Originally Posted by
Hypno Toad
You clearly don't spend a lot of time reading posts around BF ... the love of steel is very real on the forums!
My current bikes include: 4 steel frames (including new tandem); 3 AL frames (selling one in the spring); 1 CF. IME CF is great but big $$$; AL affordable, but it's too harsh; and steel is affordable and offers a great ride.
That said, you do you! Go ride whatever makes you happy ... cause I'm gonna keep on lovin' Surly and steel.
Steel bikes will always be around. I'm not debating that. There are numerous custom manufactures that will make you a steel frame but it will cost more. Whether Surly will continue to is looking sketchy. They are currently having problems with ICT and Wednesday frames cracking. Not sure if they've fixed the issue or not though.
The love of steel is real by a small number of folks. If you did a poll you would find aluminum and carbon frames to be what the majority of folks are using and also it is what the major players are selling because they know steel won't sell.
My first introduction to Surly was a Pugsley. It weighed 40 lbs. Ouch. I ran the other way and purchased a 30 lb aluminum Fatboy then eventually upgraded to a carbon fatboy that weighs 26lbs.