Reynolds 653 or 753

bsb1971

Where would be good places to source an old Raleigh (preferably) Reynolds 653 or 753, 53 or 54 cm.

2011abc

Well 753 is Way Better than 653 for starters but can I just throw in a quick comment .Quite a long time ago ... at least a decade ...I had a carbon road bike and a 753 track bike .The latter obviously was stripped , with no brakes or gears .It was heavier , slower and rode worse .I could think of no reason other than pure nostalgia that you'd want a 753 road bike over a basic modern aluminium one ( and a 653 would be a crucifixition)
If you're going near hills or this isn't a second bike think first ....

To answer question

EBay or

Donedeal

Having said the above I've recently 'inherited' an old 60s British bike which was left out in the rain and it's 100% functional despite having ball bearings fall out of pedals, tons of surface rust and generally being neglected .Most modern bikes seize up at the sight of a bit of water ...

Eamonnator

Retro Bikes have a section devoted to sales. They also have an Auction Watch section.

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/

magicbastarder

2011abc wrote: »

If you're going near hills or this isn't a second bike think first ....

depends on what you'd want from your first bike, surely? i doubt someone looking for a vintage frame would be thinking of it as a primary race bike.

ford2600

Nothing like a good anorak or two

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/retro-classic/whats-deal-reynolds-753-a-222027.html

magicbastarder

i ended up down a minor rabbit hole of reading specs on 725, thanks to that.

in summary: it's grand, you can make decent bikes from it.

Miklos

I've an old Kenevans road frame that's 653 and I love it. Sure it's flexier and heavier than a new carbon frame and but you're hardly looking for a performance advantage are you?

Homer1798

Not much difference between 653 and 753, 753 is essentially the same alloy as 531 with thinner guages and heat treated (and needs to be silver soldered/brazed). 653 is comprised of 753 seat/chain stays with 531 professional main frame (531 in a thinner guage but not as thin as 753) and a 531c fork blades. I have a 653 Raleigh in the shed, it needs a respray, but I'll let it go cheap if it fits you.

magicbastarder

i dunno what it is with old frames, but you do tend to see massive ones around much more commonly than ones built for normal sized people.

Eamonnator

I have a 1998 Peugeot frame with 653 tubing.
I built it up with carbon forks and modern budget Campagnolo group set with Zonda wheels and alloy finishing kit.Complete with pedals and bottle cages, it weighs a tad over 8kgs. not lightweight by any means, but not too lardy.
It is really comfortable to ride. In fact I did a 160km sportive on it and averaged over 30 kph. I have never felt crucified on it.