Hipcycler

Enlighten me.
Seems to me I've seen a lot of threads from people who are big fans of steel.
What up with that?

In this age of lighter, faster, more high-tech-er....lugged steel.
Talk to me.

CastIron

Nostalgia. I ride lugged steel and do like it, but really, time (and technology) has marched on. It harkens back to a simpler time when craftsmanship was king... You get the idea. Still a fine material, though.

duane041

I get steel bikes for $10. That's a plus.

timmhaan

steel just feels very nice on the road. it's a bit heavier, which in my mind, makes it feel more solid and stable. i don't get thrown around or vibrated to death on my steel bike.

Eatadonut

I like it for my commuters because when I run over the fork with my car, I can bend it back to the right place

Mariner Fan

The great thing about different frame materials is that we can all indulge in a style that strikes our collective fancy.

bmike

steel

fixedfiend

compliancy and stiffness magically combined to form a material that brings back nostalgia. The weight is another issue.

zakk

to steal is bad.

to steal steel is even worse.

zakk

I must cite you as a member of the Grammer Police and a Major in the Fashion Police Army.

sunninho

The weight of certain steel frames has approached that of carbon and aluminum frames, anywhere around 3-3.5 lbs. I have a 3.5 lb steel Gilmour road frame (56cm) that's waiting to be built up. Comfort and nostalgia are definitely factors in choosing steel.

pigmode

Steel is cost efficient and relatively durable. Doesn't matter whether it lugged, fillet brazed, or TIGed. If cost was no object, I'd build carbon.

aadhils

E-mail surly...

Patriot

Ran over a huge dead racoon the other night on my way home from work at midnight.

There I was, cruising along at 20mph, when the sucker came up so quick, I didn't have time to swerve. Those little guys are camoflauged. Very hard to see at night.

WOMP!!!

Hit it head on. Nope, there's nothing like running over a dead carcus on the road in the middle of the night to get the adrenaline going. Didn't phase the old Centurion though. The Tange forks are BOMPROOF. I honestly would not have wanted that to happen with my carbon bike.

bbattle

Is a 2.5 lb. frame too heavy for you? You can get there using Columbus Spirit. There are other alloys that'll get you a sub-3 lb. frame, too. True Temper S3, UltraFoco, Niobium.

craign04

i hope you hosed down your bike when you got home... nothing like coming out to the garage the next morning to find coon blood and pieces plastered to your wheels and frame

cydewaze

I think you mean "cite".

"Site" is something else.

a77impala

I like lugged frames and the small tubing of steel frames, the weight issue is minor. I think the large tubes used in aluminum frames are overbearing in a road bike. I also prefer the smaller quill type stems rather than the modern threadless variety.I bought a Trek 6000 partly because of the large tubing of its frame but thats a mtb.

bbattle

Site is somewhere else.

zakk

i was caughted!

mollusk

If you want the fastest and most efficient bike possible and wanted it cheap you wouldn't choose steel. I guess you would end up with a lightweight aluminum frame bike.

If you wanted the most comfortable bike possible with good performance and price was no object you wouldn't choose steel. I guess you would end up with a carbon framed bike.

If you wanted the most durable bike and you had an unlimited budget you wouldn't choose steel. I guess you would end up with a titanium frame bike.

If you wanted a pretty fast bike that was reasonably comfortable, long lived, and affordable, you'd probably choose steel.

hi565

Thread merged with the other one.

hi565
Mod

squeegy200

I've ridden Steel, Aluminum, and Carbon framed bikes. Its not possible to be objective and give an opinion unless you've ridden on these bikes. I cannot make generalizations outside of my own bikes because different labels approach the same materials in different ways resulting in different qualities in the resulting bike. Each has their own characteristics.

From the limited experience I've had, my Aluminum frames had a harshness to them that was noticeable on long rides. My friends reserve their Alu bikes for TTs and climbing.

My Carbon Fibre bicycle--which is my most travelled bike-- like many CF bikes deletes much of the road buzz and is very comfortable for long periods of time. However, it has a deceptive muted feeling which makes me sometimes believe I'm not traveling as fast as I would be on another material. Of course that's not true but that is the perception while riding.

My steel bike is probably the least expensive of all of my bicycles. My steel bike is predicatable, descends with confidence, climbs well, and takes that edge off the textures in the asphalt without feeling squishy. It's comfortable on long rides. The down side is that it weighs ~2-3 lbs heavier than my other bikes.

But for a non-racer, I've got more gravity pulling at my body for me to be worried about the minute difference in mass of my bicycles.

One last note: At organized events, I never get compliments on my modern bikes but my classic steel bike gets lots of looks and lots of attention.

chipcom 

Without getting into the endless debate, I like the feel of steel - and it looks maaavaalous. Hip, wouldn't you just love to ride a lugged work of art that matches your clothes! Come to the retro side, my son.

Serpico

steel is best <--- FACT