[CR] 531 decals-other languages

(Example: Framebuilding:Paint)

Date: Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:27:54 -0800
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
From: "Jan Heine" <heine94@earthlink.net>
Subject: [CR] 531 decals-other languages


>Regarding French being the only exception to English Reynolds decals:
>
>There was more to French 531 tubing than just the language of the
>decals. I believe I am correct in saying the tubing diameter was purely
>metric, as opposed to an English diameter expressed as a metric number,
>so it was a different product.

Yes, French Reynolds tubing came in metric diameters. Also, the French Reynolds distributor had a few special products made, such as the superlight 531 "3/10 mm" tubing. The same gauges later were used for 753, which is why the first 753 Raleighs used metric tubing. Then there was the low-end "Reynolds Speedy" tubing. Both the 531 3/10 mm and the Speedy were available only in France.

According to the Taylor brothers (see the interview in Bicycle Quarterly's Summer 09 issue), Reynolds tandem tubing also was available only in metric sizes during the 1950s, especially oversize fork blades. So Jack Taylor used French fork crowns with metric Reynolds 531 blades, and when they had more crowns made, they continued with the metric dimensions. (Most British makers of tandems used fork blades intended for single bikes.)

Beyond that, was there even another large export market for Reynolds tubing that did not speak English? By large, I mean 100,000+ tubesets a year, not a few hundred tubesets for companies like Cinelli in Italy or Schauff in Germany? I can't think of any.
>
>Also, as listmember Bazin pointed out, the French seemed to show a fair
>degree of affinity for English-sounding names.

Ernest Csuka of Cycles Alex Singer once told me: "An American will buy American products unless none are available. A French cyclist will buy a foreign product in preference to a French one, unless there aren't any."

He may be overstating things, but an English-sounding name appears to have been the marketing strategy of many French companies. And so you have lots of French riding "Luhk" (Look) and "Teem" (Time) bikes made by or for French companies. It took me a while to figure out what "Team" bikes were, until I realized that they were talking about "Time"!

Jan Heine
Editor
Bicycle Quarterly
2116 Western Ave.
Seattle WA 98121
http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com