Best Steel Road Bike - Page 2  

Re: Best Steel Road Bike

On Sat, 31 May 2003 12:45:18 -0500, "Tom" <tomhob@overland.net> wrote:

>I'm planning on buying a new light weight, triple, steel road bike, for the beauty of the ride.
>
>I'm a senior citizen and ride 125 miles a week in all types of road conditions. Not a racer at my
>age; but, ride with the younger guys and want a good bike that rides and performs well. Price
>range is open.
>
>Bianchi? Landshark? Your recommendations please.
>
>Tom

I came in for another question, but I'll toss in my $.02 here. About 11 years ago, I had a frame
built for me by Serotta. It's a light touring bike based on Colorado CRL tubing in touring geometry.
At the time, there were no good road triple groups, so I went with Dura-Ace and a triplizer type
setup. Of course, you have many more options now. You can see it at:
http://members.cox.net/orngcat/Bike1.htm

It's very comfortable and I've done many happy credit card tours on
it.

Re: Best Steel Road Bike

On 01 Jun 2003 21:35:51 GMT, belij3@cs.comclothes (B) wrote:

>>I came in for another question, but I'll toss in my $.02 here. About 11 years ago, I had a frame
>>built for me by Serotta. It's a light touring bike based on Colorado CRL tubing in touring
>>geometry. At the time, there were no good road triple groups, so I went with Dura-Ace and a
>>triplizer type setup. Of course, you have many more options now. You can see it at:
>>http://members.cox.net/orngcat/Bike1.htm
>>
>>It's very comfortable and I've done many happy credit card tours on
>>it.
>>
>
>Nice bike. You list bb height. That tells me very little. What is the bb drop? B
>
Bottom Bracket drop spec wasn't included to me for this frame, but I measured it at very
close to 7.5cm.

Re: Best Steel Road Bike

Check out Rivendell or Waterford. I've got a 13 year old Waterford built paramount that I've
recently upgraded to modern components, excellent ride. I've also heard nothing but good about the
Rivendells http://www.rivendellbicycles.com

Tom wrote:

> I'm planning on buying a new light weight, triple, steel road bike, for the beauty of the ride.
>
> I'm a senior citizen and ride 125 miles a week in all types of road conditions. Not a racer at my
> age; but, ride with the younger guys and want a good bike that rides and performs well. Price
> range is open.
>
> Bianchi? Landshark? Your recommendations please.
>
> Tom

--
Mark Wolfe http://www.wolfenet.org gpg fingerprint = 42B6 EFEB 5414 AA18 01B7 64AC EF46 F7E6 82F6
8C71 "We're seeing crazy uptime numbers now, like three months, six months. I fully expect we'll see
a year of uptime when Windows Server 2003 is finished." -- Jeff Stucky, senior systems engineer
Microsoft. Three Months? Crazy??? egads...

Re: Best Steel Road Bike-con't

The best part of this thread is that, contrary to 'gotta be aluminum or carbon' resellers(you know
who you are!!!), that steel is alive and well and still a great(the best?) choice for a road frame,
in terms of those things that are important in a road frame- looks, ride, strength, price, etc...
Steel is still a wonderful material, and will be for a while, methinks...

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 http://www.vecchios.com "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

Re: Best Steel Road Bike

In article <rcousine-7DE689.16225831052003@morgoth.sfu.ca>, Ryan Cousineau <rcousine@sfu.ca> wrote:
>In article <3ed90ae5_1@corp.newsgroups.com>, "Tom" <tomhob@overland.net> wrote:
>
>> Beats me; I just read what's written on the Diamondback frame that was made in China years ago.
>> Diamondback has since gone through a turnover of owners and this particular frame is no longer
>> made. But, its about a 19lb bike with all Dura Ace components on a double ring 58cm frame. I
>> have no complaints; just need some help on the mountains and looking for a good comfortable
>> 'steel' ride.
>>
>> Tom
>
>D'oh! It says "welded carbon", right? Do magnets stick to it? It's steel.

The DiamondBack WCF bikes were carbon tubes bonded to metal which was TIG-welded, instead of having
a cast or machined lug. Basically like a lugged carbon bike only uglier. :-)

At least some of the WCF joints were crmo steel (incl. with steel rear triangle) but I don't know if
they made them out of other materials as well.

