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Why do you ride that old steel road bike?

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Why do you ride that old steel road bike?

Old 04-23-12, 07:58 PM
  #51  
steve0257
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My 73 World Traveler is more comfortable than my other bikes.
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Old 04-23-12, 08:13 PM
  #52  
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I have my new shiny carbon bike, my lightish aly hybrid, and my heavy as hell 1987 Bianchi. Dry it's about 35lb, with rack and panniers, clothes and laptop, I don't want to know!

What I do know is it's fun to ride, and when I do get on my shiny carbon I FLY!
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Old 04-23-12, 08:14 PM
  #53  
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I had an aluminum bike when my 93 Giant Sedona with double butting was bashed in the rear triangle from a race crash(which pushed the left seatstay into the tire but it still finished the race without an issue). Giant XTC hardtail. Great manuverable and zippy sports car, but I found myself riding less and less because it didn't feel "right" for me. A couple months later I found a donor tube from an old road bike and had my fab welder put it in(not easy on the thin portion of the butting) and been riding since. She also has a disc brake tab welded on that I made, 10 yrs and rolling with no cracking or give. In fact the custom brake mount is stiffer and more secure than the factory one from the XTC.

Since then I managed to find another Sedona for a backup...not an easy proposition since they dumbed them down to aluminum cruisers nowdays.
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Old 04-23-12, 08:39 PM
  #54  
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Originally Posted by Velo Dog
Wrong. The world is full of 40-year-old steel bikes. You're never going to see that with carbon.
Interesting story about a company who's been making carbon fiber bikes for 20 years

https://www.aegisbicycles.com/pdfs/Bu..._booklet07.pdf
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Old 04-23-12, 08:41 PM
  #55  
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I ride steel ( and one aluminum/steel mix ) because the only time I ever rode a CF frame , I broke it.
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Old 04-23-12, 08:54 PM
  #56  
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My steel Waterford weights within 2 lbs of my fastest (CF Cervelo). So steel can be light as well as comfortable.
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Old 04-23-12, 09:26 PM
  #57  
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always old bike
 
Old 04-23-12, 09:39 PM
  #58  
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Originally Posted by MightyLegnano
I own an Italian Legnano Corsa road bike with original components (down to the bolts), a french Mercier Special Tour De France road bike with new components, an Ideal Target mountain bike/tourer with new components and a high end modern full suspension alluminium Ideal Vsr Pro. I've rolled on them for hundreds of thousands of miles all around my country (races, touring, commuting). The 3 of 4 bikes are made of steel as you may already know. The best steel available at the time. So, I may not be a frame builder but I've ridden on good steel ALL my life. So, I'm sorry but I know about good steel bikes.

And I think you've got wrong my intentions. My original post wasn't written in a literal sense, more in a poetic exaggerated way to make us all externalize our adoration for the beauty of great old bikes.
My apologies, but when I read your question, I toke to mean that you thought that all steel bikes are old school and heavy, which I don't agree with.

So back to your question, the only bike that I own that falls into the old school and heavy category is my 84 specialized stump jumper and I can't stand to ride that bike, but that is because it has straight handlebars and never feels comfortable.

Now why do I ride my old steel road bikes, is that I ride them to make sure that they are is good shape since they rarely get out and sometimes I like the feel of the old campy equipment. Also the older campy stuff looks so nice.

Last edited by cyclist2000; 04-23-12 at 09:43 PM.
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Old 04-23-12, 09:58 PM
  #59  
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Originally Posted by chasm54
The question was not "why do you ride a cheap bike?" it was "why do you ride that old steel bike?"

The bike frame that you mentioned, I would not consider old, but that's a matter of one's perspective.
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Old 04-23-12, 11:53 PM
  #60  
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My bikes are steel frames with lugs. They are not beat up and since I'm never going to be like Lance Armstrong, I don't care that my bikes are heavier than carbon fiber made in China.
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Old 04-24-12, 12:09 AM
  #61  
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Originally Posted by JohnDThompson
The Viscount frame was straight-gauge chrome-moly, and quite thin walled, which made it more flexy than high-end frames built using double-butted tubing. But it was quite a bargain in its day.



Reynolds 531 first hit the market in 1935 and dominated high end steel frames for half a century. The new alloys are not necessarily stronger than 531, but rather more amenable to modern manufacturing methods -- e.g. TIG welding and automated processes rather than low temperature hand brazing.
But my point is that steel is no more real than aluminum. You don't mine steel you maunfacture it. And they add things to it to get from 531 to the newer steel frames. The goal was always the same with a road bike, lighter, less flex. For me I don't care how they get there, the material doesn't matter as much as the ability to tune the frame. I would consider a Calfee if it improved flex and weight and was in my budget. I do like Waterfords but I don't like them more than my Klein.

