We would jokingly call a box of Reynolds, Columbus, or Ishiwata tubing, a "Bike in a Box", because, in reality, it almost was.
The bare tubes were available in various gauges (thicknesses) depending on the proposed use of the frame. My favourite, was Columbus Record, as it was a very thin gauge tube and VERY light, at just over 1600gms per set and only used for timetrials. Mind you Reynolds 531 and Columbus SL, were our go-to sets, for most racing bikes, as their wall thickness was a bit heavier at the ends, but very thin in the middle of the tube. Those weighed in the mid-1900 gms, yielding a more robust frame.
You can also see a bottom bracket shell on the left side of the picture. Again Columbus was a favourite of ours. You can see on this one, I had cut a large heart into it. Cut-outs in the lugs and bottom bracket shells were very popular in the heyday of steel frames.
PHOTO: MIXED SET OF COLUMBU/REYNOLDS TUBING Bottom left: head tube Bottom right: chainstays (this pair has already started being cut, with the BB ends mitred for a road frame we never completed. Second from bottom: seat tube Next above: down tube Above that: top tube (you will notice the diameter is smaller than the down and seat tubes) Top: The steerer tube for the fork....the heaviest tube in the set (weighs more than the three largest main triangle tubes put together) Second from the Top: seat stays (Again they have already been cut to length and the tops cut diagonally to start the forming for proposed fastback configuration we were going to use on this frame) To the left: The bottom bracket shell (Note these and the lugs were always purchased separately)
Partial set of tubing. No fork blades
BIKE IN A BOX
We would jokingly call a box of Reynolds, Columbus, or Ishiwata tubing, a "Bike in a Box", because, in reality, it almost was.
The bare tubes were available in various gauges (thicknesses) depending on the proposed use of the frame. My favourite, was Columbus Record, as it was a very thin gauge tube and VERY light, at just over 1600gms per set and only used for timetrials. Mind you Reynolds 531 and Columbus SL, were our go-to sets, for most racing bikes, as their wall thickness was a bit heavier at the ends, but very thin in the middle of the tube. Those weighed in the mid-1900 gms, yielding a more robust frame.
You can also see a bottom bracket shell on the left side of the picture. Again Columbus was a favourite of ours. You can see on this one, I had cut a large heart into it. Cut-outs in the lugs and bottom bracket shells were very popular in the heyday of steel frames.
PHOTO: MIXED SET OF COLUMBU/REYNOLDS TUBING
Bottom left: head tube
Bottom right: chainstays (this pair has already started being cut, with the BB ends mitred for a road frame we never completed.
Second from bottom: seat tube
Next above: down tube
Above that: top tube (you will notice the diameter is smaller than the down and seat tubes)
Top: The steerer tube for the fork....the heaviest tube in the set (weighs more than the three largest main triangle tubes put together)
Second from the Top: seat stays (Again they have already been cut to length and the tops cut diagonally to start the forming for proposed fastback configuration we were going to use on this frame)
To the left: The bottom bracket shell (Note these and the lugs were always purchased separately)