Stainless Steel Bikes?

[ThreeLeggedDog]

Just an insomniac thought, does anyone know of a stainless steel bike
manufacturer?

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[Zoot Katz]

On 16 Dec 2005 07:05:45 GMT, ThreeLeggedDog <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Just an insomniac thought, does anyone know of a stainless steel bike
>manufacturer?

Bohemian Bikes can make you one.
http://www.bohemianbicycles.com/photo_gallery18.htm

I'd prefer a black nickled finish, myself.
--
zk

 

[Mike Causer]

On Fri, 16 Dec 2005 07:05:45 +0000, ThreeLeggedDog wrote:

> Just an insomniac thought, does anyone know of a stainless steel bike
> manufacturer?

Alex Moulton : http://www.alexmoulton.co.uk/frames.asp?id=bikes&range=ns




Mike

 

[catzz66]

ThreeLeggedDog wrote:
> Just an insomniac thought, does anyone know of a stainless steel bike
> manufacturer?
>
>

I have an unpainted aluminum bike and am getting more fond of it the
longer I ride it. Why not SS?

 

[Rich]

catzz66 wrote:

> I have an unpainted aluminum bike and am getting more fond of it the
> longer I ride it. Why not SS?

Isn't it heavier then the typical steel used in bikes? And a difficult
substance to work with?

 

[Rick]

Rich wrote:
> catzz66 wrote:
>
> > I have an unpainted aluminum bike and am getting more fond of it the
> > longer I ride it. Why not SS?
>
> Isn't it heavier then the typical steel used in bikes? And a difficult
> substance to work with?

I expect to see a lot of custom builders making SS frames now, and at
least one production company (Independent Fabrications) is apparently
looking into it. The impetus is a new Reynolds SS tubing, 953
(http://bikemag.com/news/newsarchive/110305_dain/). Very strong,
several sizes and butting profiles. It can be TIG'd or silver brazed,
so it will be useful for just about any style of bike.

A fine SS frame would look real nice

- rick

 

[Alfred Ryder]

"Rick" wrote
> Rich wrote:
> > catzz66 wrote:
> >
> > > I have an unpainted aluminum bike and am getting more fond of it the
> > > longer I ride it. Why not SS?
> >
> > Isn't it heavier then the typical steel used in bikes? And a difficult
> > substance to work with?
>
> I expect to see a lot of custom builders making SS frames now, and at
> least one production company (Independent Fabrications) is apparently
> looking into it. The impetus is a new Reynolds SS tubing, 953
> (http://bikemag.com/news/newsarchive/110305_dain/). Very strong,
> several sizes and butting profiles. It can be TIG'd or silver brazed,
> so it will be useful for just about any style of bike.
>
> A fine SS frame would look real nice
>
> - rick
>

But a frame made of SS would give a really harsh ride.

duck, run, and hide

 

[bfd]

Harsh ride? Naw, don't you know anything?! SS frames will get "soft"
over time....

 

[John Thompson]

On 2005-12-16, ThreeLeggedDog <[email protected]> wrote:

> Just an insomniac thought, does anyone know of a stainless steel bike
> manufacturer?

Bridgestone made a stainless frame in the 70's -- "Submariner" was the
model name, IIRC. That's the only mass-produced one I know of, although
there have been plenty of custom frames made. One problem is that
stainless tubing for bikes simply isn't generally available; you either
get it custom-drawn or use plain-gauge, untapered standard tubing. You
can't use brass to join the tubes; you either silver braze or weld the
joints.

And a bare stainless frame is unforgiving of flaws. Any filing or
grinding stands out and must be laboriously polished away. By the time
precision TIG welding machines became available to manufacturers, steel
had passed out of favor so what you see these days is either aluminum or
titanium.

--

John ([email protected])

 

[John Thompson]

On 2005-12-16, Rick <[email protected]> wrote:

> A fine SS frame would look real nice

We (Trek) made a prototype silver brazed stainless steel frame back in the
early 80s using custom-drawn tubing from Reynolds. It was featured on the
cover of Bicycling magazine back then; unfortunately I don't recall which
issue and can't find my copy anymore. :-(

--

John ([email protected])

 

[Peter Cole]

John Thompson wrote:
> On 2005-12-16, ThreeLeggedDog <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>>Just an insomniac thought, does anyone know of a stainless steel bike
>>manufacturer?
>
>
> Bridgestone made a stainless frame in the 70's -- "Submariner" was the
> model name, IIRC. That's the only mass-produced one I know of, although
> there have been plenty of custom frames made. One problem is that
> stainless tubing for bikes simply isn't generally available; you either
> get it custom-drawn or use plain-gauge, untapered standard tubing. You
> can't use brass to join the tubes; you either silver braze or weld the
> joints.

The Kabuki Submariner used aluminum lugs to connect stainless tubes, it
wasn't a very fancy bike otherwise. I saw one at a bike show for $70 and
gave it a pass, different, but nothing I'd want to own.

 

[Helmut Springer]

ThreeLeggedDog <[email protected]> wrote:
> Just an insomniac thought, does anyone know of a stainless steel
> bike manufacturer?

Norwid (http://www.norwid.de) or Marshall (also in Germany) come to
mind, both using P&P tubing (no longer made).

--
MfG/Best regards
helmut springer

 

[Helmut Springer]

John Thompson <[email protected]> wrote:
> One problem is that stainless tubing for bikes simply isn't
> generally available; you either get it custom-drawn or use
> plain-gauge, untapered standard tubing.

From what I know there's no "standard tubing" available in stainless
stell suitable to build lighweight frames. The main problem ist not
steel manufactorers's ability to deliver but bicycle industry's
ability to afford the minimum quantity (how many miles?) and to
process it...

--
MfG/Best regards
helmut springer

 

[Matt O'Toole]

On Sat, 17 Dec 2005 15:54:43 +0000, Helmut Springer wrote:

> From what I know there's no "standard tubing" available in stainless stell
> suitable to build lighweight frames.

I'm pretty sure Reynolds (or somebody) has just started making it again.

Matt O.

 

[Chris Z The Wheelman]

Just an insomniac reply, Does DeLorean make bikes?

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[Chris Z The Wheelman]

Group: rec.bicycles.misc Date: Fri, Dec 16, 2005, 12:33pm (EST-2) From:
[email protected] (Rich) asked:
>Isn't it heavier then the typical steel used
>in bikes? And a difficult substance to
>work with?

All steels have pretty much the same specific gravity (weight per amount
of material). As for the workability, that depends on the alloy. Some
alloys work harden very easily, a couple barely at all.

Hardenability can actually be to an advantage in a bicycle frame (4130
CrMo as an example).

- -
These comments compliments of,
Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman

My web Site:
http://geocities.com/czcorner

To E-mail me:
ChrisZCorner "at" webtv "dot" net

 

[Chris Z The Wheelman]

Group: rec.bicycles.misc Date: Fri, Dec 16, 2005, 5:14pm (EST-3) From:
[email protected] (bfd)

>Harsh ride? Naw, don't you know
>:anything?! SS frames will get "soft" over >time....

Only if you hang it by it's wheels in the sunny side of the garage.
§;-3)>

- -
These comments compliments of,
Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman

My web Site:
http://geocities.com/czcorner

To E-mail me:
ChrisZCorner "at" webtv "dot" net

 

[Zoot Katz]

On Sat, 17 Dec 2005 22:26:44 -0500, [email protected]
(Chris Z The Wheelman) wrote:

>Just an insomniac reply, Does DeLorean make bikes?

Not likely. He's dead.
--
zk