Originally Posted by
freeranger
Agree that a well engineered steel bike is smoother, the steel itself makes a difference also. Butting, grade of steel, design, all makes a difference. That being said, a neighbor is selling his 2002 LeMond Alpe d'Huez. The frame is 853 steel with a carbon fork. Too small for me, but I took it for a short spin anyway. Yes, it sure is smooooooooth!! My old mtn.bike is steel, but chromoly and rides nothing even close to the neighbor's LeMond. Good steel is for sure real!
The grade of steel only makes a difference indirectly. The flexiness depends directly on the wall thickness of the tubes and the outer diameter of the tubes. A tube with a thinner wall will be more flexible, but weaker, more prone to breakage. The grade of steel affects its inherent strength (resistance to breakage), so it is better to make make durable flexy tubes from 853, for example, than high-tensile steel such as from the '50's three-speed days. So steel alloys with higher strength enable tubes which have larger diameters and thinner walls, and which will be durable. This in turn enbles bicycles which do a better job of flexing to cushion you butt from shocks, and could easily be lighter.
Glad you like steel! So do I!