On 06/19/2014 10:29 PM, Patrick Moore wrote:
It ain't no chromoly. From that inexorable arbiter, Wiki:
*Reynolds 531* (pronounced 'five-three-one') is a brand name
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brand_name>, registered to Reynolds
Cycle Technology
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynolds_Cycle_Technology> of Birmingham
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham>in the United Kingdom, for a
manganese–molybdenum, medium-carbon steel bicycle tubing.
Introduced in 1935 and for many years at the forefront of alloy steel
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alloy_steel> tubing technology, 531
tubing has been superseded by more complex alloys and
heat-treatment/cold work cycles as Reynolds continues to compete with
other manufacturers of steel for the bicycle industry.^[1]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynolds_531#cite_note-REN-1>
The approximate alloying composition of 531 tubing is 1.5% Mn
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manganese>, 0.25% Mo
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molybdenum>, 0.35% C
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon>, and is similar to the old
British BS970 En 16/18 steel (EN 16 is similar to grade BS970
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel_grades> 605M36). Its mechanical
properties and response to heat treatment are broadly similar to the
AISI 4130 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AISI_steel_grades> standard
alloy steel, also used for bicycle frames, motorcycles, as well as
aviation and motor-sport.^[1]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynolds_531#cite_note-REN-1> This
material was used to form the front subframes on the Jaguar E-Type
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaguar_E-Type> of the 1960s.^[2]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynolds_531#cite_note-2>
The properties of 531 are very close to those of 4130 steel, though,
from what I read.
My question: what exactly is/was 531 "C", and where did it stand in
the lineup from thinnest to thickest walled? My 1989 Falcon was made
from this, as was that very briefly owned (the steerer cracked just
above the crown) Orbit tandem. I *know* it was very light for a
tandem! -- can you say "wag the dog"?
Basically, their 8/5/8, light gauge tube set. Definitely not something
you'd want to build a tandem out of -- Reynolds did make a special 531
OS tandem tube set for Jack Taylor. My old Gitane Supersport tandem was
made of standard gauge 531 -- based on the decal, probably the 9/6/9
"standard" tube set -- with twin external lateral diagonal tubes, and
"wag the dog" doesn't begin to describe it. The only way to "pick a
line" around an obstacle like a bollard was to aim right at it, and at
the last moment swerve in whatever direction the bike was tending to go
by itself, because if you tried to pick a specific gap and aim for it,
when it hit the bumps right in front of the bollard it would surely
swerve right into it.
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