Stainless vs. Chromoly speedplays

[bgoetz]

I would like to hear from someone who has used both. In the zeros both come with the same bearings that can be rebuilt, but the stainless are $80 more and weigh nearly the same. I am thinking that stainless will be a bit stiffer than the chromoly, but just how much and is it worth the extra $80??

 

[tafi]

Originally Posted by bgoetz .

I am thinking that stainless will be a bit stiffer than the chromoly....

Sorry but I don't think so. They are both steel and therefore more or less fixed in their Young's modulus (stiffness). Alloying can really only affect the properties above yield (and, trust me, you do not want your pedal axles to yield anyway).

In any case, the purpose of stainless is that it is more corrosion and oxidation resistant, nothing more. If it happens to have different mechanical properties then that would be an unintended side effect.

It really comes down to whether or not you really want your pedal axles to be shiny and stay shiny.

 

[alienator]

I've used both, and a blind test wouldn't have revealed in differences to me. If you live in area that's humid or gets a lot of precipitation, you might want to get the stainless steel flavor just to ease your mind. Likewise, I've you live near any saltwater.

 

[bgoetz]

Wow really useful information, just what I was looking for.

Thanks so much guys!!