Originally Posted by
benoize
Hi T-mar, thanks again for your swift reply. I think Cromor is pretty much the same as SL except for the down tube an chain- and seat stay being 1mm thicker. But then Cromor was used for bigger frames and SL used for the smaller frames (I think that was the differentiation).
I came across this table on equusbicycle. It's called columbuschart (I can't post URLs *sigh*)
As for the group set it looks like I have a lot of choices, so I can go on the hunt for a nice set! Looking forward to fixing it up. Will post pics!
Matrix/Cromor pretty much split the difference between SL and SP. It used an SL gauge seat tube and fork blades, with an SP gauge down tube. The top tube had SL gauge butts with an SP gauge centre section, while stays were thicker than SL but thinner than SP. This resulted in tubeset that was heavier and stiffer than SL but lighter and less stiff than SP. It wasn't optimized for a light professional rider like SL or a heavier professional rider like SP. However, what really set Matrix/Cromor apart and relegated it to mid-range was the welded billet construction which significantly reduced the cost over the seamless SL and SP tubesets. As a result, Matrix/Cromor found it's niche as a general purpose, mid-range tubeset for for sport riders. The difference would become even greater towards the end of 1987 when SL, SP and the other higher grade Columbus tubesets received an upgrade to the stronger and more exotic Cyclex alloy.