# Reynolds 953 ??



## duboisdeflute (Sep 10, 2009)

Hi what the diference 953 vs 853 , 725 I,m looking for infos about Reynolds steel. What the best choice for custom road bike ?
thank´s


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## Guest (Jan 17, 2010)

Start with the fact that 953 is Stainless Steel .........

Try googling "Reynolds Tubing"

Leave the choice of steel blend up to your builder.


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## Scooper (Mar 4, 2007)

Retro-Classic seems an odd place for a question about 953.  

Here goes:

*Steel 725*

Reynolds 725 - heat treated
UTS: 70 - 83 Tsi, 157 - 186 Ksi,
1080 - 1280 MPa 

The Chrome-molybdenum steel is an industry standard similar to our 753 range of tubes and we use both seamless and welded raw materials for this range. The heat treated CrMo is precision butted on our mandrels and is offered in a wide range of tube sizes for all styles of frames. This material is ideal for TIG welding and brazing, with joining by lug or lugless construction. 725 is a material that allows thin gauge, tight tolerance tube, providing maximum weight saving for competitive use. Reynolds recommend 725 or 631 forks for use with 725 road and touring frames.

*Steel 853*

Reynolds 853 - heat treated
UTS: 81 - 91 Tsi, 180 - 210 Ksi,
1250 - 1450 MPa 

STEEL IS REAL !

This seamless air-hardening steel tube sets new standards for professional cycle frames and proves that steel still has a future at the highest levels. It is suitable for TIG welding and brazing, using lugged or lugless construction. The production process ensures tight tolerance, gauge tubes. The strength to weight ratio of 853 is close to that of quality titanium frames. A normal chrome molybdenum steel will lose strength in the joints after the heat has been applied.

This material (853) INCREASES in strength as the frame cools to strengths well in excess of the delivered values shown above. This unique air hardening property of Reynolds 853 provides additional strength through reduced microyielding at the joints, allowing 'stiffer' frames with excellent fatigue strength (when compared to standard chrome molybdenum) and a superior ride quality from the finished frame. On road and touring frames we recommend the use of 631 or 725 fork blades with 853 frames.

We offer this tube set in many sizes for custom framebuilders, and is suitable for lightweight frames, strong/tall riders and has also been specified for free-ride and BMX frames due to its' high impact strength.

*Steel 953*

Reynolds 953 : MAR-AGING STAINLESS STEEL

UTS : 110-127Tsi, 250-290 ksi
1750-2050 MPa

Reynolds latest innovation takes steel alloys into a new league. By utilizing a specially developed martensitic-aging alloy stainless steel that can achieve ultimate tensile strength in excess of 2000MPa, this has a strength-to-weight ratio that can take on the best materials currently used in the industry. The resilient ride of steel, very high impact strength (similar to armor plating) and fatigue resistance combine to provide an extraordinary material that can now be used in butted tubing.

953 have been developed using material from Carpenter Specialty Alloys. The strength of this material can be customized by controlling the amount of cold-work and heat-treatment - this allows us to optimize strength and ductility to suit the applications in 953. Reynolds also offer highly stressed components like the butted bottom bracket shell and rear drop-outs in the 953 alloy, along with fittings to complete a frame based on a high-strength precipitation-hardening Carpenter alloy and other weldable stainless steels. More information on these materials can be found in our FAQ's in the 953 section, and technical comparisons are shown under Technology/Comparative Properties on our website.

Reynolds will work with frame fabricators to provide recommended production techniques, so that the challenges inherent in using an extremely hard metal can be overcome. With wall thickness down to 0.3mm, frame builders will be handling very thin walled tubing, and 'best practice' techniques are similar to those used in titanium frame welding. It will be possible to manufacture TIG welded, fillet-brazed and lugged frames using 953. 

Benefits: Ultra-strong steel, with anti-corrosion features from a stainless steel. And the legendary ride of steel.


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## tihsepa (Nov 27, 2008)

Scooper. 

Thanks, thats really good reading. 
Where does black iron fit in the mix?


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## Scooper (Mar 4, 2007)

A from Il said:


> Where does black iron fit in the mix?


You're kidding, right?  

"Black iron" is really carbon steel gas pipe. It's thick walled straight-gauge (heavy) seamed pipe that many would say doesn't fit into the mix at all, at least in the context of bicycle frame tubing.


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## duboisdeflute (Sep 10, 2009)

Thank´s for your post , I,m very interested in a new steel lugged frame. ( sorry for my English , I,m from France ,living in Spain ) I run Tommasini ( columbus ) Pinarello ( eom 16.5 ) annd Caad7 ( aluminium ) and Seven titanium ) I,m looking for Reynolds steel frame , the nearest builder from here is Mercian , but I think only build frame in 631,725,and 853, not 953 at this time.
thank´s


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## paredown (Oct 18, 2006)

Bob Jackson claim that they will make a 953 frame--never seen one or seen a price for one.

I'd put them on the same level as Mercian, for a quality British frame.


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## smallmig (Feb 1, 2007)

*Reynolds 520*

Perhaps this is a question best answered by Scooper....I see a lot of new production bicycles using Reynolds 520. Can you tell us anything about this type of tubing?

Thanks,
Smallmig


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## Scooper (Mar 4, 2007)

smallmig said:


> Perhaps this is a question best answered by Scooper....I see a lot of new production bicycles using Reynolds 520. Can you tell us anything about this type of tubing?
> 
> Thanks,
> Smallmig


From the Reynolds website, 520 is cold-worked chromium molybdenum alloy made under license in Taiwan and made to the same quality standards as UK produced tubing.

Ultimate Tensile Strength is 700-900 MPa.

520 has the same 0.30% carbon steel chemistry as the Reynolds 725 range but without the heat-treatment process. The strength and ductility can be varied by cold-working and normalizing if required.

http://reynoldstechnology.biz/our_materials_520.php


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## OES (Jan 23, 2002)

duboisdeflute said:


> Thank´s for your post , I,m very interested in a new steel lugged frame. ( sorry for my English , I,m from France ,living in Spain ) I run Tommasini ( columbus ) Pinarello ( eom 16.5 ) annd Caad7 ( aluminium ) and Seven titanium ) I,m looking for Reynolds steel frame , the nearest builder from here is Mercian , but I think only build frame in 631,725,and 853, not 953 at this time.
> thank´s


It's fun to nit-pick these different steels, but the fact is you'll be delighted with any of them as the end user.


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