Steel Road Frames?

[alienator]

I liked this set of info the best/thought most balanced of any that I have read. Knowing something about metallurgy myself I tend to agree with most, even though, for now, I am riding an aluminum framed bikes but maybe not for long.. even though I just finished building them up.. sorry for the length of what I posted from the site, I just found it all pretty useful...

Another slanted "viewpoint." Steel is no better than any other material for bike frames. Full stop.

 

[geoinmillbrook]

Another slanted "viewpoint." Steel is no better than any other material for bike frames. Full stop.

Obviously depends on your definition of "better" -- and I see no misrepresentation or false information in any of this. I actually think it is written well.
One's definition of "better" can be viewed as a slant of course -- to me I like the reliability/longevity aspect of the steel argument since I can still ride my CrMo Univega that I bought in 1983, after putting over 10,000 touring miles on it and still feel pretty safe doing it. And I think with decent components , good steel frame bikes can still be pretty light as well. I definately won't toss my aluminum frames any day soon, and was commenting on whether or not they will be around long after miles of use and "fatigue cycles" -- feel just fine doing our 25-50 mile rides around home but have had them for less than a year. Time will tell. I won't chuck my steel frames away that I have either , which I have thought about doing after building these aluminum bikes, (also have my wife's old Centurion that is in real good shape)-- will probably do a little tinkering and component upgrading and see what I get

George

 

[dhk2]

Obviously depends on your definition of "better" -- and I see no misrepresentation or false information in any of this. I actually think it is written well.
One's definition of "better" can be viewed as a slant of course -- to me I like the reliability/longevity aspect of the steel argument since I can still ride my CrMo Univega that I bought in 1983, after putting over 10,000 touring miles on it and still feel pretty safe doing it. And I think with decent components , good steel frame bikes can still be pretty light as well. I definately won't toss my aluminum frames any day soon, and was commenting on whether or not they will be around long after miles of use and "fatigue cycles" -- feel just fine doing our 25-50 mile rides around home but have had them for less than a year. Time will tell. I won't chuck my steel frames away that I have either , which I have thought about doing after building these aluminum bikes, (also have my wife's old Centurion that is in real good shape)-- will probably do a little tinkering and component upgrading and see what I get

George

George, you really don't need to post pages of BS ad-copy that most of us here have read or heard over and over. Many of us own or have ridden both steel and aluminum and CF frames now, so we all have personal experiences to rely on. A lot of us "old timers" have a fondness for steel, but not because the newer materials aren't as good or don't last as long. A modern aluminum frame and CF fork can make an amazing tough bike; equal in strength to your old-school steel at a much lighter weight. After all, there is a reason aircraft are built from al and CF, not steel.

Got a good laugh from the advice to avoid anything tested by EFBe since it's "junk". That swipe includes Scott, Cannondale and many of the top frames. Again, the bias is pretty obvious to me. The writer probably couldn't handle the fact that a couple of steel frames failed early in the test cycle.

The "reliability/longevity aspect of steel" is nothing but a fond memory, based on the old heavy-weights like your CrMo Univega (and my 1973 Raleigh 531). I can still ride my rusty Gran Sport too, but what does that prove? Any 6-8 lb frame and fork ought to last forever. Sure, those take a lot of abuse and miles, but who wants to ride a 26 lb + clunker anymore when I've got a sub-18 lb bike that's smoother and quicker? Frames built of light thin-wall steel fatigue and break just like anything else.

10K miles is nothing at any rate. I've got 15K on my Al/CF frame and fork now, and expect to get a lot more than that before it breaks. An ultra-distance buddy of mine is still riding his early 90's CAAD 3 C'dale frame, at 50-60K miles, including several 1200KM brevets including the 2003 Paris-Brest-Paris. He's got a steel touring bike too, but only rides that one when he's got to carry heavy gear.

 

[alienator]

George, you really don't need to post pages of BS ad-copy that most of us here have read or heard over and over. Many of us own or have ridden both steel and aluminum and CF frames now, so we all have personal experiences to rely on. A lot of us "old timers" have a fondness for steel, but not because the newer materials aren't as good or don't last as long. A modern aluminum frame and CF fork can make an amazing tough bike; equal in strength to your old-school steel at a much lighter weight. After all, there is a reason aircraft are built from al and CF, not steel.

