1991 Claud Butler MTB Range
- Thread starter turkeytickler
- Start date
lrh":10vim0k5 said:Safe to say the coolest Claud Butler MTB ever made... Although that's not exactly saying much
Like how they show people riding on a cliff edge without helmets and then people posing with.
Go off there and you would need more than expanded polystyrene and a lycra cover to save you !! I think they were in more danger of standing up sharp under that cliff overhang
The bike was quite cutting edge at the time, suspension fork technology was still in its elastomer stages and Marzocchi were making open oil bath fork Woooow. Brakes were still on the whole cantis and these magura rim brakes were a marked improvement. Lugged frames were handbuilt and light oversize steel tubing still fairly new. Neon orange was a brave colour too. the flite saddle had been launched but was mostly on road bikes. I was an unusual product and quite sought after. Not many were forecast and they all sold. They are rare today and have some kudos as a British build frame. Not seen one for ages!!
tim2":19sdtuy2 said:lrh":19sdtuy2 said:Safe to say the coolest Claud Butler MTB ever made... Although that's not exactly saying much
Like how they show people riding on a cliff edge without helmets and then people posing with.
Go off there and you would need more than expanded polystyrene and a lycra cover to save you !! I think they were in more danger of standing up sharp under that cliff overhang
The bike was quite cutting edge at the time, suspension fork technology was still in its elastomer stages and Marzocchi were making open oil bath fork Woooow. Brakes were still on the whole cantis and these magura rim brakes were a marked improvement. Lugged frames were handbuilt and light oversize steel tubing still fairly new. Neon orange was a brave colour too. the flite saddle had been launched but was mostly on road bikes. I was an unusual product and quite sought after. Not many were forecast and they all sold. They are rare today and have some kudos as a British build frame. Not seen one for ages!!
Thanks for posting the catalogue scan and have a look at my sig for a thread about mine. Had since new and ridden regularly.
Carl.
Thanks for posting the catalogue scan and have a look at my sig for a thread about mine. Had since new and ridden regularly.
Carl.[/quote]
Had a look and It looks in great condition. By the way if they are original (they wil have quite fat welds) the bar ends are not tranZ x they are Venhill racing Uk made . Quite a rare and class bit of kit.
Nice to see this bike looking so good.
Carl.[/quote]
Had a look and It looks in great condition. By the way if they are original (they wil have quite fat welds) the bar ends are not tranZ x they are Venhill racing Uk made . Quite a rare and class bit of kit.
Nice to see this bike looking so good.
I haven't got a current set of pics for mine as it evolved a bit more last year again with the addition of a plain silver USE seat post (mine was supplied with a cheap KAlloy that would never hold the seat at the correct angle) rather than the one in the pics with the blue clamp, it now has a grey/orange Charge Spoon seat (I don't fit the Flight) and Onza L-bend bar ends (the Venhills currently live on my Sorcerer so I still have them. My bike was actually fitted with MX400 forks in the shop (they had the very distinctive drilled lowers) that I had swapped in the shop for a set on Manitou2's as the Early Zocchi forks were pretty poor, same cant be said of the later Bombers though.
Never seen another one, ever, must be one of the rarest bikes on here. Did you work for them?
Carl.
Never seen another one, ever, must be one of the rarest bikes on here. Did you work for them?
Carl.
It did come from Berkshire Cycles in Crowthorne (as per most of my bikes) and was quite heavily discounted when I got it.
Never knew too much about it before, do you have any info on the 653 tubeset, some say it's a whole new tubeset others it's 531 main tubes with 753 stays?
Carl.
Never knew too much about it before, do you have any info on the 653 tubeset, some say it's a whole new tubeset others it's 531 main tubes with 753 stays?
Carl.
lrh
Senior Retro Guru
A shame more high-end models didn't emerge from the Falcon "Skunk Works". I think Saracen got there first with Marzocchi's and Magura's though
When I researched it the best evidence pointed to 653/753 as 531 with work-hardening/heat-treatment (HT) to allow thinner-walled tubes:
(*Drawn according to Raleigh's specs)
That also chimes with a Reynolds factory tour (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdU_8O33m6U) that gives the strength specs as:
(85 vs 86 probably a typo)
Add in Magnum oversizing and God knows how this all translates into real-world frame strength/weight/ride vs 531/753... It's going to be stronger than 531, not necessarily lighter, more springy 753 back-end, but with more robust mains than 753. Best of both worlds?
When I researched it the best evidence pointed to 653/753 as 531 with work-hardening/heat-treatment (HT) to allow thinner-walled tubes:
- 653 = 531 Mains: Work-Hardened* / 531 Stays: Thinner with HT
- 753 = 531 Mains: Thinner with HT / 531 Stays: Thinner with HT
(*Drawn according to Raleigh's specs)
That also chimes with a Reynolds factory tour (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdU_8O33m6U) that gives the strength specs as:
- 531 = 52 Tonnes (Throughout)
- 653 = 52 Tonnes (Fork) / 60 Tonnes (Mains) / 85 Tonnes (Stays)
- 753 = 86 Tonnes (Throughout)
(85 vs 86 probably a typo)
Add in Magnum oversizing and God knows how this all translates into real-world frame strength/weight/ride vs 531/753... It's going to be stronger than 531, not necessarily lighter, more springy 753 back-end, but with more robust mains than 753. Best of both worlds?
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