Originally Posted by
Trakhak
I've owned many classic top-of-the-line steel bikes since the mid-1960s. Helyett 531 track bike, Tokyo Olympics Cino Cinelli-designed Raleigh Professional, Atala Record Professional, Bianchi Specialissima, etc.
In my case, though, unlike all but a very few here, I was riding those bikes when they were new or nearly new. I loved them all.
I haven't ridden any of the few of those steel bikes that I still own in many years, though. The aluminum bikes I ride now aren't night-and-day better than those steel bikes were. I just like the way they feel to ride a bit better.
My steel bikes were state of the art back then. My aluminum bikes are (to me) state of the art now. Nothing to get riled up over.
Threads like this are puzzling. The C&V section has become far more vicious than it was only 10 years ago (let alone compared to how it was when I started reading it in the first years after Joe G started BikeForums). Worse than the Road subforum, self-congratulatory claims here to the contrary. Why is that? What happened? They're all just bikes.
Perhaps and probably because there is a possible disdain from carbon framed bike owners towards classic high end steel lugged frame/filet brazed bike owners. We can ask the question does the 5000$ plus carbon frame is really hand made in the USA ?or is it subcontracted in Taiwan ? A high end steel frame is pure art and that is the same with some high end aluminium and titanium frames carefully crafted. I do like carbon frames such as the giant cadex, conalgo c35, c40 as well as the trek oclv 5500, Look KG396, Look KG361, Look KG 196, Look KG486 alongwithTime Carbon frames.Yet, I don't consider them better than any high end or very high steel/aluminium/titanium frame for many reasons, let me list them:
-welding or brazing a high end steel/aluminium/titanium frame requires material knowledge and skills
-steel like titanium have proven strong durability over decades
-steel like titanium proved to be more comfortable than carbon
-repairability is clear the steel, aluminium and titanium frame can always be repaired,the carbon frame very hardly.
If you want to add the electronic shifting argument, then the counter argument is what do you do when your battery is low or dead and that you can't change of gear .A cable shifting never breaks down.
The disc brake argument is another one very easy to refute, take a nice pair of shimano dura ace 7800/7900/9000/9100 or ultegra 6600/6700/6800/8000 calipers that can work better than disc brakes when perfectly adjusted, the disc brakes can present risk of injury.
Also as my old friend Chuck Maddox used to say "Old tech that works is good tech".Technology is nice when it is absolutely and flawlessly reliable over the long run,when it is finicky or capricious over the short term,it is not that great but just a waste of money.