Made in britain

Top tubes 531, 753, 953… the numbers are as emblematic as the frame stickers. Dan Farrell visits a 110-year old British company: Reynolds Technology Ltd

n a quiet corner of the factory, in 1953 were supplied by Reynolds. nestled amongst some The chassis of Thrust 2, later to bicycle frames, is a framed propel itself into the record books at photograph of a cyclist on 655mph, was built in Reynolds’ own the Champs-Elysées in Paris. factory using 531 tubing. ICloser inspection reveals some handwriting – ‘All the best, Greg British steel LeMond’. Nearby is a picture of The origins of the company can . Both Tour de be traced back to 1841, when France winners are linked to this Alfred Reynolds’ grandfather, area of Birmingham by patent John, established himself as a nail number 24,931, ‘Improvements manufacturer. This company (John relating to the Manufacture of Reynolds & Sons) grew quickly Tubes.’ The inventors were Alfred and was awarded a gold medal for Reynolds and John Hewitt. quality and excellence at the Great (Top) Sizing dies for with the ends of a greater thickness butted tubes. Reynolds The Reynolds name is Exhibition in 1851. Alfred joined the invented the process than the body. Production began at inextricably linked to cycling, family business in 1884, and shortly of butting the Crown Nail Works, but within (Above) Alf Hodson and legends such as Charly Gaul, afterwards, scarcely ten miles has been with a year ‘The Patent Butted Tube , and away, the Rover Safety bicycle was Reynolds for over five Company’ was established as a decades. He may have Miguel Indurain are a few of the unveiled to the world by JK Starley. drawn the tubing for separate undertaking, supplying many – 27 winners This bicycle re-defined cycling Anquetil’s Tour de butted and tapered tubes largely to France winning frames since 1958 – who have ridden to as a pastime for all, and with the the cycle industry. victory on Reynolds-tubed frames. demand for bicycles increasing, One hundred and ten years later, But heroes of many different kinds scores of cycle factories appeared in butted steel tubes for bicycles are have relied on Reynolds tubing, Birmingham and Coventry. still Reynolds’ core product. Their with the company supplying Looking for opportunities to processes are similar, and on 25,000 miles of light alloy tubing expand, Alfred Reynolds considered viewing the factory one could be for, amongst others, WW2 aircraft the problems that cycle makers had forgiven for thinking that some of like the Bristol Blenheim and the in joining thin tubes to thick lugs. their solid, British-built, machines Supermarine Spitfire. The oxygen With the help of his foreman Hewitt, could be the originals. This is not cylinders used during Hilary and Reynolds devised the ‘butting’ the case, but Managing Director Tensing’s successful Everest ascent process – the manufacture of tubes Keith Noronha is unapologetic, ❱❱

APRIL/MAY 2011 cycle 45 Made in britain

❱❱ pointing out a modern machine that is ‘not strong (Clockwise from top depth of knowledge of his staff that cyclists get to ride left) 953 has twice enough for our current generation of steels’. Keith the tensile strength of frames built from these new steels. has been involved with Reynolds for many years and, 531. Reynolds produce titanium tubing as well having seen ownership pass from the Tube Investments as steel. Reynolds Space age tubing (TI) Group (into which Reynolds was absorbed in 1928) release special 531 It is easy to forget that steel tube is not Reynolds’ transfers to celebrate to Coyote Sports. After the bankruptcy of Coyote, he the 50th York Rally only product. Whilst the company’s reputation was led a management buyout in 2000 to take control of forged by the success of the immortal 531 manganese Reynolds and keep them in their Birmingham factory. molybdenum (introduced in 1935 and still in use They have since had to move from their home for today) and 753 (effectively heat-treated 531) steels, both 90 years, Hay Hall in Tyseley, and are now resident in aluminium and titanium feature in the product range. Hall Green, barely a mile away. There was no question Reynolds were the first company to supply butted 6/4 of moving overseas. ‘We need our staff, we need our titanium tubes, and their X-100 aluminium-lithium machines,’ explains Keith. ‘Setting up somewhere else tubes were a spin-off from NASA’s space shuttle project. would be unthinkable and almost impossible.’ As more industries demand increased strength and less weight, boundaries are being tested – Reynolds 953, Magic numbers recording twice the tensile strength of 531, is one result Raw materials are brought in from around the world. of this push. This remarkable ‘maraging’ stainless The air-hardening materials (631, 853) originate material has superior strength-to-weight properties from Germany and are also used for side-impact compared to aluminium and titanium, as well as very beams in cars. The latest 953 material is the result high impact strength and fatigue resistance. of a development project with Carpenter in the USA. The increasing specialism of Reynolds’ products is Reynolds, as ever, draw the material down to the key to keeping the company manufacturing in England. required size, using an internal butting bar to achieve In the 1970s, production peaked at 10,000 tubesets per the required profile. The tube is then passed between week, but as volume bicycle manufacture has all but left spinning ‘reels’ that increase the tube diameter, Britain, Reynolds now base their business around high allowing the butting bar to be withdrawn. quality, custom-drawn tubes – the most popular being A final pass through a sizing die, followed by 853 – sold to customers worldwide. With increasing straightening, leaves the butted tube ready for any interest from outside cycling, Reynolds materials are heat treatment that may be required. Some tubes now found in products such as ice-skates, suspension (particularly chainstays) need further processing to arms, sports wheelchairs and motorcycles. create the desired shape. Huge rotary hammer presses As companies become more environmentally and are used for these tube manipulations (‘manips’). Each safety conscious, the demand for high-strength, profile has its own tooling set. lightweight tubing continues to increase. Reynolds’ This is skilled work, and Reynolds’ craftsmen have expertise often makes them the first port of call for had plenty of practice. Anquetil won four of his Tour such requirements. It is not difficult to see why. As de France victories on 531 tubing that may have been Production Manager Paul Murphy says, ‘Reynolds have drawn by Alf Hodson, now in his 52nd year at Reynolds. the materials, the equipment, the technical knowledge, Others in the 12-strong workforce have notched up and the experience.’ over 30 years of service. Keith stresses that whilst metallurgical advances push mechanical properties For more about Reynolds tubing, see the website, higher and higher, it is thanks to the experience and www.reynoldstechnology.co.uk

46 cycle APRIL/MAY 2011