Accles and Pollock

Alan Noonan is dating a Bates which turns out to 1956. He was checking the steerer tube which had an oval stamp with the following letters in it :

A&P
BST
G/13/16
AQ

Alan had no idea what this was other than to think it was some mark to designate the tube from the manufacturer – so he contacted Reynolds and they gave him the information below:

The A&P this means the steering tube was not Reynolds but a then associate company, Accles & Pollock. Accles supplied tubes in “A” quality hence the (AQ symbol) and Reynolds 531. AQ, which would be “A” quality, which was the grade of steel used alongside 531 for many years.

Alan knows that the main frame of the Bates was 531, but it is possible the steering column was “A” quality. Accles dropped the “A” quality in the 1950’s as 531 was more popular and the tube had similar strengths. BST means British standard thread – then 26 threads per inch.

G/13/16 = Gauge (wall thickness is 13-standard wire gauge one end and 16 the other = 2.3mm thick at the crown and 1.6mm thick at the top, threaded end (as all modern steerers).