Guess the age! Reynolds 531 - M Steel bike

themightyw
themightyw Posts: 409
edited March 2010 in Road general
Hi folks

Picked this up for literally pennies at a great we reclaim shop that's just opened up near me. I realise it's just a knackered old wheeler (though the guys did an awesome job at scrubbing it up) but can anyone help me get a really approximate date on how old she is? I have no idea if she's 20 years old or 40 years old... Very little to go on I'm afraid. I know M Steel is a pretty long running shop from Gosforth. The gears etc are all cheap modern replacements but the saddle is a (remarkably comfy!) old Brooks leather saddle, and the front shifter seems to be a 'Suntour'. I realise there's far too little info here to give any accurate dating, I'm really just looking for guesses!

Image-3507143-92561600-2-Web_0_06f4b389c2f78ae08303ec585fe936fe_1.jpg

Image-3507143-92561630-2-WebSmall_0_ec34d6e97f4a881ac1397e8a11ea055b_1.jpg

Image-3507143-92561629-3-Web_0_367861ed31106faba0c797d0a0edb5c3_1.jpg

Image-3507143-92561613-2-Web_0_f52e3b67d9214a9525d91365559fa1f6_1.jpg

I'm amazed what a pleasure she is to ride! I paid next to nothing for the bike and I'll stick it straight onto my turbo in the attic, but as a brash new kid to cycling who only rides horrible mass marketed Treks I can imagine I'll get rather fond of her!

Comments

  • stigofthedump
    stigofthedump Posts: 331
    The Reynilds badge wiil give you a good clue. Try this site
    http://www.classicrendezvous.com/Britis ... allery.htm
    It looks to be 80's to me.
    The st means super tourist, possibly indicating a more robust tubeset (or heavier)

    I have an old Holdsworth 531 framed fixed wheel bike which is an unexpected pleasure to ride. I found mine at the tip!
  • themightyw
    themightyw Posts: 409
    stigofthedump wrote:
    The Reynilds badge wiil give you a good clue. Try this site
    http://www.classicrendezvous.com/Britis ... allery.htm
    It looks to be 80's to me.
    The st means super tourist, possibly indicating a more robust tubeset (or heavier)

    I have an old Holdsworth 531 framed fixed wheel bike which is an unexpected pleasure to ride. I found mine at the tip!

    Thanks a lot for taking the time to reply! I'll have a good look through that site.
  • chriskempton
    chriskempton Posts: 1,245
    I'll take a stab at 1987
  • velocitizen
    velocitizen Posts: 327
    Whats the frame number? A lot of small builders used the year followed by the number of frames they'd built that year. Probably under the bottom bracket.
    BeestonCC Sportive
    Sunday 24th June 2012
    Enjoy the finest cycling in the Peak District.
    47, 75 and 111 mile routes.
    http://www.beestonccsportive.co.uk/
  • paul_smith_srcc
    paul_smith_srcc Posts: 247
    I would say late seventies through to mid eighties, I have two, Dave Yates was still M Steel back then and I used him for the Pearson custom frames when I was manager there.

    4358496333_0e4fd4bdcb_o.jpg

    4358496435_0f29e2eb02_o.jpg

    Mine are noth late eighties and have braze on gear lever bosses as you can see below; which is why I suggested yours maybe slightly earlier.

    4359238060_ceea5f1094_o.jpg


    Paul_Smith
    www.corridori.co.uk
    My personal cycling blog
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    If the components are original, then mid-80s at the latest - by this time aero brake levers had arrived and whether the gear mechs were indexed or not.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • themightyw
    themightyw Posts: 409
    What a fantastically helpful bunch you all are! Thank you!
  • paul_smith_srcc
    paul_smith_srcc Posts: 247
    themightyw wrote:
    What a fantastically helpful bunch you all are! Thank you!
    You could try Dave Yates; he made it after all; he's a lovely guy so will no doubt be happy to reply.

    Paul_Smith
    www.corridori.co.uk
    My personal cycling blog
  • Braithwaite
    Braithwaite Posts: 4
    ]DSCN4119.jpg

    This is my M Steel touring bike. I bought the frame in the 1980's and built it up using Campag with a pair of hand built wheels from Mercian. It is a lovely bike to ride and I like the pencil thin frame tubes - I'm getting tired of the oversize tubes although my lightweight Tifosi has them. There is something very classy about a Reynolds steel frame and M Steel (Dave Yates) could certainly build them.[/img]
  • paul_smith_srcc
    paul_smith_srcc Posts: 247
    Braithwaite wrote:
    ... M Steel (Dave Yates) could certainly build them
    Good thing about these older steel frames is that with modern equipment they are still a valid consideration. Although no longer M Steel, Dave does still build

    Paul_Smith
    www.corridori.co.uk
    My personal cycling blog
  • fnb1
    fnb1 Posts: 591
    my guess would be late 70s to early 80s, I have a 1984 M C Steel (badged Joe Waugh) fork crown is similar to yours, allen key seat tube clamp, suggests at least early 80s maybe but the badges, brakes and chainset suggest late 70s to me. M C Steel still there, frame number might let them ID it for you, As noted above the 531ST is Super Tourist which is supposed to be from 81 So would suggest from mix of frame and components you may have yourself a 81 or82
    fay ce que voudres

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