Has the "golden age" of custom steel bikes passed?
#1
Has the "golden age" of custom steel bikes passed?
No Richard Sachs, no Tom Kellog, no Dario Pegoretti, no Ben Serotta, no Brent Steelman ...
Not sure about Sacha White, Kelly Bradford...
Not sure about Sacha White, Kelly Bradford...
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#2
Senior Member
I think you haven't been spending enough time on the internet. There are plenty of lust-worthy steel frames out there.
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#3
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Yeah. Tons of great steel builders out there. Tommasini, Battaglin, Hampsten, Vanilla, Bishop, IF, etc. So many too choose from.
Last edited by vespasianus; 07-22-20 at 04:07 PM.
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#5
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If anything, it seems like we are -right now - in a golden age for steel bike frames.
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What about my Della Santa? Rides great for me, especially as a climber. That’s why I bought it. Test ride from Orinda Cycle and straight up the hill as far as I could go up the hill until I really couldn’t go any farther. What a bike! Sorry your ideas are so limited
#7
But how many of the current generation of steel frame builders have had the opportunity to work closely with professional/olympic-class racers and have had their designs tested in races, as the "old guard" did? Does that affect the quality of the design and the skill of the builder?
#8
Jazz Aficionado
No... I ride a Waterford RS33 Campy Record. Best bike I have ever ridden in over sixty years of riding. Great company... phenomenal workmanship, ride quality, performance and customer service.
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#9
This thread lacks imagination.
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#10
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(1) But how many of the current generation of steel frame builders have had the opportunity to work closely with professional/olympic-class racers and have had their designs tested in races, as the "old guard" did? (2) Does that affect the quality of the design and the skill of the builder?
2) No.
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But how many of the current generation of steel frame builders have had the opportunity to work closely with professional/olympic-class racers and have had their designs tested in races, as the "old guard" did? Does that affect the quality of the design and the skill of the builder?
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#17
Senior Member
Those old frame builders were working with racers to build the best no-holds-barred racing bikes possible, because racing bikes were steel. That space has been taken over by CF, and generally "off the peg" CF at that. Steel frame builders are now building bespoke cruisers for the well-heeled "civilian" cyclist - not saying that these aren't lightweight, well-handling bikes, often rolling works of art, but they're not balls-to-the-wall racing bikes, so input from actual racers is irrelevant. Racers aren't interested in pretty steel bikes, they want light, bordering-on-disposible, plastic bikes.
#18
Banned
But how many of the current generation of steel frame builders have had the opportunity to work closely with professional/olympic-class racers and have had their designs tested in races, as the "old guard" did? Does that affect the quality of the design and the skill of the builder?
#19
#20
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#21
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Also, no mention of Baum in this thread. For shame.
#23
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#24
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Here is a good example of how steel can still be a viable option in the peloton:
https://cyclingtips.com/2018/11/bike...ife-in-girona/
https://cyclingtips.com/2018/11/bike...ife-in-girona/
#25
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Bike racing is a dying sport. I always thought that building bikes for racers was overblown anyway. Lots of builders out there building nice bikes for people that actually pay for their bikes.
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