.22 — 1.02/0.71 BS — 0.91 — 1.42/0.91 — 0.91 — 1.22 — 2.34/1.63 SB — 2400
501ATB — Cr Mo — 1.02/0.71 DB — 1.02 — 1.02/0.71 DB — 0.91 — 1.42/0.91 — 0.91 — 1.22 — 2.34/1.63 SB — 2450
501SL — Cr Mo — 0.91/0.61 DB — 0.91/0.61 DB — 0.91/0.61 DB — 0.91 — 1.02/0.71 — 0.71 — 0.71 — 2.34/1.63 SB — 1875
501 — Cr Mo — 0.91/0.61 DB — 0.91/0.61 DB — 0.91/0.61 DB — 0.91 — 0.91 — 0.91 — 0.91 — 2.34/1.63 SB — 2025
500 — Cr Mo — 1.0 — 1.0 — 1.0 — – — – — – — – — – — 990 (3 Tubes)
453 — Cr Mo — 1.02/0.81 SB — 1.02/0.81 SB — 1.02/0.81 SB — – — – — – — – — – — 1050 (3 Tubes)

Weight

Frame weight is not all important. Frame use, size and weight of rider must be taken into consideration. Hence great care must be taken when comparing tube weights to compare strength too. The tube wall thickness will determine the final frame weight and it must be man enough for the job.

Ask your dealer or framebuilder for advice on the best REYNOLDS tube set for your specific needs.

Example

In the case of Reynolds 753 Race the top tube wall thickness in the centre portion of the tube is 0.55mm thick – just about equivalent to three times the thickness of one page of this leaflet. Quite impressive, we think you’ll agree for the stresses and strains it has to take.

[The same two sections are repeated in French as Poids and Exemple, in German as Gewicht and Beispiel, and in Spanish as Peso and Ejemplo. A line drawing of a micrometer measuring a butted tube fills the lower right of the page.]

REYNOLDS

Ride the tube the champions choose

TI Reynolds 531 Limited, PO Box 765, Hay Hall, Redfern Road, Tyseley, Birmingham, England B11 2BS.
Telephone 021-706 3333. Telex: 335024 TIREY G.