What to look for in a frame ?

[Simon Smith]

After looking around at road bikes, I decided the best bet was to build one up using a company like
Deeside or Ribble (I know) or just buying the components myself and building it up over the winter.

As I'm new to cycling I'm a bit confused about the masses of frame options around but have been told
to get carbon forks and a carbon seat stay if I can afford it because the ride on aluminium is too
unpleasant otherwise. I haven't really considered steel as it tends to be more expensive and heavier
and Carbon and Ti are way too expensive.

Concerning the aluminium alloy is there any difference in quality between 7003, 7005 and SC61.10A
(scandium) ? Am I right in thinking that the only difference is the weight ?

Has anyone tried any of the ribble or deeside frames with carbon seat stays ?

Thanks

Simon

 

[Tony W]

"Simon Smith" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> After looking around at road bikes, I decided the best bet was to build one up using a company
> like Deeside or Ribble (I know) or just buying the components myself and building it up over
> the winter.

snip

standard Question 1.

What do you want the bike for? OK -- you say road but what type of cycling? Racing? TT? Pootling
down to the shops?

T

 

[Graham]

"Simon Smith" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> After looking around at road bikes, I decided the best bet was to build one up using a company
> like Deeside or Ribble (I know) or just buying the components myself and building it up over
> the winter.
>
> As I'm new to cycling I'm a bit confused about the masses of frame options around but have been
> told to get carbon forks and a carbon seat stay if I can afford it because the ride on aluminium
> is too unpleasant otherwise. I haven't really considered steel as it tends to be more expensive
> and heavier and Carbon and Ti are way too expensive.
>
> Concerning the aluminium alloy is there any difference in quality between 7003, 7005 and SC61.10A
> (scandium) ? Am I right in thinking that the only difference is the weight ?
>
> Has anyone tried any of the ribble or deeside frames with carbon seat stays ?
>
> Thanks
>
> Simon

Don' be too bothered about the carbon chain and seat stay thing. I have an aluminium framed
Colnago Dream and it is no less comfortable than my steel framed LeMond ! Carbon seat stays
have been adopted by Colnago at a huge price premium. And this is only after every one else had
done it. Go for the lightest of the frames on your list and enjoy the benifits of a light and
stiff frame.

Graham

 

[Johnb]

Graham wrote:

> "Simon Smith" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > After looking around at road bikes, I decided the best bet was to build one up using a company
> > like Deeside or Ribble (I know) or just buying the components myself and building it up over the
> > winter.
> >
> > As I'm new to cycling I'm a bit confused about the masses of frame options

<snip>

> Don' be too bothered about the carbon chain and seat stay thing. I have an aluminium framed
> Colnago Dream and it is no less comfortable than my steel framed LeMond ! Carbon seat stays have
> been adopted by Colnago at a huge price premium. And this is only after every one else had done
> it. Go for the lightest of the frames on your list and enjoy the benifits of a light and stiff
> frame.

So long as its steel <ducks>

John B

 

[MSeries]

Originally posted by Simon Smith
I haven't really considered steel as it tends to be more expensive and heavier

You asked what to look for in a frame, I have three steel bikes, not simply steel, Reynolds 531 and Columbus SLX. The oldest is 17 years old and has been straighten once by a frame builder, had the rear drop outs widened (cold set) to take six speed block. This would be impossible with al or fibre. The other 531 bike is 14 years old and has been completely refurbished, I had cable tunnels brazed on at that time. All of my bikes are comfy rides for 100+ miles. I have no experience of the more modern materials so I would look for steel - but thats just me

 

[rider]

Originally posted by Simon Smith
After looking around at road bikes, I decided the best bet was to build one up using a company like
Deeside or Ribble (I know) or just buying the components myself and building it up over the winter.

As I'm new to cycling I'm a bit confused about the masses of frame options around but have been told
to get carbon forks and a carbon seat stay if I can afford it because the ride on aluminium is too
unpleasant otherwise. I haven't really considered steel as it tends to be more expensive and heavier
and Carbon and Ti are way too expensive.

Concerning the aluminium alloy is there any difference in quality between 7003, 7005 and SC61.10A
(scandium) ? Am I right in thinking that the only difference is the weight ?

Has anyone tried any of the ribble or deeside frames with carbon seat stays ?

Thanks

Simon

By all means gor for an all aluminium frame but make sure you also get a suspension seat post unless your butt is made of stone.
If you thinking of riding lond distances and want a frame that will last, then Ti is unbeatable. A Ti frame doesn't have to be that expensive e.g. Omega, Airborne, Habanero.

