Reynolds 531c

[arcon]

Hi,

Returning to the saddle after nearly 20 years and am not sure which way to go - new bike or kit out an old Holdsworth 531 frame thats been in the garage. Would todays aluminium frames/bikes be better?

Any help appreciated

 

[Smokin Joe]

The old frame will be heavier than today's offerings and the dropouts would need a bit of manipulating to get a 9/10 speed hub to fit. You would have to be careful of internal corrosion too, frames from those days were not very well protected, same as 20 year old cars.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Hi,

Returning to the saddle after nearly 20 years and am not sure which way to go - new bike or kit out an old Holdsworth 531 frame thats been in the garage. Would todays aluminium frames/bikes be better?

Any help appreciated

Welcome arcon

If it were me... I'd restore the Holdsworth (as they're my fave frames), but the reality is it depends what you want the bike for. There are options

If you want a nice ride, something distinctive, handbuilt, an old friend, then you know what to do. Parts are available to bring it up to a more modern spec but if you have the old-style freewheel you might need new wheels. There is an opinion that "Steel is real" and retro (and old 531) is very fashionable these days.

If though you simply want a new blinging modern bike, then why not, what kind of riding do you want to do and how much do you want to spend? Modern bikes are a bit lighter, certainly stiffer in most cases, but might lack the comfort of the 531. Modern componants work well and are very smooth.
OR...
Do a bit of both, maybe convert the Holdsworth to a fixie, or winter bike and buy a new one for Sunday best? You can never have too many bikes.

Get some recommendations and try a few modern race-bikes out and see how they feel!

BTW, love to know more about the Holds, if it's my size can I have first refusal... my current one was made in 1949 and she's just a tad to old and beaten to hit the streets any more, so she's retired to the garage on Turbo duty

 

[Nick G]

I went through a similar dilemna recently

The cost of bringing my old Dawes road bike (also 531) up to date (in particular i wanted lever shifters rather than down tube) would have been uneconomical in that I could have bought a new and better bike for more or less the same. I therefore decided to splash out on a new road bike and have converted my old bike into a fixie. I'm using it to learn about maintenance and for commuting and it is my favourite bike at the moment.

In real terms, i think the cost of bikes has come down a lot and while there's much to be said for the quality of the old bikes, I don't think there's a lot of point in spending money on upgrading them. Also, the secondhand value is pretty low so for me the best thing is to put it to alternate use.

 

[Fab Foodie]

The cost of bringing my old Dawes road bike (also 531) up to date (in particular i wanted lever shifters rather than down tube) would have been uneconomical in that I could have bought a new and better bike for more or less the same. I therefore decided to splash out on a new road bike and have converted my old bike into a fixie. I'm using it to learn about maintenance and for commuting and it is my favourite bike at the moment.

In real terms, i think the cost of bikes has come down a lot and while there's much to be said for the quality of the old bikes, I don't think there's a lot of point in spending money on upgrading them. Also, the secondhand value is pretty low so for me the best thing is to put it to alternate use.

I agree that restoring an old bike needs to be done as a labour of love, though it need not cost a king's ransom. The result though is something different. This one's a treat, you'll not see another like it on the road.

http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=21064

Depending on it's vintage etc. a fully restored Holdsworth can be a very lovely thing! Also agree that a fixed conversion is a low cost option.

 

[Nick G]

I agree that restoring an old bike needs to be done as a labour of love, though it need not cost a king's ransom. The result though is something different. This one's a treat, you'll not see another like it on the road.

http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=21064

Depending on it's vintage etc. a fully restored Holdsworth can be a very lovely thing! Also agree that a fixed conversion is a low cost option.

I agree - a restoration job would be a great thing to do for a lovely old steel stead. My understanding was that the OP was about bringing the bike up to date, however.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I agree - a restoration job would be a great thing to do for a lovely old steel stead. My understanding was that the OP was about bringing the bike up to date, however.

Yep my understanding too Nick. Djb has obviously upgraded the original parts with the "bits lying around in his garage".
To modernise a new drivetrain is required, which (depending on age) will also require new wheels and the rear stays spreading (I had some done for £15 at my LBS). New drive train componants can be had quite cheaply with a bit of shopping around.
I'm planning to restore a 531ST touring frame that I pulled from a skip a while back. Apart from wheels and drive-train, the rest is re-usable with a bit of tlc. I have the wheels, good re-enamel £100 (it needs it), £200-300 max on drivetrain, cables, new guards. Say £400 tops for a good as new handbuilt 531 Touring/Audax bike seems good to me!

 

[swee'pea99]

When you say 'frame', do you mean literally that? Because if so, that makes a hell of a difference. If that is the case, my suggestion would be - if you're reasonably ebay-literate and patient - to buy a good bike from that era for, say £50, and ruthlessly strip it for parts. You would, in my view, have to pay quite a lot and choose carefully to find a bike you'd enjoy as much as you'd enjoy that one if you got it set up right.

 

[arcon]

Thanks to all those who responded - would seem that I need to think carefully about whats really important. I like the idea of a 'restoration' job (also have a pair of Mavic GP4s) but fear I'm being seduced by the glossy racers with aluminium frames, slick paint jobs and lever shifters!

I'll think on it for a bit. Thanks again.

 

[02GF74]

You would have to be careful of internal corrosion too, frames from those days were not very well protected, same as 20 year old cars.

hmmmm, tell that to my 33 year old lad rover, that I would guess will still be on the road when your tin top has gone to BMW* heaven.


* insert name of your tin top.

 

[jimboalee]

Bringing a bike back up to some kind of decent standard after its been in the garage for 25 years is well satisfying when the job's finished.

It needed a wheel rebuild with MA3s, but everything else is there.
One cannot condemn 531 to be a hackabout fixie.