Frames

Pipedream release limited edition Reynolds 931 frame

Reynolds 931 is the tubeset company’s latest offering. Several years ago they released their first stainless steel tubeset, 953, which offered a comparable weight to 3AL-2.5V titanium but with a higher tensile strength, but its lack of uptake, despite much interest at launch, was attributed to its premium price tag and difficulty to work with.

931 then addresses those concerns with a slightly different makeup of 17% Chromium, 4% Nickel and Copper mix to make it more affordable. It sits between 853 and 953 in the range. It’s said to be easier to work with which should attract more frame builders to produce frames with the new tubeset, and as it can be paired with 953 there’s much scope for some interesting designs.

Which leads us nicely to news of Pipedream’s brand new 31 frameset, the X R931. Regular readers of Bikemagic will remember we tested a Pipedream a number of years ago (I liked the frame so much I even bought one) and the company has been bobbing along on the fringe of the UK frame building scene for a number of years since their early flourish seven years ago.

The X R931 is their new limited edition frame. Just 100 will be sold. It’s designed in the UK and celebrates UK bike design. It uses cold-drawn tubes with wall thicknesses of just 0.4mm – compared to 0.7-0.9mm typical in titanium frames – and weighs in at a claimed 3.96lbs (1.8kg) for a size 18in. The company reckons each of the three sizes they offer will nip under the 4lb mark.