Reynolds 531 frame and Tange 2 forks.

[velomentary]

Hello I'm just working out if I bike I'm building up from the late 70s early 80s would have been Reynolds 531 frame and Tange 2 forks. Did bike builders use that combo. The stickers on the frame were Reynolds 531 but when I took it apart the forks were stamped Tange 2I made in Japan so just wondering if the frame works out the same or if some bike builders used both? The frame came with no decals so not sure if it's date/time/make

 

[non-fixie]

Hmmm. What make are the dropouts and fork ends? Is there a serial number? What does the underside of the bottom bracket shell look like? No cable stop on the chainstay?

My first impression is that the frame has had some work done to it in the past and the forks may not be original. The mudguard eyelets do not seem to match.

Great colour, though.

 

[hamster]

The old 531db tubeset had overly thick fork blades, so much so that in a crash the frame would bend and the forks survive. That's clearly a daft design so custom builders might use a different tubeset for forks if for no other reason than to save a little weight.

That said, it may well simply be an aftermarket set of forks. Normally the forks would have a frame number stamped on them - if so, does it match?

 

[non-fixie]

BTW, there should be a date code on the steerer, consisting of a number (year) and letter (month).

 

[velomentary]

Thanks for this - I'll have a closer inspection and see what I can find from it. I'll share any useful info.