Help in identifying Reynolds bikes
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Help in identifying Reynolds bikes
Postby 240ZR » Fri Apr 15, 2011 6:36 pm
I have two early to mid 80's Reynolds bikes, one with Shimano RX-100 groupset & the other is just a frame. I am restoring these & need help in identifying whether they are Peugeot, Raleigh, Gitane or Columbus bicycles etc.
The red one (pic below) with the shimano groupset has 3 distinguishing features... 1) the top tube has 2 slotted holes at either end for the rear brake cable to run in through the tube & back out, 2) the front lugs on the head tube have a heart shape in them & 3) the front forks are smooth with no lug work, (had badly faded 531 decals) .
The other (black) has lug work on the front forks & the top tube has 3 small brazed on ringlets for the rear brake cable & also has the Shimano gear on it but slightly earlier than RX-100.
The red one had no serial numbers anywhere on the frame. All it had was "Reynolds" stamped at the end of the rear stay lug (where the bolts tighten the rear wheel). Frame size is 55/55cm & the seat post is 26.8mm I.D.
Any help will be appreciated.
Regards, Nick.
By nixcars at 2011-04-14
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Re: Help in identifying Reynolds bikes
Postby Torana68 » Fri Apr 15, 2011 8:16 pm
missed the stamped reynolds bit, more pickies?
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Re: Help in identifying Reynolds bikes
Postby 240ZR » Sat Apr 16, 2011 10:27 am
The frame is definitely a Reynolds from the stamping but just want to no the type of bike it is. I took it to a few bike shops & they seem to think it's either a Gitane, Campagnolo, Raleigh or Gazelle. I just want to narrow it down to one make. I'll put pics up as soon as it's finished.
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Re: Help in identifying Reynolds bikes
Postby lethoso » Sat Apr 16, 2011 12:37 pm
Yah, that's the only distinctive thing I see about the frame in that shot. Afaik those lugs used on the headtube were pretty common.Torana68 wrote:thats a whopper of a hole for the cable
Seatpost of 26.8 might suggest it's an earlier/cheaper variety of reynolds tubing?
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Re: Help in identifying Reynolds bikes
Postby el brado » Sat Apr 16, 2011 1:05 pm
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Re: Help in identifying Reynolds bikes
Postby Torana68 » Sat Apr 16, 2011 2:04 pm
wont be Camagnolo they dont make frames, more photos required.240ZR wrote:The frame is definitely a Reynolds from the stamping but just want to no the type of bike it is. I took it to a few bike shops & they seem to think it's either a Gitane, Campagnolo, Raleigh or Gazelle. I just want to narrow it down to one make. I'll put pics up as soon as it's finished.
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Re: Help in identifying Reynolds bikes
Postby 240ZR » Sat Apr 16, 2011 4:07 pm
Just came back from the bike shop & they also confirmed this. Trouble is, they are no longer available.el brado wrote:The cable hole would have originally had a plastic cover over it to stop water getting into the frame.
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Re: Help in identifying Reynolds bikes
Postby 240ZR » Sat Apr 16, 2011 4:08 pm
Any pics in particalar required? Any specific part of the bike?Torana68 wrote:wont be Camagnolo they dont make frames, more photos required.240ZR wrote:The frame is definitely a Reynolds from the stamping but just want to no the type of bike it is. I took it to a few bike shops & they seem to think it's either a Gitane, Campagnolo, Raleigh or Gazelle. I just want to narrow it down to one make. I'll put pics up as soon as it's finished.
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Re: Help in identifying Reynolds bikes
Postby Torana68 » Sat Apr 16, 2011 4:34 pm
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Re: Help in identifying Reynolds bikes
Postby 240ZR » Tue Apr 19, 2011 5:05 pm
Please, somebody has to no what this thing is!
