531 Help

As I am on the look out for a real 531 frame what are peoples thoughts on these:
[FONT=Arial][SIZE=5]http://www.flickr.com/photos/22292450@N07/sets/72157623597470939/[/SIZE][/FONT]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270554714953&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280485655862&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

don't worry about what tubing it is on the frame, just do what you want to do to it and ride it.

don't worry about what tubing it is on the frame, just do what you want to do to it and ride it.

For once +1.
531 isn't worth hunting for, its not that great-a-tubeset anyway, and as you now have a bike why not work with that and get a feel for riding fixed before splashing out too much?

If not a 531, what else? I was looking at those as I thought they had a good rep.
Any other half decent frames I should keep a eye out for? I will certainly use the one I got the other day to learn on.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280485655862&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

actually...yes ...this one is nice...it has a fairly tight geometry (you can see this by the gap between the back wheel and the seat tube, which means it will handle better than some others), it is 531 so is a little lighter than others, and the components are quiet good too, you will be able to clean the bike up adns not have to splurge a load of money on parts, (ie the cranks are of resonable quality, as are the wheels, and the brakes too. having looked they are shimano exage which is not bad. the cranks have a good popular 'bcd' which means the size of the chain rings is quite easy to find and not obsolete)
If you are buying any of those you have yet listed, then forget those... this is the one. as far as raliegh frames go it has nice details (see the seat clamp pinch bolt - it's tidy) and hopefully it will be reasonably cheap.
it will make an easy conversion as it is old enoughto have a 'screw on' cassette, ie you can take the 'stack' of gears of the back and put on a single speed, if you want.
will fairly little work you can convert it, if you win it we are all here to offer advice,.

However...as you know hardly anything about bikes, be warned, there is a huge amount of information here and on the webz...have a good scan first then feel free to ask silly questions.

Ed and Harry have a point however if you are looking and the bike happens to be 531 all the better, though bikes listed as 531 are going for a premium due to everyone looking for those tyypes of frame, it is a type of steel tubing that has a great deal of heritage (70 years) and is stiff and light. it makes for good frames and has become a fairly good indicator of a reasonable quality frame, as the frames get beter the numbers go up ( though other frames that are good can be made from different tubing, it is a ver indepth subject) though you don't need all this to build a nice bike.

though if you can get the raliegh for less than maybe 50-70 pounds you have paid a reasonable price, any more and it will start to be a little toppy, though it is a good place to start.

If not a 531, what else? I was looking at those as I thought they had a good rep.
Any other half decent frames I should keep a eye out for? I will certainly use the one I got the other day to learn on.

If I were you, just concentrate on finding a cheap road bike/frame, like a Peugeot or Raleigh for instance, it's usually idea to start cheap to see if you like it.

it doesn't need to be a 'decent' frame, just one that you can convert into a fixed wheel bicycle and able to ride it.

in fact, a correct sized frame is far more important, too small may make it feel cramped, too big make it feel 'stretched' to the point you might need a very short stem which can compromise the handling of the bike.

Thanks for advice!

I love the way a forum joke "531 is awesome" is now taken as a statement of fact

Hi-ten beach cruiser frames are an extra 3.753 faster than 531.

Fact.

As an aside, that frame you listed (cornflower yellow raleigh) is 21.5 inches, which is about a 53-54 cm, as you are 5'5'' it should be about the right size too, almost spot on..;D.

if you can get the raleigh for cheap...ie sub 70 quid do it, it's a damned easy conversion. and you may be able to sell of some of the bits you don't need as they are not shite.

Forget the Raleigh, take a £1000 note to Brick Lane Bikes in the heart of Trendy London (well it was a few years back) and get them to build you a generic fixie with medium quality components and no decals.

actually...yes ...this one is nice...it has a fairly tight geometry (you can see this by the gap between the back wheel and the seat tube, which means it will handle better than some others)

how can you comment on the "tightness" of the geometry without knowing the actual angles?

As an aside, that frame you listed (cornflower yellow raleigh) is 21.5 inches, which is about a 53-54 cm, as you are 5'5'' it should be about the right size too, almost spot on..;D.

it's probably a bit big. 21.5 is 54.5 cm, which would be more suited to someone around 5'9"

but it does have biopace rings, get it purely for dem!

