In a message dated 1/1/2003 7:33:07 PM Eastern Standard Time, R.Delmare@Charter.net writes:
<< was Raleigh's usual "1020" steel really the exact same chemical formula as the USA 4130 chromium molybdenum steel ? >>
Let me insert a few comments here...
- I am pretty certain that Raleigh touring bike is a moderately inexpensive Asian produced model (26" wheels?)
- 1020 is carbon steel not Chromoly ( a lot cheaper)
- In the Huffy-owned Raleigh era, they took great liberties with tubing names, decals, numbers, designations, and such, mostly IMO to obscure the fact that these were often not "real" British made Raleighs but Japanese and Taiwan bikes.
- While the numerical nomenclature (531, etc.) is supposed to have been based upon metallurgic content, that went by the boards long ago and now are just points of reference, not clues to the makeup of the steel...
- Remember that Reynolds tubing, whether the HM (High Manganese) or 531 or 753 etc. is not Chromoly. (Some of the new Reynolds tubes are...) That was the big distinguishing difference from Columbus, Vitus, Tange, Ishiwata, Oria, Excel, etc. in that the alloying with manganese (and no chromium) made it theoretically better/stronger after the heat of brazing..
Dale Brown
Greensboro, North Carolina