Bianchi boron steel



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Eric R.

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I am looking for some reviews on the bianchi boron frame set. I have heard the comfort factor
compared to Columbus or Reynolds is darn near the same. My question is how durable is it? It's very
light frame/fork set (2.8 lbs) makes me wonder...

Thoughts, reviews

Eric "Go climb a mountain (on a bike!!!)"
 
Had a crack on the down tube, three inches below the head tube, after only three weeks of normal
riding on pretty good roads with a pretty light rider.

- Dan

"Eric R." <[email protected]> wrote in message news:TvJDa.264$%[email protected]...
> I am looking for some reviews on the bianchi boron frame set. I have heard the comfort factor
> compared to Columbus or Reynolds is darn near the same. My question is how durable is it? It's
> very light frame/fork set (2.8 lbs) makes me wonder...
>
> Thoughts, reviews
>
> Eric "Go climb a mountain (on a bike!!!)"
 
>Had a crack on the down tube, three inches below the head tube, after only three weeks of normal
>riding on pretty good roads with a pretty light rider.
>
>- Dan
>

Yikes. (running down to look at mine....)so far so good with mine, bought in april 2000, so its pre
"foam injection, and standard geometry, not sloping tt. Its been very good to me, comfortable,
sized well, stif enough for me. climbs well. got maybe 6000 miles on it. I'm 5'9", 155#, not much
of a gear masher,. size wize, it wasnt hard since I've ridden 25yrs+, and position is pretty well
nailed down.
 
> I am looking for some reviews on the bianchi boron frame set. I have heard the comfort factor
> compared to Columbus or Reynolds is darn near the same. My question is how durable is it? It's
> very light frame/fork set (2.8 lbs) makes me wonder...

You have good reason to wonder. 2.8lbs is simply too light to build a frame & fork and expect
durability. You buy a frameset like that for only one reason- because you want the lightest bike in
the neighborhood, and durability simply isn't an issue.

In general (and generalizations always have exceptions), the lower limit for very reliable
(long-lasting) frames is as follows-

Steel- 3.5 lbs Aluminum- 2.7 lbs Titanium- 3.0 lbs Carbon- 2.3 lbs (could be less, not enough
experience to know)

And those weights are for the frame alone! You're talking 2.8 lbs for frame *and* fork. Anyone
designing a frameset like that wasn't thinking about longevity. That may be perfectly reasonable for
some people. But does it meet your own requirements?

A company can build a heavier frame that's not durable, or it's possible to push the limits with a
good design and perhaps come in under those numbers a bit. But as a general rule of thumb, they're
pretty good.

Please note that just because a given material can build a durable frame that weighs less than
another material doesn't mean that it's better. Just different. Each material has its own properties
(strengths & weaknesses & design requirements) that affect the way someone will perceive the overall
ride, not to mention appearance.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

"Eric R." <[email protected]> wrote in message news:TvJDa.264$%[email protected]...
> I am looking for some reviews on the bianchi boron frame set. I have heard the comfort factor
> compared to Columbus or Reynolds is darn near the same. My question is how durable is it? It's
> very light frame/fork set (2.8 lbs) makes me wonder...
>
> Thoughts, reviews
>
> Eric "Go climb a mountain (on a bike!!!)"
 
It was a 2002 with the foam. The tubes were crazy thin. The shop got me into an Airborne with little
fuss and I have been happy ever since.

- Dan

"Neacalban1" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> >Had a crack on the down tube, three inches below the head tube, after
only
> >three weeks of normal riding on pretty good roads with a pretty light
rider.
> >
> >- Dan
> >
>
>
> Yikes. (running down to look at mine....)so far so good with mine, bought
in
> april 2000, so its pre "foam injection, and standard geometry, not sloping
tt.
> Its been very good to me, comfortable, sized well, stif enough for me.
climbs
> well. got maybe 6000 miles on it. I'm 5'9", 155#, not much of a gear
masher,.
> size wize, it wasnt hard since I've ridden 25yrs+, and position is pretty
well
> nailed down.
 