The Raleigh is only plain gauge 531 main tubes. Stays and forks are gaspipe, whatever the seller claims. Its chainset is not suitable for a fixed wheel (it's Biopace which is oval rather than circular), so you'd still need to budget for a new BB and chainset.

The Ribble is 531 Competition DB tubing throughout, and will be much lighter, and of an entirely higher quality of manufacture. Nice tight geometry (the seller says it has no mudguard clearance) The paint is better too, and it comes with usable Campag 111mm BB and headset. However I don't expect it to stay that cheap in 5 days time.

The people who tell you that 531 tubing is rubbish are the people who have something better. Obviously. Compared to modern expensive materials like carbon fibre or titanium it is nowhere of course, but compared with most other steel bikes it's great. It's a lot lighter than gaspipe, it's durable, and it's more forgiving and comfortable to ride than the higher-end stuff. It's nice tubing for the money. From the 1930s until the 1980s there was nothing notably better on the market so it can't be all bad. Lightweight tubing is really nice to have when you have to cart your bike up a flight of stairs every evening.

(I have no idea how Reynolds compares to some of the more exciting products from Columbus. But columbus tubing attracts the same "brand tax" on Ebay anyway.)

it's not a rubbish tubing, it's just 'bog standard' in comparison to modern day tubing.

But what kind of modern day tubing Ed? What is modern day tubing?

What BlueQuinn said = a lot of sense.

like an IRO Mark V cro-mo frame, they weight about 1.9kg for instance, and it's not even butted.

Most "modern day tubing" is still shit compared with 531.
Most is gaspipe, or at the very best seamed plain gauge 4130 cromo. Which is still gaspipe.

The only modern day steel tubings which are better are other high-end seamless tubes, such as those produced by Reynolds, Columbus and Tange.

Yeah what ever happened to Reynolds after they produced that shitty 531 tubing? Are they still going?

What BlueQuinn said = a lot of sense.

+1
Nice informative post by BlueQuinn.

surprised to see you on a thread 'detailing the pros and cons of various frames' crispin ;-)

It's what I'm here for, read my manifesto.

how can you comment on the "tightness" of the geometry without knowing the actual angles?

it's probably a bit big. 21.5 is 54.5 cm, which would be more suited to someone around 5'9"

but it does have biopace rings, get it purely for dem!

having checked inches ...yes it probably is too big, metric fail.

Secondly you can tell it's not a 'terrible' frame by merely observing the gap the back wheel has...it's fairly tight, which as you know means it will be livelier than some nasty gate that some of the foffa's were ...though I am sure you know this.

though I said that already, are you going to try and be helpful to the guy or follow me around the threads taking umbrage with everything I type?

oh...and read the damned post. I said the cranks..ie not the chainrings...are reasonable, ie...he can polish of the adonising and have a reaonable crank...spending...no money.

Unless you have something useful to contribute I suggest you stop acting like a child, and shut up.

Most "modern day tubing" is still shit compared with 531.
Most is gaspipe, or at the very best seamed plain gauge 4130 cromo. Which is still gaspipe.

The only modern day steel tubings which are better are other high-end seamless tubes, such as those produced by Reynolds, Columbus and Tange.

• True Temper :)
  
  

My True Temper OX platinum frame is pretty nice, seems to be more heavily butted than my Reynolds 631 too.(according to the official 'I tapped it with a screwdriver test')

.... taking umbrage with everything I type?

Nice use of 'umbridge'.

Repped.

Nice use of 'umbridge'.

Repped.

thankyou...it's a shame I had to use it, if something useful was being added I'd welcome the critiscm...as it is...people are getting chainrings mixed up with cranksets...

Demz iaz tikka dam dat pigshit ya naaa...

531 is advanced gaspipe. and was only available in small O/D's that build into a 'comfortable' frame. i.e. flexible.
it was good stuff at the time when introduced in 1935 but is essentially the same as current 'stock' 4130 steels that you would use to make a wheelbarrow handle or a piece of farm machinery out of.

current steels like spirit/853/631/sat-14/zero-replica/true-temper etc are superior in every way to 531 apart from not being 'awesome' in an overpriced mid range late 70's conversion frame to fit you badly from ebay kind of way.