Got a good laugh from the advice to avoid anything tested by EFBe since it's "junk". That swipe includes Scott, Cannondale and many of the top frames. Again, the bias is pretty obvious to me. The writer probably couldn't handle the fact that a couple of steel frames failed early in the test cycle.

The "reliability/longevity aspect of steel" is nothing but a fond memory, based on the old heavy-weights like your CrMo Univega (and my 1973 Raleigh 531). I can still ride my rusty Gran Sport too, but what does that prove? Any 6-8 lb frame and fork ought to last forever. Sure, those take a lot of abuse and miles, but who wants to ride a 26 lb + clunker anymore when I've got a sub-18 lb bike that's smoother and quicker? Frames built of light thin-wall steel fatigue and break just like anything else.

10K miles is nothing at any rate. I've got 15K on my Al/CF frame and fork now, and expect to get a lot more than that before it breaks. An ultra-distance buddy of mine is still riding his early 90's CAAD 3 C'dale frame, at 50-60K miles, including several 1200KM brevets including the 2003 Paris-Brest-Paris. He's got a steel touring bike too, but only rides that one when he's got to carry heavy gear.

+ [sin(Pi*x)]/(Pi*x) !!!!

I see Giant Cadex's still on the road (imagine that! CF still working after all these years.....you'd think it would have exploded by now), and I still see Cannondales from back when they first inherited their 3" downtubes. For both these bikes, we're talkin' 20 years or so on the road. Imagine that: they're not even steel!

 

[531Aussie]

I liked this set of info the best/thought most balanced of any that I have read. Knowing something about metallurgy myself I tend to agree with most, even though, for now, I am riding an aluminum framed bikes but maybe not for long.. even though I just finished building them up.. sorry for the length of what I posted from the site, I just found it all pretty useful...

here's another heavily slanted view, which is, at least, very entertaining: http://www.henryjames.com/faq.html

I'm an 80s guy who loves steel as much as anyone, but since everyone now seems to think they have to have a carbon bike, I've found myself becoming a bit of an aluminium crusader.

Those guys neglected to mention that stiffness is often a desired characteristic, and does not necessarily provide the intollerable "harshness" that they mention. I recently got rid on my all-alu BMC frame because I found it too flexy! Imagine that!

They also forgot to mention that new steel frames usually cost a tonne more than alu, especially the custom jobs they make themselves, and that the new lighter tigged steels, such as Spirit, etc, is (from my understanding) nowhere near as strong or easy to repair as the older, thicker, lugged stuff. So, to get all the 'true' benefits of steel that they're espousing, we'd better clunk around on our 1900g lugged SLX and 531 frames

Them dudes also overstate the "a bike is for life" thing. I don't know anyone in the high-end buying category who plans to keep their frame for 10 or 20 years. Most of them are always keen to update to the latest 'best' thing.

If I may bleat the obvious: aluminium is almost impossible to beat for cost, rigidity, weight and "rustfreeness". Alu frames around here are plummeting in price since all the weight weenies became obsessed with carbon. Maybe the new Columbus steels and Reynolds 953 will catch up a bit in the weight and stiffness area, but it looks like they're gunna be uber expensive

I was devasted p) when I found rust inside the bottom bracket shell of my favourite 531 frame, so, after spending $1700 on my Cervelo Superprodigy frame, I find myself hardly ever riding it because I'm scared of getting it wet.

 

[FreeHueco]

What's wrong with just riding what feels right to you?

I could have gotten an aluminum frame bike for the same price as my steel frame. I also could have spent a couple hundred more dollars and gotten an aluminum frame with CF stays. I chose the steel because I like it, that's all. Is there anything else that really matters?

My old bike has nearly 20,000 miles on it; and is still going strong. I only got the new one because I wanted to ride a custom frame... My aluminum framed mountain bike had well over 30,000 miles on it when I retired it a few months ago.

The bottom line is that any decent bike will last a long time if you take care of it. Having said that, nothing gets the cool factor going like a well built steel frame...

 

[geoinmillbrook]

George, you really don't need to post pages of BS ad-copy that most of us here have read or heard over and over. Many of us own or have ridden both steel and aluminum and CF frames now, so we all have personal experiences to rely on. A lot of us "old timers" have a fondness for steel, but not because the newer materials aren't as good or don't last as long. A modern aluminum frame and CF fork can make an amazing tough bike; equal in strength to your old-school steel at a much lighter weight. After all, there is a reason aircraft are built from al and CF, not steel.

