> I have a copy of the original build sheet > for my Stan Pike, which was built in '83. > Even though the frame sports a Reynolds 531SL > red label, the frame is made up of various > types of tubes, all identified on the sheet. > The mix is as follows: > > Reynolds 531 - top tube, seat tube, head tube > Super Vitus - down tube, seat and chain stays > Columbus - forks > > I believe it was quite common for builders of > the era, particularly small-output builders, > to mix tubes based on what their vision of the > frame was. (Or maybe they were just using what > was lying around the shop.)
I think both of those last two statements contain a large element of truth. I also think it's why Italian builders were less likely to have tubing decals on their frames - at least until Reynolds forced everyone to suffer from "decal envy". My recollection is that the 531 decals were a conscious part of Reynolds' marketing plans to create demand for their product by making their tubing into a recognizable brand - as recognizable as the frame maker's name if not more so. Best regards, Fred Rednor - Arlington, Virginia
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