--Paul

Re: Best Steel Road Bike

In article <76a441ca.0305311446.711c4296@posting.google.com>, Fred Roses <fredroses@aol.com> wrote:
>"Tom" <tomhob@overland.net> wrote in message news:<3ed8eb42_1@corp.newsgroups.com>...
>> Bianchi? Landshark? Your recommendations please.
>
>Bianchi amd Landshark are apples and oranges. John Slawta at Landshark is one of around 20 artisans
>around the US who will custom-build you a beautiful steel frame, while Bianchi is a giant factory
>that mass produces frames of steel and other materials at all quality levels. For what it's worth,
>most custom framebuilders are happy to work directly with you in the design and specification of
>your bike, but John Slawta strongly prefers to work through a handful of dealers, who are listed on
>his website.

When I ordered a Landshark recently I just called him up and told him exactly what I wanted, he
didn't seem to mind at all. Perhaps his aversion to phone sales is caused by time wastage from
people who don't know what they want and need to be fitted. It took about 3 minutes on the phone and
the bike arrived less than 3 weeks later. I emailed him a couple images to use for paint stencils.

--Paul

Re: Best Steel Road Bike-con't

On 2 Jun 2003 15:28:07 -0700, bfd853@yahoo.com (bfd) wrote:

>>
>Similiarly, some carbon frames, like Calfee, can also be repaired very easily. In fact, replacing a
>single tube is no trouble at all on a Calfee.

And other carbon bikes, like Trek, have lifetime warranties. If it breaks, they give you a whole new
frame. They even have a generous crash damage policy, if you are the cause of the damage.

Barry

Re: Best Steel Road Bike-con't

vecchio51@aol.com (Qui si parla Campagnolo) wrote in message
news:<20030602085837.14902.00000689@mb-m14.aol.com>...
> The best part of this thread is that, contrary to 'gotta be aluminum or carbon' resellers(you know
> who you are!!!), that steel is alive and well and still a great(the best?) choice for a road
> frame, in terms of those things that are important in a road frame- looks, ride, strength, price,
> etc... Steel is still a wonderful material, and will be for a while, methinks...

I think you are correct. The nano-gram weenies will flock to the exotics, but everyone I have
convinced to give steel a try has been converted. I even have a steel bike bought from one of those
resellers to whom you refer ;-)

- rick warner

Re: Best Steel Road Bike-con't

> everyone I have convinced to give steel a try has been converted.

I switched from steel (a nice custom frame from one of England's top builders) to carbon
(mass-produced Trek 5500). The Trek is stiffer (in torsion, which is what really counts) and lighter
than my steel frame; these things matter if you climb a lot of hills. I do not believe that you can
build a steel frame that has the same characteristics without using such thin tubes that denting
becomes a hazard.

This "ride quality" stuff does not convince me (tyres and geometry are the biggest factors
influencing "feel"). FWIW, I happily ride centuries on rough roads and a skinny saddle on the Trek.

PS: From your reference to "nanogram weenies", I assume your bike weighs at least 25lb? Why is it
that there is this ceaseless drip-feed of abuse in this vein on this NG? I am sick to death of
comments along the line of "you'll save at most 3oz., which is insignificant"; add all those
"few ounces" and you end up with a few pounds. I seriously doubt many people here would accept
$1000 to carry half a brick in their jersey pocket on every ride, so why is it considered so odd
to spend that kind of money to get rid of that kind of weight?

Re: Best Steel Road Bike-con't

Peter Headland wrote:

> I seriously doubt many people here would accept $1000 to carry half a brick in their jersey pocket
> on every ride,

Really? I would gladly carry 6 bricks in my panniers if I were paid $1000 to do so on every ride.

--
Benjamin Lewis

Although golf was originally restricted to wealthy, overweight Protestants, today it's open to
anybody who owns hideous clothing. -- Dave Barry

Re: Best Steel Road Bike-con't

"Peter Headland" <PHeadland@actuate.com> wrote in message
news:f48af01d.0306031510.5462e43d@posting.google.com...

> I seriously doubt many people here would accept $1000 to carry half a
brick in
> their jersey pocket on every ride

I probably would.

Matt O.

Re: Best Steel Road Bike-con't

PHeadland@actuate.com (Peter Headland) wrote in message
news:<f48af01d.0306031510.5462e43d@posting.google.com>...
> > everyone I have convinced to give steel a try has been converted.
>
> I switched from steel (a nice custom frame from one of England's top builders) to carbon
> (mass-produced Trek 5500). The Trek is stiffer (in torsion, which is what really counts) and
> lighter than my steel frame; these things matter if you climb a lot of hills. I do not believe
> that you can build a steel frame that has the same characteristics without using such thin tubes
> that denting becomes a hazard.

I ride steel, I climb hills - lots of hills. I average about 9,000 ft of elevation gain per 100
miles. Average grade on most of the hills I ride is probably 8-10%. Does that qualify in your book?
I have a Trek OCLV bike, too. I can climb fine, and fast, on either. You prefer carbon; so what?
Does not make it better for you or for anyone else.

