Most cycling steel alloys are based on 4130 chromoly.
4130 chromoly steel vs reynolds 853.
Page 1 of 5 chromoly vs.
853 has a higher strength to weight ratio has better fatigue strength and stiffness about 30 greater than 4130.
I am no expert for more info click on links.
Reynolds 525 and 725 use the same base alloy very similar if not the same as 4130 but 725 has improved properties due to heat treatment.
If you look at a piece of cheap steel tubing you will see the join as a different coloured line running down the tube.
The reynolds tube company was founded in 1898 by john reynolds in birmingham england but traces its origins back to 1841 when john reynolds set up a company manufacturing nails.
Not all chromoly steel is specifically 4130 but you see it pretty often.
Heat treating can improve material properties that s heating and cooling the material in a specific way.
853 is heat treated to give high strength and damage resistance and the steel properties allow thin walls to be used so that lower weight but fatigue resistant structures can.
So i have a real desire i tell my wife it s a need for a thin steel tubed ss specific 29er frame.
Reynolds makes a 4130 called reynolds 525.
I was and still am slightly confused there is a lot of steel out there chromoly 4130 reynolds from 501 to 953 columbus thron to spirit so i have googled pilfered condensed and accumulated some of the findings.
The joints actually gain strength as they cool.
For example the old reynolds 531 and all better tubes from reynolds are seamless as is their cr mo 520 and 525 identical except 520 is license built in the far east so not all 4130 cr mo is equal.
The benefits of air hardening steels are particularly noticeable in the weld area of reynolds 853 where unlike conventional steel alloys strength can actually increase after cooling in air immediately after welding.
I was helping a friend build his this week and it really is a lovely bike.
It s a general all purpose tube less expensive than 853.
853 is still reynold s best steel.
Reynolds 853 steel ss frames posted in fixie singlespeed.
520 is just standard cro mo 4130 i think.
They follow after explanation.
853 cannot be brazed only welded.
This is discuss about cromoly 4031 vs reynold 531 from another forum chromium molybdemum sp is an excellent steel alloy and the 4130 denotes a specific forumulation of alloy like 6061 aluminum is a specific alunimum alloy as is 7005 etc.
