New to me touring bike

[buzz22]

A few days ago I picked up this custom built touring bike off facebook marketplace.

The frame is Reynold 531 Super Tourist and rides very nicely.

The gentleman who designed and built it is a retired mechanical engineer, and a lot of thought went into the design. He built it for a family member around 10 years ago who had similar dimensions to me (6'5" and solid).

Elongated and curved seat stays add comfort to the ride and along with the long chain stays mean that my heels are unlikely to ever hit a pannier.

The driveline is all Shimano- 105 triple crankset and front derailleur, Deore rear derailleur and Ultegra brifters for the Shimano V brakes and 3 x 9 speed shifting.

700c wheels with 32mm tyres ( it will take 35's) give a good ride, overall I'm very happy at this stage.

All I've done is adjust the ergonomics, new bar tape and swapped the Tioca rack for a Topeak rack to fit my existing luggage.

A decent ride awaits.

 

[Cycleops]

Wow, that is a looong frame. You could double the size of that pannier and still have room.
If you and the designer have similar dimensions you've just saved yourself a heap of money on a custom job
You don't say what you paid for it.

 

[MichaelW2]

What length cranks do you have.
The frame looks very proportional, unlike most big frames. I didnt notice the "long" chainstays until you pointed them out. Where do you find chainstay tubing that long?

 

[Spiderweb]

Wow, that would cost a small fortune to have custom built.
3 bottle cages within the main triangle, you could even get one or two more behind the seat tube😀

 

[buzz22]

Wow, that is a looong frame. You could double the size of that pannier and still have room.
If you and the designer have similar dimensions you've just saved yourself a heap of money on a custom job
You don't say what you paid for it.

I paid $500 AUD, a bargain I reckon.
It's one of the first bikes I've had that looks like it fits me.

 

[buzz22]

What length cranks do you have.
The frame looks very proportional, unlike most big frames. I didnt notice the "long" chainstays until you pointed them out. Where do you find chainstay tubing that long?

The cranks are 175mm. I'm not sure where he sourced the tubing, but he has made other bikes using various Reynolds tubing including 531 C and 753.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Nice to see the pegs for the frame fit pump. Enjoy.

 

[buzz22]

Wow, that would cost a small fortune to have custom built.
3 bottle cages within the main triangle, you could even get one or two more behind the seat tube😀

There are fittings to have another cage under the downtube near the crankset, I removed the cage as I thought 3 was enough 😄

 

[T4tomo]

Looks super elegant, unlike a lot of very large frames which can be a bit garden gate-esque. I didnt notice until I read 6'5" and scrolled back up. It the long chainstays that make it, and the curved stays are great. it will also be super stable. I have a 531ST old Peugeot in more modest frame dimensions, it rides very smooth.

 

[Cycleops]

I paid $500 AUD, a bargain I reckon.
It's one of the first bikes I've had that looks like it fits me.

Blimey, that's 250 of our British pounds.

 

[buzz22]

Blimey, that's 250 of our British pounds.

The going rate for decent steel framed touring bikes here is generally more than that.

 

[buzz22]

Looks super elegant, unlike a lot of very large frames which can be a bit garden gate-esque. I didnt notice until I read 6'5" and scrolled back up. It the long chainstays that make it, and the curved stays are great. it will also be super stable. I have a 531ST old Peugeot in more modest frame dimensions, it rides very smooth.

The low bottom bracket helps keep it looking in proportion I think.

 

[buzz22]

Looks super elegant, unlike a lot of very large frames which can be a bit garden gate-esque. I didnt notice until I read 6'5" and scrolled back up. It the long chainstays that make it, and the curved stays are great. it will also be super stable. I have a 531ST old Peugeot in more modest frame dimensions, it rides very smooth.

Here's one of my road bikes, completely different proportions. Very different feel for sure.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Indeed, here's my Dawes, which just looks like it has been stretched vertically and doesn't look at all as nicely proportioned.

 

[MichaelW2]

The low bottom bracket helps keep it looking in proportion I think.

No it should have a BB an inch or so higher to fit proportional long cranks without corner strike.