> PS: From your reference to "nanogram weenies", I assume your bike weighs at least 25lb?

Not at all. My steel bikes all weigh in the 20-22 lb class. The new one I am having built might be
over 25 lb., but it is a touring bike and is built for durability; some of the components are on the
heavy side.

> Why is it that there is this ceaseless drip-feed of abuse in this vein on this NG? I am sick to
> death of comments along the line of "you'll save at most 3oz., which is insignificant"; add all
> those "few ounces" and you end up with a few pounds. I seriously doubt many people here would
> accept $1000 to carry half a brick in their jersey pocket on every ride, so why is it considered
> so odd to spend that kind of money to get rid of that kind of weight?

I think the reaction is against those who try to sell the notion that if you save a few grams (and
in some instances, it is just a few grams, not pounds) someone will ride faster, better, etc. Fact
of the matter is, for most recreational riders the weekly fluctuation in body weight is more than
the weight differences being discussed in a lot of the advice here. What does it matter for most
folks if there is 1" of exposed cable for the 2 derailleurs and brakes, or the cables are clipped
tight against the binder bolts? We are talking 1-2 grams, perhaps, yet I have seen such advice. In
the end, most of the weight savings discussed here could just as easily be translated into 'lose a
few pounds off your body' for many recreational riders; the effect is the same, and it is much less
expensive.

- rick warner, who is off to climb a hill on one of his steel bikes

Re: Best Steel Road Bike-con't

In article <yy7ou1b6raoz.fsf@marge.cs.sfu.ca>,
Benjamin Lewis <bclewis@cs.sfu.ca> wrote:

> Peter Headland wrote:
>
> > I seriously doubt many people here would accept $1000 to carry half a brick in their jersey
> > pocket on every ride,
>
> Really? I would gladly carry 6 bricks in my panniers if I were paid $1000 to do so on every ride.

Too late, Ben: you ride steel right? You got paid a thousand bucks just once to carry that brick .

PS: when you coming out for a crit?
--
Ryan Cousineau, rcousine@sfu.ca http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

Re: Best Steel Road Bike-con't

>> > I switched from steel ... to carbon
>
> You prefer carbon; so what?

So there is an opposing view to your comment that "everyone I have convinced to give steel a try has
been converted." Indeed, I would suggest that a significant percentage of those who buy CF bikes
have experience of steel and thus are doing the opposite of what youy suggest.

> Does not make it better for you

That is a fatuous remark. Since this is entirely a matter of preference and I have experience of
both materials, which I prefer is clearly "better" for me.

> My steel bikes all weigh in the 20-22 lb class.

So my 5500 is about 4lb lighter than some of your steel bikes (how much does a brick weigh?) The
lightest I got my steel bike down to was about 23lb (fearing dents and corrosion, I eschewed the
thinner tubes when I had it built). I strongly suspect the Trek is stiffer than all of your steel
bikes. Lighter, stiffer, what's not to like unless you buy this "ride quality" stuff?

> I think the reaction is against those who try to sell the notion that if you save a few grams (and
> in some instances, it is just a few grams, not pounds) someone will ride faster, better, etc.

Straw man. I never see such suggestions; I see "weight weenie" sneers almost daily - it's just
another manifestation of typical NG bigotry.

> In the end, most of the weight savings discussed here could just as easily be translated into
> 'lose a few pounds off your body' for many recreational riders; the effect is the same, and it is
> much less expensive.

This isn't an either/or thing. Taking weight off body or bike, it all helps, and the more the
better. I lost over 25lb off my body last year, in addition to about 5lb by changing bikes. Spending
the money to buy the bike was a heck of a lot less effort than losing 5lb.

Re: Best Steel Road Bike

"Jasper Janssen" <jasper@jjanssen.org> wrote in message
news:j7prdvo9gf5d8ir2ui5ve0qj8elf41qaqd@4ax.com...

> On Tue, 03 Jun 2003 10:29:00 -0500, Tim McNamara
<timmcn@bitstream.net>
> wrote:
>
> >There are rather more than 20 custom frame builders in
the US who will
> >build you a work of art.
>
> But are there any custom frame builders who will build you
a decent frame,
> for comparitively little money, rather than a work of art
that costs more
> than most of the bikes I lust after, let alone buy?

Nope. There's probably no way to make custom framebuilding a viable business in the US without
finding a way to charge *a lot* of money for it. That usually means gilding a titanium lily,
so to speak.

Matt O.