Got a good laugh from the advice to avoid anything tested by EFBe since it's "junk". That swipe includes Scott, Cannondale and many of the top frames. Again, the bias is pretty obvious to me. The writer probably couldn't handle the fact that a couple of steel frames failed early in the test cycle.

The "reliability/longevity aspect of steel" is nothing but a fond memory, based on the old heavy-weights like your CrMo Univega (and my 1973 Raleigh 531). I can still ride my rusty Gran Sport too, but what does that prove? Any 6-8 lb frame and fork ought to last forever. Sure, those take a lot of abuse and miles, but who wants to ride a 26 lb + clunker anymore when I've got a sub-18 lb bike that's smoother and quicker? Frames built of light thin-wall steel fatigue and break just like anything else.

10K miles is nothing at any rate. I've got 15K on my Al/CF frame and fork now, and expect to get a lot more than that before it breaks. An ultra-distance buddy of mine is still riding his early 90's CAAD 3 C'dale frame, at 50-60K miles, including several 1200KM brevets including the 2003 Paris-Brest-Paris. He's got a steel touring bike too, but only rides that one when he's got to carry heavy gear.

Hey dh: Now that's a useful answer ! (Although be careful about the "us" you refer to as you know as well as I there are lots of nubes lurking and others that are simply more casual about both riding and reading about bikes that visit the site). The info I pasted was not ad copy. No one was selling anything on the site I got it from. Don't want to get into a deep philospohical discussion of what "information" is useful to who - even though I do think one man's BS is another's cornucopia sometimes.

Info like this (your response) instead of blanket statements like "there's no difference" helps a lot. I feel maybe a little better about riding and owning aluminum after reading your post -- I have seen some pretty beat up aluminum bikes, including stress cracked frames, and those that look like the paint popped around stressed/deformed areas. I realize that there are issues with steel too if not well designed and manufactured or cared for - and it rusts. I also realize that people really into bikes may not ride them forever and change with the technology... hence one person's definition of longevity may be different than anothers.

I do have a personal affection for my old steelie that I am sure slants my view -- even though I have only riden it 10K touring miles there are ~25 years worth of uncounted "non-touring" miles under the saddle as well. It feels like I have spent a lot of time and seen some neat things with an old buddy that I just haven't got yet with the Al/CF bikes (I have a C'dale Silk Road CAAD4 and a Ridley Cross). The wife has a coupla Kenesis framed Al/CF bikes - one roadster and a cross bike I am fitting up now. So I have just invested about $6K US in aluminum and CF frame bikes and components (which is a lot of money for a working stiff like me and my family although I realize this could be one bike's worth of outlay for others) and a whole winter's worth of free time building them up. I am pretty well invested into keeping them and using them.
My wife absolutely loves her new Al/CF bike compared to her old Cr/Mo Centurion for all the reasons you state. It only weighs 19 lbs and she is really fast on it. I have a hard time telling if it is the physical shape she is in now or the bike though (I built it for her for a Valentines gift and she just started riding it this spring). She spent the winter training in spinning classes at the gym and is really "tight" ! Probably both are producing the results. She kicks my butt on the hill climbs (my having 60 lbs on her probably has a lot to do with it too ).
Anyhow - Of course "better" is subjective - I know that, and many debates like these will rage ad-infinitum as long as people have opinions about things. You should hear the discussions on some of the fly fishing forums I visit about the merits of dry fly fishing versus using nymphs or wet flies (which is "better" or more true to the sport), or sailing versus motorboating, or sit-on-top kayaks versus sit-inside it goes on and on (including arguments on how long posts should be) . It is amazing what people will say (or do) to each other when they don't agree and how far people go to support their opinion .. (myself included) . Hopefully debates can all be done in good taste and good spirits so that all parties can learn from the exchange. Which is what I hope forums are for....

Salut !

George

 

[dhk2]

You must be a die-hard steel fan to still be riding the Univega when you have a CAAD4 in the garage. Glad you at least give the other stuff a try. I stopped riding both my 531 Raleighs when I got my custom al/cf bike 3 years ago and haven't really looked back. In fact, sold the newer (1993) Raleigh last year. The lighter al/cf bike just rode smoother and more responsively by my perception. I attribute this to the Reynolds Ouzo Pro CF fork vs the old steel fork, the stiffer frame and BB, and not to mention the overall 5 lb weight reduction in the bike.

