Originally Posted by
Happy Feet
The thing that makes me chuckle about the fear of welding steel frames is the plethora of aftermarket steel fabrication involving bike frames that have been welded in various forms and configurations over the last century or so. Just Google homemade rickshaws, ice-cream vendor bikes, double or triple high clown bikes, side car bikes, home made cargo bikes and more recently ratrod bikes... jinkies! How'd they do it?
You missed my point entirely. I wasn’t addressing a “fear of welding steel” but the fear of not being able to weld an aluminum frame for repair that causes most bicycle tourist to choose steel in the first place. In addition to that fear of aluminum being weak, the common bicycle tourist thinks that steel frame repair is so simple that any idiot with a arc welder can do it. Here’s what an idiot with an arc welder can do to BMX handlebars which aren’t really known for how thin the metal is.
They tried to add material to the handlebar to make a shim. You can’t see them but there are 9 holes in the bar from where the welder burned through the handlebar. Think of what that same idiot would do to a bike with far thinner walls.
Personally I wouldn't care about steel or aluminum in itself (both are strong enough) but rather the build quality and wheelset. The drivetrain, as long as it works well and has low gearing, is good enough - as touring usually isn't high performance racing.
I don’t care about steel or aluminum either. As you say both are strong enough (now). I would agree that touring isn’t “high performance racing” but not in the way you think. It’s far more rigorous than racing. Race bikes only need to carry a fairly lightweight rider. Touring bikes usually carry heavier riders and more load. It’s harder on the bike (and rider) than racing.