A note on that Bianchi - there IS no 2.8lb Steel F&F in existence. Frame only, yes - that's about
what bleeding-edge tig-welded steel is these days. But the problem with getting steel that light is
the wall thicknesses have to be paper-thin. The latest UltraFoco Columbus downtubes for instance,
have diameter to wall thickness ratios of about 100:1. That's about twice what the rule of thumb is
for avoiding localized buckling, or "beer-canning". Heaven forbid your bike should fall over against
something, let alone be in a crash. Mike's numbers on reasonable weights are pretty good if you're
interested in reliability/durability; you can knock a bit off for small sizes, but not much. Best to
avoid steel if you simply must have a sub-three-pound frame and want it to last. Too close to
(beyond?) the edge...

SB

"Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> > I am looking for some reviews on the bianchi boron frame set. I have
heard
> > the comfort factor compared to Columbus or Reynolds is darn near the
same.
> > My question is how durable is it? It's very light frame/fork set (2.8
lbs)
> > makes me wonder...
>
> You have good reason to wonder. 2.8lbs is simply too light to build a
frame
> & fork and expect durability. You buy a frameset like that for only one reason- because you want
> the lightest bike in the neighborhood, and durability simply isn't an issue.
>
> In general (and generalizations always have exceptions), the lower limit
for
> very reliable (long-lasting) frames is as follows-
>
> Steel- 3.5 lbs Aluminum- 2.7 lbs Titanium- 3.0 lbs Carbon- 2.3 lbs (could be less, not enough
> experience to know)
>
> And those weights are for the frame alone! You're talking 2.8 lbs for
frame
> *and* fork. Anyone designing a frameset like that wasn't thinking about longevity. That may be
> perfectly reasonable for some people. But does it meet your own requirements?
>
> A company can build a heavier frame that's not durable, or it's possible
to
> push the limits with a good design and perhaps come in under those numbers
a
> bit. But as a general rule of thumb, they're pretty good.
>
> Please note that just because a given material can build a durable frame that weighs less than
> another material doesn't mean that it's better.
Just
> different. Each material has its own properties (strengths & weaknesses & design requirements)
> that affect the way someone will perceive the overall ride, not to mention appearance.
>
> --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
>
>
> "Eric R." <[email protected]> wrote in message news:TvJDa.264$%[email protected]...
> > I am looking for some reviews on the bianchi boron frame set. I have
heard
> > the comfort factor compared to Columbus or Reynolds is darn near the
same.
> > My question is how durable is it? It's very light frame/fork set (2.8
lbs)
> > makes me wonder...
> >
> > Thoughts, reviews
> >
> > Eric "Go climb a mountain (on a bike!!!)"
> >
>
 
"Steve Blankenship" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> A note on that Bianchi - there IS no 2.8lb Steel F&F in existence. Frame only, yes - that's about
> what bleeding-edge tig-welded steel is these
days.
> But the problem with getting steel that light is the wall thicknesses have to be paper-thin. The
> latest UltraFoco Columbus downtubes for instance, have diameter to wall thickness ratios of about
> 100:1. That's about twice what the rule of thumb is for avoiding localized buckling, or
> "beer-canning".[...]

You can impress people at cocktail parties by referring to this as "brazier buckling".

Tim.

---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.487 / Virus Database: 286 - Release Date: 01/06/03
 
Read some report recently from a tubeset importer who recommended inspecting the said tubing's
frameset every 500km for cracks , inspires a lots of confidence!. Seen a carbon Australian
team Giant CFR

or superlight but at least you could jump back on one & get to the finish. Seen a rider wreck two
cutting-edge aluminium Bianchi's this season , nice bikes but no better than recycled cans after
crashes not involving stationary object. Tim Cain wrote:
> "Steve Blankenship" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>A note on that Bianchi - there IS no 2.8lb Steel F&F in existence. Frame only, yes - that's about
>>what bleeding-edge tig-welded steel is these
>
> days.
>
>>But the problem with getting steel that light is the wall thicknesses have to be paper-thin. The
>>latest UltraFoco Columbus downtubes for instance, have diameter to wall thickness ratios of about
>>100:1. That's about twice what the rule of thumb is for avoiding localized buckling, or
>>"beer-canning".[...]
>
>
> You can impress people at cocktail parties by referring to this as "brazier buckling".
>
> Tim.
>
>
>
> ---
> Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
> Version: 6.0.487 / Virus Database: 286 - Release Date: 01/06/03
 
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