Whatever happened to Columbus Metax tubing?

This was stainless steel tubing that was available about 6 years ago. It never took off. The only
builder that I remember using it was Rhygin, but I think that they are gone (like the tubing).

What happened? Does anyone make stainless tubing anymore?

 

UMTERP at [email protected] wrote on 2/20/03 8:04 PM:

> This was stainless steel tubing that was available about 6 years ago. It never took off. The only
> builder that I remember using it was Rhygin, but I think that they are gone (like the tubing).
>
> What happened? Does anyone make stainless tubing anymore?

I believe that Columbus stopped making it in bike-usable tube sizes. Yes, Rhygin used it (there was
an article/review on it in BIKE mag a few years back).

IIRC - Interloc made a few frames with it. Also, I rode a guys metax mtb back a couple years ago. I
don't remember the builder, but I think it was someone in the East Bay (San Francisco area).

Don't know of anyone doing ss tubesets for bikes these days.

 

UMTERP wrote:

> This was stainless steel tubing that was available about 6 years ago. It never took off. The only
> builder that I remember using it was Rhygin, but I think that they are gone (like the tubing).
>
> What happened? Does anyone make stainless tubing anymore?

I think it was discontinued when it had served it's purpose, which was stopping Poppe & Pothoff from
entering the bikebusiness with stainless steel tubing. /Marten

 

Bilenky built me a touring frame from this tubing in 1998. I had it built with 3 S&S couplers, one
at the rear of the top tube in the usual location and the other two in the down tube, one at the top
and one at the bottom. The purpose was to allow me to remove the downtube for ease of packing into
the case and to avoid having the cassette chew up the downtube.

The resulting bike is just fine but the only real advantage is that it doesn't rust. My frame was
bead blasted and then given a clear coat to protect the decals. It turned out a rather handsome
medium gray color.

Bob Taylor

 

columbus metax can't compete with chinese titanium

"UMTERP" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> This was stainless steel tubing that was available about 6 years ago. It
never
> took off. The only builder that I remember using it was Rhygin, but I
think
> that they are gone (like the tubing).
>
> What happened? Does anyone make stainless tubing anymore?

 

[email protected] (UMTERP) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
[q1]> This was stainless steel tubing that was available about 6 years ago. It never took off. The only[/q1]
[q1]> builder that I remember using it was Rhygin, but I think that they are gone (like the tubing).[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> What happened? Does anyone make stainless tubing anymore?[/q1]

I dont think Columbus is still making this tubing but....

Nova Cycle Supply still offers Metax tube sets.

Some builders still using it:

David Bohm http://www.bohemianbicycles.com

Jaylon Hawk at Desparado Cycles http://www.desperadocycles.com

Sacha White (sp?) http://www.vanillabicycles.com (Has a thing for stainless chain stays)

Jon K.

 

[email protected] (Robert Taylor) wrote:

> Bilenky built me a touring frame from this tubing in 1998.
...
> The resulting bike is just fine but the only real advantage is that it doesn't rust. My frame was
> bead blasted and then given a clear coat to protect the decals. It turned out a rather handsome
> medium gray color.

You got a fancy custom bike made out of _stainless steel_ , and you let some nincompoop put DECALS
and CLEARCOAT on it?!?

Look upon these photos and repent: http://bohemianbicycles.com/images%202/stain5.jpg
http://bohemianbicycles.com/photo_gallery18.htm

That, my friend, is the only kind of decal a stainless steel bike should ever have. David Bohm is a
man who understands why you would make a bike out of stainless steel.

It's true that it doesn't rust, but to say that that is its "only real advantage" is selling it a
bit short, don't you think? You could say the same about gold, too.

(If I got a gold bike frame I'd have David Bohm build it!)

Chalo Colina