Mark --
I was riding a Casati Gold Line made with SL, and at above 200 lb. Wouldn't say it was the tubing, but I never once let go the handlebars when riding that bike -- no real sense of inherent stability.
Contrast that to the first time on an early '70s Masi GC, tubing uncertain. I needed to make a jersey adjustment within the first 30 seconds of the very first ride and didn't even notice I'd been riding no-hands until I was grabbing the bars again. Still, the bike's a GC and handles beautifully, of course.
Dan Kehew Davis, California USA
On Sun, Sep 28, 2008 at 11:47 AM, Mark Stonich <mark@bikesmithdesign.com> wrote:
> I'd like to hear from 175-190 pounders who ride frames made with Reynolds
> 531 SL tubing. Do they, as Jan says "plane" or are they noodles? Does the
> chain rub the derailleur whenever the road gets steep?
>
> I'm planning to build myself a new 21" frame, which I'll equip with mostly
> on topic parts. The frame it will replace is an '81 Trek 710 with 531
> standard butted tubes, forks and stays. I don't cause any noticeable amount
> of flex on this. I weigh 185 but I'm not a strong rider and could weigh 165
> without losing any muscle. (Anybody know where I can buy some will power?)
> I run low gears, so rarely have to stand when climbing. The bike will
> not be used for touring.
>
> I have a couple of old sets of standard 531, but I just found out a friend
> is sitting on several sets of 531 SL.
>
> BTW I've built a couple of recumbents where the frame stores some power at
> peak pedal force and returns it later in the stroke. Both climb quite well
> (at least for recumbents). So I'm convinced that matching frame flex to the
> rider can provide the "Planing" Jan refers to.
>
> Mark Stonich;
> BikeSmith Design & Fabrication
> 5349 Elliot Ave S. - Minneapolis. MN 55417
> Ph. (612) 824-2372 http://bikesmithdesign.com
> http://mnhpva.org