 

[Vincent Kluwe]

New acquisition! Bought & built up a De Rosa - just couldn't resist, when Doriano De Rosa offered it to me. Hope you like the looks of it. Happily I found the right Dura Ace brake levers for it (BL-7402 that is).

Gruppo is Dura Ace all through, including seat post, headset and hubs. Rims are Mavic CXP 33 (what wonder, I use CXP 33 for all my bikes!!), saddle is Selle Italia SLR Gel Flow. Quill stem: 3ttt Evolution and handle bar is 3ttt Forma Sl. Pedals are a bit out of order: Shimano PD-A 520, but I prefer SPD for all bikes for more ease of walking like a human, not a penguin! Ah - bottle is Sigma, most importantly...

I might shorten the ends of the handle bar by half of an inch or so at next necessary change of tape! (Advice welcome!)

While my Battaglin is more the typical crit racer with its stiff and steep geometry, the Primato is a stage race machine for long distances. Anyway it rides like a dream!

The weather doesn't allow for better photos, better surrounding respectively at that time of year. Let's see, what I can do next spring.

P.S. I think to have made clear, that I am really a full hearted Campy lover ...
I can see, why the Skeleton Coast is called Skeleton Coast. Dozens of ships stranded with hundreds of seamen killed. Is that the reason, why Campy is producing now Skeleton Brakes?!? I knew that Campy brakes have been known for ages to be somewhat shitty, had them long enough myself. But I didn't realise, they are THAT bad nowadays?

 

[dhk2]

New acquisition! Bought & built up a De Rosa - just couldn't resist, when Doriano De Rosa offered it to me. Hope you like the looks of it. Happily I found the right Dura Ace brake levers for it (BL-7402 that is).

Gruppo is Dura Ace all through, including seat post, headset and hubs. Rims are Mavic CXP 33 (what wonder, I use CXP 33 for all my bikes!!), saddle is Selle Italia SLR Gel Flow. Quill stem: 3ttt Evolution and handle bar is 3ttt Forma Sl. Pedals are a bit out of order: Shimano PD-A 520, but I prefer SPD for all bikes for more ease of walking like a human, not a penguin! Ah - bottle is Sigma, most importantly...

I might shorten the ends of the handle bar by half of an inch or so at next necessary change of tape! (Advice welcome!)

While my Battaglin is more the typical crit racer with its stiff and steep geometry, the Primato is a stage race machine for long distances. Anyway it rides like a dream!

The weather doesn't allow for better photos, better surrounding respectively at that time of year. Let's see, what I can do next spring.

P.S. I think to have made clear, that I am really a full hearted Campy lover ...
I can see, why the Skeleton Coast is called Skeleton Coast. Dozens of ships stranded with hundreds of seamen killed. Is that the reason, why Campy is producing now Skeleton Brakes?!? I knew that Campy brakes have been known for ages to be somewhat shitty, had them long enough myself. But I didn't realise, they are THAT bad nowadays?

Yeah I like it....how could anyone not appreciate a classic DeRosa Primato set up like that? Just looking at it brings back memories of days and rides long ago when bar-end shifters were the hot setup. Hope you enjoy many happy miles on this bike.

 

[Vincent Kluwe]

Hope you enjoy many happy miles on this bike.

Thank you so much, dhk2! I hope so, too. Up to now I have been changing my bikes more or less following my "daily" inspiration - just for the pure joy of building up new concepts. But the De Rosa and the Battaglin I love so much, I might well keep them for the rest of my life! (Well, says I now ...)

I am riding almost every day - at least my little evening round of 60 to 90 minutes. So both bikes might see quite a respectable mileage on their wheels. Only sub zero I change to CX.

 

[Vincent Kluwe]

As I just remarked, our thread is one of the busiest threads of the forum. Lots of interest as it seems. What I would like to know, is that still "real world", or are we just a bunch of ruminating old farts, perpetuing our sentimentallity on and on? Come on, Aussie, Tonto, DHK and all the others, what's your age? For a start, I am a well bread Fiftyniner, still keeping on keeping on in the daily battle. How about you?

P.S. As you must have remarked, english is not my home language, but I am trying my best, stumbling on and on. I know how difficult it is, to find the right nuances, if you are trying to express sensitive thoughts within a foreign language. So I hope, not to offence anybody by using wrong idioms unknowingly.