 

[Graham]

"MSeries" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Simon Smith wrote:
> > I haven't really considered steel as it tends to be more expensive and heavier
>
>
>
> You asked what to look for in a frame, I have three steel bikes, not simply steel, Reynolds 531
> and Columbus SLX. The oldest is 17 years old and has been straighten once by a frame builder, had
> the rear drop outs widened (cold set) to take six speed block. This would be impossible with al or
> fibre. The other 531 bike is 14 years old and has been completely refurbished, I had cable tunnels
> brazed on at that time. All of my bikes are comfy rides for 100+ miles. I have no experience of
> the more modern materials so I would look for steel - but thats just me
>
>
>
> --
> >--------------------------<
> Posted via cyclingforums.com http://www.cyclingforums.com

He would not need all that work done as it would be a brand new frame with the capacity to take a
9 or 10 speed cassette. And by the time any really new technology was out then get a new frame.

Graham

 

[Simon Brooke]

[email protected] (Simon Smith) writes:

> After looking around at road bikes, I decided the best bet was to build one up using a company
> like Deeside or Ribble (I know) or just buying the components myself and building it up over
> the winter.
>
> As I'm new to cycling I'm a bit confused about the masses of frame options around but have been
> told to get carbon forks and a carbon seat stay if I can afford it because the ride on aluminium
> is too unpleasant otherwise. I haven't really considered steel as it tends to be more expensive
> and heavier and Carbon and Ti are way too expensive.

A lot of people with a lot of experience say it really doesn't make any difference. Certainly in my
opinion it doesn't make nearly as much difference as the pressure in the tyres, the build of the
wheels, and the angles.

There's a current thread on <URL:news:rec.bicycles.tech> on exactly this topic which might make
educative reading. Also I was reading today an interesting web-page on frame stiffness
<URL:http://technology.open.ac.uk/materials/bikeframes/bikeframe.html> which shows that the
difference in stiffness road bike frames doesn't vary nearly as much as you'd expect, but of
those tested one titanium frame was the _least_ stiff over all while the other titanium frame was
the _most_!

Of course stiffness is not the same as compliancy; but it's related. So my guess is

(i) Materials, at least in frames from well known makers, won't make enough difference to
be noticed

(ii) 'Hourglass', or S shaped, seat and chain stays might make a bit of difference

(iii) Tyres and wheels will make more difference.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

'Victories are not solutions.' ;; John Hume, Northern Irish politician, on Radio Scotland
1/2/95 ;; Nobel Peace Prize laureate 1998; few have deserved it so much

 

[Pete Biggs]

> (iii) Tyres and wheels will make more difference.

Indeed. Much more, I would think. Saddle as well!

~PB

 

[Graham]

"rider" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Simon Smith wrote:
> > After looking around at road bikes, I decided the best bet was to
build
> > one up using a company like Deeside or Ribble (I know) or just buying the components myself
> > and building it up over the winter. As I'm new to cycling I'm a bit confused about the masses
> > of frame options around but have been told to get carbon forks and a carbon
seat
> > stay if I can afford it because the ride on aluminium is too
unpleasant
> > otherwise. I haven't really considered steel as it tends to be more expensive and heavier and
> > Carbon and Ti are way too expensive. Concerning the aluminium alloy is there any difference in
> > quality between 7003, 7005 and SC61.10A (scandium) ? Am I right in thinking
that
> > the only difference is the weight ? Has anyone tried any of the ribble or deeside frames with
> > carbon seat stays ? Thanks Simon
>
>
>
> By all means gor for an all aluminium frame but make sure you also get a suspension seat post
> unless your butt is made of stone. If you thinking of riding lond distances and want a frame that
> will last, then Ti is unbeatable. A Ti frame doesn't have to be that expensive e.g. Omega,
> Airborne, Habanero.
>
>
>
> --
> >--------------------------<
> Posted via cyclingforums.com http://www.cyclingforums.com

Having done the same century ride for the last four years, with the first 3 on a steel bike and
this year on an aluminium bike I can tell you there is no difference in "comfort" between the two
bikes. I can say however that the aluminium framed bike feels far more responsive and accelerates
much better.

Graham

 

[Arthur Clune]

rider <[email protected]> wrote:

: By all means gor for an all aluminium frame but make sure you also get a suspension seat post
: unless your butt is made of stone.

This just isn't true in my experience. I used to have a very cheap un-butted Al frame. That was
indeed very, very harsh to ride.

I also have a nice easton elite butted frame which rides very nicely indeed.

Arthur

--
Arthur Clune http://www.clune.org "Techolibertarians make a philosophy out of a personality defect"
- Paulina Borsook

 

[MSeries]

Originally posted by Graham
[B
He would not need all that work done as it would be a brand new frame with the capacity to take a
9 or 10 speed cassette. And by the time any really new technology was out then get a new frame.

Graham [/B]

Perhaps this is so on the spacing point. I would have been most upset if I my only option to 'fix' the mis alignment of my handmade frame was to scrap it and get a new one. This particular bike has carried me across a continent, it has sentimental value and will not be retired until it is beyond repair. Other replies also echo a point which I was thinking of and it is this: Cheap aluminium frames are not better than decent steel ones, the build quality is also important, not just the material.