Lighter? Stronger? Wassupp with these seat rails?

[CJ Smith]

The rails of our saddles are made from a variety of substances, Carbon, Ti, Vanox (What else do they make from this stuff? ), CroMo, Manganese (Is that what you speak when you live in Manga? )... Others ???

Some Bike scientist put these in order strongest to weakest and then in another list, lightest to heaviest.

Thanks

 

[Bob Ross]

The rails of our saddles are made from a variety of substances, Carbon, Ti, Vanox (What else do they make from this stuff? ), CroMo, Manganese

I'm pretty sure -- admittedly not 100% positive, but let's say Assuredly Cocky -- that you've never seen saddle rails made from Manganese. Magnesium, yes. Manganese, no.

 

[531Aussie]

I couldn't believe it when i first saw a saddle with carbon rails. I reckon I'd wreck them in a week.

I don't reckon ti rails are worth it, partly coz it adds lots of $$$ to the price of a seat. I've seen a few busted ti rails, two of which were on Rolls saddles, but I've also seen several Selle Italia Flites with ti rails that have done a zillion miles, so who knows? Ti rails don't rust, but steel rails usually take a long time to start corroding.

 

[Meek One]

Sorry, Bob. My Selle Italia spells out Manganese on the rail.

I'm pretty sure -- admittedly not 100% positive, but let's say Assuredly Cocky -- that you've never seen saddle rails made from Manganese. Magnesium, yes. Manganese, no.

 

[youhaditcoming]

a Specialized top of the line saddle (with Ti rails) lasted me less than 1 year... but the rails hold ok, it broke one the under surface area

Saddles lasted at least 4 years in the past !

 

[CJ Smith]

"Let's build a happy, little cloud that floats around the sky" - Bob Ross (American TV Painting instructor)...

Thanks for answering the question Bob ... Or how did Steven say it in Braveheart ???

Regardless, "let's go back to the big brush" and try this: http://www.selleitalia.com/eng/index.html

(THEN Click on the C2 Gel Flow)

There have been others from Coda and Fizik, to name a few, but that will do. I'll now sign this with my liner brush.

Happy Painting and God Bless, my friend to the Periodic Chart of Elements.

I'm pretty sure -- admittedly not 100% positive, but let's say Assuredly Cocky -- that you've never seen saddle rails made from Manganese. Magnesium, yes. Manganese, no.

 

[Meek One]

I think you forgot some...

Thanks for answering the question ... Or how did Steven say it in Braveheart ???

Nice catch... Couldn't no flies on you . Without looking at a periodic chart it was the closest I could come to trying to confuse and trip someone up...

Here's another question I have posted http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ApHJOnbaRYFOoT5EqRbNjsHsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20070325182336AAg4pEq



and here's an answer :
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ApzO.bwkVe7b5f8e.CkMyJXsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20060709234451AAkmCve&show=7#profile-info-e1674ba54ba93c9009326b080ce6384faa

Aloha!

 

[CJ Smith]

The

Magnus

QUOTE in your signature looks like he spent some time reading into the life of runner Steve Prefontaine. Steve, who before his death in 1972 said, " Most people run a race to see who is the faster. I run a race to see who has the most guts.

(Printed inside my NIKE AIR MAX 30/40 running shoes)

~ __0
_-\<,_
(*)/ (*)

Peace Out

 

[Bob Ross]

My Selle Italia spells out Manganese on the rail.

try this: http://www.selleitalia.com/eng/index.html

(THEN Click on the C2 Gel Flow)

Well, I'll be durned... See, folks are wrong when they say You Can't Learn Anything From Cyclingforums.com! Thanks.

But then you still have to add Magnesium to your list. fizik Aliante Sport Mg (presumably among others) is so named because of its magnesium rails. (Or because it "sports" magnesium rails, har-dee-har, get it? Oh yeah, I'm here all week. Don't forget to tip your waitress.)

 

[Meek One]

I'm sure Magnus quotes a lot of dead skinny runners like 'Pre'.
Enjoy your emotionicons...

 

[Akadat]

My sielle italia rails look like carbon but it is just a paint job. They are really chro-mo steel tubing under the paint and Im happy that they are.

 

[artemidorus]

Sorry, Bob. My Selle Italia spells out Manganese on the rail.

This seems to be a mistranslation (manganese and magnesium are derived from the same word). Comically, Selle Italia seem to have got it wrong and painted it on all their magnesium rail seats.
Manganese is a brittle metal used structurally only in steel and aluminium alloy. There is no application of non-alloyed manganese metal to any other part of bicycle technology, so I think our friends from Italy simply stuffed up.

 

[garage sale GT]

Although I would never underestimate what a true gram shaver was willing to pay big bucks for, I think one of the reasons for exotic seat rail materials is that they may be about as important as the fork in terms of how they make the bike ride.

People shell out for carbon seatposts, right? It sure looks like seat rails have more opportunity to cushion shock & vibration than a seatpost.

 

[dhk2]

This seems to be a mistranslation (manganese and magnesium are derived from the same word). Comically, Selle Italia seem to have got it wrong and painted it on all their magnesium rail seats.
Manganese is a brittle metal used structurally only in steel and aluminium alloy. There is no application of non-alloyed manganese metal to any other part of bicycle technology, so I think our friends from Italy simply stuffed up.

Could it be that "manganese" label is put on steel rails which as you said contain a small % of the stuff as an alloying element? Marketeers seem to love any word that's "lighter" sounding than steel, eg cromo, vanox, etc. A magnet test could confirm that Meek One's rails are indeed "heavy" steel and not "feather-lite" magnesium

 

[artemidorus]

This seems to be a mistranslation (manganese and magnesium are derived from the same word). Comically, Selle Italia seem to have got it wrong and painted it on all their magnesium rail seats.
Manganese is a brittle metal used structurally only in steel and aluminium alloy. There is no application of non-alloyed manganese metal to any other part of bicycle technology, so I think our friends from Italy simply stuffed up.

I'll have to correct myself, after a little research. "manganese" on a Selle Italia seat rail refers to "cromoly steel", as cromoly always contains manganese (~1%). So, from Selle Italia, "manganese" means "you have just bought our heaviest seat, you cheap *******".

I wonder whether "magnesium" rails are simply 7000 series aluminium alloy....anyone know?

 

[garage sale GT]

As an example of my point that it may be a shock absorption strategy I want to point out that although Ti rails may be as strong or stronger than many types of steel rails, they have about half the stiffness (elastic modulus).

 

[youhaditcoming]

As an example of my point that it may be a shock absorption strategy I want to point out that although Ti rails may be as strong or stronger than many types of steel rails, they have about half the stiffness (elastic modulus).

-too- stiff Ti rails could explain why my saddle broke down

 

[garage sale GT]

-too- stiff Ti rails could explain why my saddle broke down

Steel rails are twice as stiff though, assuming they have the same shape.

My guess is the platform was a bit thin because they didn't want you to reject the saddle in the bike shop because it wasn't as light as you expected.