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Re: Help in identifying Reynolds bikes
Postby GaryF » Wed Apr 20, 2011 6:10 pm
My bet though is that it is an Australian built frame. The heart cut-outs on the head lugs lightened the lug and helped the builder see the penetration of the brazing. Many frames look like your frame and it might be impossible to tell who built it. I took a frame I thought was a Hillman frame to Hillmans in Brunswick, Victoria, to see if they could identify it. This was about 15 years ago. They weren't sure but thought it wasn't one of their frames even though they gave it a very good 'going over'.
The brake cable entry hole is quite unusual though - perhaps this is an identifying element.
It is a Reynolds tubed frame and I would say that it is of good quality and would make a very nice riding bike. I think the pump peg on the head tube would place it in the mid to late 80's. I just don't think an identification is possible.
Best of luck,
Gary.
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Re: Help in identifying Reynolds bikes
Postby 240ZR » Wed Apr 20, 2011 10:15 pm
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Re: Help in identifying Reynolds bikes
Postby GaryF » Thu Apr 21, 2011 12:04 am
Interesting question. I have had this same predicament with a bike frame I had been searching for for 5 years. I found the frame but it didn't have an identity I could trace with any certainty. I waited another year and a half before I got up the courage to give it an identity. I chose not to give it an identity of a known bike manufacturer. I gave it my identity.
It just didn't feel finished without an identity. I think you feel the same way.
Should you call it a Gitane or a Gazelle? Both well respected frame/bike manufacturers. There will be many retro bike enthusiasts that would be grinding their teeth at the thought. It has been done many times before. There were many bikes re-identified as Colnago's in the past. Colnago replacement decals were plentiful in the 80's and often found their way onto all sorts of bikes. Just recently there was a "Colnago" on ebay that was a fair copy. It was, however, being passed off as a real one.
Colnago decided to move away from decals to spraying his logo onto frames with stencils and airbrush to make it more difficult to forge his identity.
What have you got? You have a top notch racing frame from the 80's. Reynolds 531 frames came in a few different configurations but it was the frame material of choice used by many professional teams and did carry many riders to victory in races such as the Tour De France. It does deserve to be looked after. You are obviously a person who cares for the frame.
Personally I don't have a real problem with you identifying it as a Gitane or a Gazelle. It is your way of paying respect to those companies and their riders such as Bernard Hinault. I don't think you are looking to profit from a re-birthed bike.
Ultimately, It is your bike and you can do with it as you wish. The red looks great by the way.
Best of luck, I'm sure others will have strong opinions about a re-identity of your frame,
Gary.
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Re: Help in identifying Reynolds bikes
Postby 240ZR » Thu Apr 21, 2011 9:47 am
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Re: Help in identifying Reynolds bikes
Postby munga » Thu Apr 21, 2011 5:37 pm
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Ha ... 042_lr.jpg
Edit: there seems to be plenty of gazelle's out there without any identifier on the fork crown
if you're keen to call it a gazelle, there's plenty of resources out there for you to pore over in order to determine its approximate age and so on
good luck!
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Re: Help in identifying Reynolds bikes
Postby 240ZR » Thu Apr 21, 2011 6:50 pm
Nick.
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Re: Help in identifying Reynolds bikes
Postby GaryF » Thu Apr 21, 2011 7:03 pm
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Re: Help in identifying Reynolds bikes
Postby 240ZR » Thu Apr 21, 2011 7:31 pm
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Re: Help in identifying Reynolds bikes
Postby munga » Thu Apr 21, 2011 7:57 pm
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Re: Help in identifying Reynolds bikes
Postby munga » Thu Apr 21, 2011 9:25 pm
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Re: Help in identifying Reynolds bikes
Postby 240ZR » Thu Apr 21, 2011 9:55 pm
Nope, nothing at all.munga wrote:any indentifying marks on the underside of the bottom bracket? any cut-outs or stamping?
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Re: Help in identifying Reynolds bikes
Postby 240ZR » Thu Apr 21, 2011 9:59 pm
The front forks are the same as mine, along with the head tube, seat post lug & rear brake caliper mount from what I can see.
Nice bike!
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