 

[CAMPYBOB]

I'm 54. I,m currently on a full carbon bicycle after a year on titanium (a sucky Litespeed frame with an sucky Easton EC 90 SLX fork.

I own an early nineties De Rosa, Super Record/Cinelli/Fiamme gold label. It is a great riding frame and I hope you enjoy yours. Despite what the scientists say, there's something about a good steel frame I've yet to discover in other materials.

Don't worry about your English. It's way better than my Spanish, French or Italian.

 

[Vincent Kluwe]

So we are two fiftyplussers up to now as most of our thread mates might be - we will see. Lovely you are riding a Super Corsa. Great frame - one of my best training pals has one and I have ridden it a lot, changing bikes with my mate (same size as mine). In fact that experience has inspired me for buying my Primato.

Despite what the scientists say, there's something about a good steel frame I've yet to discover in other materials.

Amazing. Is that really so? Does that mean, it doesn't pay to invest in a titan bike? I was always dreaming of a Seven Axiom. But why spending a fortune, if it doesn't go a jota better than my lugged heavy metal? And for weight: my 60 cm De Rosa weighs in with 8.8 kg. So what? Would you mind to reinforce on that? Many readers in the thread would possible like to profit from your experience. At least I find it thrilling - would spare me an awful lot of cash!! And anyway. I'm not missing anything at all with the ride quality of my bikes, to say the least!

 

[CAMPYBOB]

I've only ridden one Seven Ti frame. The bike wasn't mine, nor was it set up like I set them up...so making a call on it would be a haphazard guess. My impression on it was that it was stiffer than my Litespeed, but it still had a 'soft' ride. Again, take that with a grain of salt as the miles were few and the bike was not set up to my liking.

Don't let my experience convince you not to try Ti. I think it's a great material choice (corrosion resistance, failure mode, etc.) for a frame. But, as many advide...do try out what you are interested in before you buy it. Everyone has different perceptions.

I spend my time on a carbon frame simply because I found one that meets my stiffness requirement without being a 'thudder'. It still lacks the livelyness of a good steel rig, but the weight savings is hard to argue with. I do a lot of climbing so I put up with its' ride.

Winter is here in Ohio and when the roads get sloppy I'll be back on my Columbus tube track bike for a couple of months. As steep and stiff as it is, it still has a great feel to it.

 

[dhk2]

As I just remarked, our thread is one of the busiest threads of the forum. Lots of interest as it seems. What I would like to know, is that still "real world", or are we just a bunch of ruminating old farts, perpetuing our sentimentallity on and on? Come on, Aussie, Tonto, DHK and all the others, what's your age? For a start, I am a well bread Fiftyniner, still keeping on keeping on in the daily battle. How about you?

P.S. As you must have remarked, english is not my home language, but I am trying my best, stumbling on and on. I know how difficult it is, to find the right nuances, if you are trying to express sensitive thoughts within a foreign language. So I hope, not to offence anybody by using wrong idioms unknowingly.

Yep, another old man here....just turned 60 last month. Believe most riders our age respect a classic steel frame, even if we ride something else now. At 8.8 kg, your DeRosa really isn't heavy. My old Raleigh Gran Sport weighs about 11.8kg. That's a tank by today's standards, but when I bought it in 1974 I recall how light it felt, and the "great ride" of the 531 tubeset.

Also have a Fuji Track built w/heavy gauge steel. It's flex-free when sprinting and pounding uphill at 20 rpm. The ride doesn't seem much different that my al/cf bike; a heavier feel but not really harsh or uncomfortable. Believe at least 90% of the "ride" of a bike is in the wheels and tires anyway.

The hot new custom titanium brand here is Lynskey, from the original family that started Litespeed. They are worth a close look for anyone considering a Seven, IMO.

Your english is fine; no problem understanding what you write. You should be proud of your fluency in a non-native language. All I can say in German is "ein bier, bitte" and "mein deutsch ist nicht gut"

 

[oldbobcat]

I might shorten the ends of the handle bar by half of an inch or so at next necessary change of tape! (Advice welcome!)

Nice bike. Congratulations. Before you cut the handlebar ends be darned sure you're never going to use that part of the bar. The bar that came with my Felt had a similar shape but with shorter ends past the last kink. Riding the drops down steep canyons, I found that I always wanted to put my hands where there wasn't quite enough bar left for my last two knuckles.

