Look what I found: if it ain't broke...

R

Rik

logged out
Don't fix it!
:p

This ended up in our garage through whatever reason, I laid my claim on it months ago and now it's time to put it to good use.







Reynolds 753 :cool: "Arrow" brand with Pedal Pushers stickers, NFI about its history though.

It's close enough to my size, 55x56, and I've been wanting to get another roadie for many years now. There's a decent dent on the top tube and that worries me a bit, but I can't see drastic failure occurring so I'll take a chance with it.

As for the build, well there's the quandry. SS or gears? Retro or modern? Flat bars? :eek:
Hrm... A few ideas are kicking around and I want to make something special of it, but first thing's first: get it built with whatever I can to make sure it's comfortable enough for me to justify putting effort in. This'll probably take a few weeks at least, losing enough weight to allow for comfortable reach on the drops will be necessary before anything else can happen.

Let's see where this goes eh...
 
wombat

wombat

Lives in a hole
Those lugs are fucking sex.

I wonder if they'd be better with a single colour? Or maybe polished lugs on a midnight blue frame.....
 
alchemist

alchemist

Manly Warringah MTB Club
SS, retroish build, keep colour scheme, I'm sure you can find some gold rims and possibly hubs to match.
 
R

Rik

logged out
Mr Reynolds asks "wtf is 753", I wondered the same.
Some googling:

"One of the reasons 753 tubing is rare is because fewer then 50 frame builders were ever qualified to make frames with it because it could only be lugged with brazing temps of no more then 650 degrees; so Reynolds only sent tubing to those that had been qualified.

The 753 was the top of the line tubing in the mid 80's Reynolds produced, then they had several 753 tube types, the "R" means racing and it was their best and lightest 753. I think...though could be wrong, but that particular frameset had a rider weight limit of 175 pounds."

Wow...

Oh yeah, I'm not repainting it. Gold rims = win, but there's no way I'm buying Velocity and looking like every other poseur out there :p Strictly low profile rims for me. My tastes are quirky, if I can dig up enough old bits that'll be the way to go.
 
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slip

slip

Beefcake...BEEFCAKE!!!
Some nice shiny polished cranks/wheels/bars, SS, drops. Don't listen to RCOH in the other thread, it'll look like a Christmas tree. Polished parts will look nice and let the frame/lugs feature without making it part of one massive green and gold assault on the optics.
 
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Carlin

Carlin

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I would be dissapointed if Rik built a bike that was not an assault on the senses.

And you guys just wish you had deep vee's :p
 
Macr

Macr

Likes Dirt
Rik said:
Oh yeah, I'm not repainting it. Gold rims = win, but there's no way I'm buying Velocity and looking like every other poseur out there :p Strictly low profile rims for me. My tastes are quirky, if I can dig up enough old bits that'll be the way to go.
Click to expand...
How many companies manufacture gold road rims? Also they don't have to be Deep V's from velocity, they do make some fairly low profile rims in gold like Aeroheads. I didn't notice was the frame 27" or 700c wheel size geometry? Oh and show us the dent, please?
 
wombat

wombat

Lives in a hole
But but but....but it'll look like a training bike for the Aus Cricket team!

I like the green, but how about giving the lugs a polish and clear coat?
C'mon, you know it'll be trick! Get the dremel and a polishing bit and get onto that shit!
 
J

jasco

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Rik said:
Reynolds 753 :cool: "Arrow" brand with Pedal Pushers stickers, NFI about its history though.
Click to expand...
Pedal Pushers you say? I work down there a day a week, I'll ask Steve next time I'm in. He'll either have NFI what I'm talking about, who tell you who bought it, what groupset it once had on it and how long it's been in for a service. Any other details about it?? Where did you source the frame from??

-Garth
 
U

U.D.O

Likes Bikes and Dirt
thats a sick frame!
are you going to repaint because the paint isn't looking the best?

pop up some pics once your done :D
 
McPete

McPete

Likes Dirt
I'm quite envious. That frame is glorious, so much nicer than my old Tange Hi-Tens Apollo III... Those lugs are nice enough on their own.

To get it going real quick, you might try the local tip recycling centre, find a bike with the same rear spacing and stripping that down. Ride that a bit, then decide if you want to go the full banana with old stuff and starting to comb fleabay for NOS bits, go SS and be done with it, or investigate a modern brifter setup. Brifters may be slightly problematic if this was originally a 10 or 12 speed setup, as the spacing will be wrong for a modern hub.
 
dunk

dunk

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Ah Reynolds 753R - I loved that stuff. My two favourite custom made frames of all time to ride were 753R. I don't recall who the framebuilders around Sydney in the 80's that could do 753 were, but I remember there wasn't many and it was damn expensive.

I've seen those lugs somewhere before in dark recesses of my memory........

If the rear spacing is 126mm I have a set of early edition dura ace hubs 28H laced to Mavis GP4's if your interested - going cheap.
 
Phantom

Phantom

Triffid Farmer
dunk said:
I've seen those lugs somewhere before in dark recesses of my memory........
Click to expand...
They are Everest investment cast "web" lugs.
As sold by British Int.
I have a set on a 653 frame in the shedI built about 20 years ago.
 
b_S

b_S

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Well it only took 15 months :rolleyes:






Stuffed around to get 9spd downtube shifters from overseas. Procrastinated on wheel build and decided to build some CX/29" wheels - Velocity Synergy on Disc hubs. wtf!
Had a nightmare trying to fit 28c tyres in the fork, there was no brake clearance on the Sachs calipers and any brake that would fit was a long-reach unit. Finally gave up and put 23c on, the rest of the parts I had laying and waiting to go.

All came together to look pretty damn good though!

Unfortunately the geometry and position is a bit too small and racey for my liking, especially as I want to commute on it. Not good in traffic, and toe overlap sucks! Will play around with different bars, stems and saddles, do my best to get the brakes to actually stop and see how it goes but unfortunately I'm thinking this'll get stripped and dumped pretty soon :eek: shame really as it's a great looker, but what good is that if it doesn't ride well (hurr hurr hurr).
 
b_S

b_S

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Hah awesome! :cool:

Might try and put most of the bits on an old touring frame, will achieve pretty much the same look with a fair bit more practicality.
 
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