If you do trim and the bars are alloy, I recommend using a plumber's pipe cutter (also good for trimming aluminum ski poles). I don't know how it would work on CF.

 

[alienator]

I don't know how it would work on CF.

It doesn't work on CF. Those things cause the ends to fray and/or crack. Mucho bad juju.

 

[Vincent Kluwe]

All I can say in German is "ein bier, bitte!"

You learned the most important German phrase then anyway, Dhk! That's all you need to get around. As everybody knows, our beer is the best in the world and it feeds you well for a couple of weeks (months?!?).

Believe most riders our age respect a classic steel frame.

You might be right. But than again think of FreeHueco - he is a young guy and what an enthusiast about his steelie. Lovely! And over the last two years I see more and more steel bikes amongst the young student scene here in Berlin. They are riding all kinds of frames - new road race, old and lovingly restored track frames and even original Japanese Keirin as standard fixie or "riser fixies" with riser bar (more the punk type of riders) or single speeders for every days use. I think it is the feel of quality and the slim elegance and beauty of a lugged frame, compared to the sheer profit orientated mass production al and carbon frames, what turnes many bike lovers up.

Don't let my experience convince you not to try Ti.

I would love to give it a try. If it only wouldn't cost that much, Campybob! But I should keep an ey on Lynskey, as Dhk mentioned.

Before you cut the handlebar ends be darned sure you're never going to use that part of the bar. The bar that came with my Felt had a similar shape but with shorter ends past the last kink. Riding the drops down steep canyons, I found that I always wanted to put my hands where there wasn't quite enough bar left for my last two knuckles.

Thanks for that one, Oldbobcat! You are absolutely right. Before I do anything to the bar, I will give it a really serious try. What you say about the missing inch makes me thinking - I could experience the same for I am riding in the drops quite a lot. So I might just leave it as it is. And a Forma SL is not easy to replace anymore (out of production), once I ruined it by cutting too much.

Now I will let you see my "updated" Battaglin - changed some details over the season! By the way Irish Stephen Roche, one of the most pleasant characters in the race circus of all times, won the Tour, the Giro and the World Championship on a Battaglin all in one year - only Eddy managed to make that hattrick before him!

 

[Tonto]

As I just remarked, our thread is one of the busiest threads of the forum. Lots of interest as it seems. What I would like to know, is that still "real world", or are we just a bunch of ruminating old farts, perpetuing our sentimentallity on and on? Come on, Aussie, Tonto, DHK and all the others, what's your age? For a start, I am a well bread Fiftyniner, still keeping on keeping on in the daily battle. How about you?

P.S. As you must have remarked, english is not my home language, but I am trying my best, stumbling on and on. I know how difficult it is, to find the right nuances, if you are trying to express sensitive thoughts within a foreign language. So I hope, not to offence anybody by using wrong idioms unknowingly.

Hi Vincent,
Great to hear from you again. Firstly, congratulations on your De Rosa. I have been enviously admiring the photos over my morning coffee. The Primato is one of my absolute favourite frames and you've done a fantastic job building it up. My frame frenzy had quietened down for the last 6 months since I built up my own one, but your photos have stirred something!
In answer to your question, I'm 32. My involvement in cycling faded from my mid teens until about 6 years ago. My first bike when I came back cycling was a bog standard Giant OCR which I simply never liked. At the same time, my riding buddy had a beautiful steel Olmo which I was always a bit envious of and when I saw the same frame going cheap I couldn't resist. It was my first time building up a frame and once it was ready, the contrast between it and the Giant was like night and day. I guess since then I was hooked on steel and now have my custom Dedacciai EOM 16.5.
It's funny you should mention Stephen Roche also. He grew up about a mile from where I did and I went to see him on one of the TdF stages in 1987. We bumped into him just behind the finish line and chatted to him while camera crews pestered him for interviews. He politely pointed out to them that he was having a conversation and could they please wait. A true gentleman. I was obsessed with cycling back then and I suppose my idea of a perfect bike is stuck in a 1980's steel timewarp! I also had a thing for old photos of past greats struggling along rutted, frozen roads in the high Alps or the Belgian lowlands and I guess I associate steel frames with the romance of how cycling used to be. I'd still like to try out a top-of-the-range CF bike but when it comes to spending my money I'll go with steel.
By the way, you should be proud of your English, you have a way with words which loses nothing in the translation.