For this forum I would expect to see more riders on old steel. What I don't see is an equal representation in the real world where I live. At least not with road bikes. There has to be a reason and I don't believe the consumer was fooled into moving away from steel. Yes they make some custom steel bikes that are pretty impressive and I am sure some of them ride very well. But I am not sure they ride any better than any other bike made of Aluminum or Cf or Bamboo. I didn't say anyone should dump their old steel bike I only said it is very unlikely that I would go back to steel now that the other materials have improved as well.
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Old 04-24-12, 01:21 AM
  #62  
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Originally Posted by Mobile 155
For this forum I would expect to see more riders on old steel. What I don't see is an equal representation in the real world where I live. At least not with road bikes. There has to be a reason and I don't believe the consumer was fooled into moving away from steel. Yes they make some custom steel bikes that are pretty impressive and I am sure some of them ride very well. But I am not sure they ride any better than any other bike made of Aluminum or Cf or Bamboo. I didn't say anyone should dump their old steel bike I only said it is very unlikely that I would go back to steel now that the other materials have improved as well.
It's true that frame geometry matters more than material, and I have heard frame builders say that as far as ride quality is concerned, nothing they can do with the frame will make a bigger difference than the choice of tyres.

Bt that doesn't mean there is no difference in the characteristics of the materials. There's a reason many high-end aluminium bikes (and some steel ones, too) use carbon forks, and there is no doubt that my old steel frame responds differently, and distinctly, from my carbon bikes when hitting bumps or rough surfaces. Part of that is geometry - the CF has a compact frame - but some of it is the steel tubing.

I don't say steel is a superior material to CF for bike-building, despite the (to my eyes) wonderful elegance of a classic steel frame. But if I was spending the sort of money that a top-end road bike now costs, I'd consider going custom steel, because a really good frame builder can make you a bike that meets your specifications and preferences with regard to riding style and "feel". You might find that by shopping around between the carbon alternatives available, but you might not.

And did I mention that a great steel frame is a thing of beauty? Oh, so I did.
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Old 04-24-12, 01:35 AM
  #63  
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I ride my mid-grade chrome and blue Canadian / Japanese Sekine because my parents bought it for me in '75. I had the best bike around. It's not old and beat up, just old, and in great shape. I don't think I realized until the last few years how much mom and dad sacrificed to get that bike for me.
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Old 04-24-12, 07:01 PM
  #64  
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I love them, grew up learning to ride the fogline on them. Now that I'm older these gems are still available and for the first time in my life I can have more than one of them. The ride on my Trek 460 racer is like none other, very responsive, light, quick and it fits me like an old baseball glove.....new ones just dont feel right.

I just picked up the Raleigh Technium for 100.00 in absolute gorgeous condition two days ago so I'll get to see how aluminum feels.

Having a new bike just is not necessary for me at this point in life. Each of my 3 bikes serve an important and distinctive style of riding.....and they have class.
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Old 04-24-12, 07:33 PM
  #65  
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I'll save my breathe cause this is a dead horse.
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Old 05-01-12, 07:31 PM
  #66  
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For the same reason I have owned numerous classic air cooled Porsche 911's instead of a newer Porsche Boxster or 996. Some things are just classic and even though they don't necessarily perform as well as their modern counterparts in every way there is a certain satisfaction in driving/riding them. My current stable of bikes that I ride consists of five steel frames, zero aluminum (although I've owned quite a few), and zero carbon fiber.
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Old 05-01-12, 08:01 PM
  #67  
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Originally Posted by Velo Dog
There it is. For some reason, when people bash steel bikes, they seem to be talking about the steel bikes made in about 1955.
And if I worried whether my bike looked "manly," I'd be worried.
My Lenton "Reg Harris Road Model" is a 1955 model... built of Reynolds 531 and it has earned it's big C, many little c's and managed to do a sub hour 40. It was built as an all rounder that you could ride to work from Monday to Friday and then take out on club rides and events on the weekend.



Fast forward to the 70's and you have my hand built Ron Cooper... steel bikes just don't get any better than this and it curbs out at < 21 pounds with some Zeus titanium brakes and no carbon fibre. It is a 10 in every way save for the fact the frame is a little scruffy from years of use.



My steel XC bike was built here and weighs 23 pounds... it is one of my favourite bikes.



This week I picked up another hand built, a Proctor that was built here in the mid nineties and the shop scale says it weighs 21 pounds and when I source some proper racing wheels it should come in at 19 - 19.5. It is a gorgeous, fast, and extremely agile bike.

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Old 05-01-12, 08:06 PM
  #68  
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A Ron Cooper? If that was my size I may have to kill you for it.
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Old 05-01-12, 08:33 PM
  #69  
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Dibs on the Lenton. Need to borrow some rat poison?
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Old 05-01-12, 09:04 PM
  #70  
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Originally Posted by Six jours
Dibs on the Lenton. Need to borrow some rat poison?
The Lenton was purchased and ridden by it's original owner for 50 years and he was a serious racer... when I got the bike I became it's second owner and had to restore the mudguards as the originals had been removed many decades earlier and mounted the rack so I could carry a little on my commute on what have been many metric centuries and a number of full centuries.

It hits the curb at 30 pounds with the rack and it is an "All Steel" bicycle... albeit with stainless Dunlop wheels.

I have quite a few bicycles but few are as smooth and comfortable as the Lenton... it is not as agile as the Cooper or Proctor but riding it is effortless as everything is so incredibly smooth.

You are going to have to wait until I die to get this one.

Anyone who has checked out "My Bicycles"" will know I am a huge fan of these vintage steel machines and that is not limited to the lightweights.
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Old 05-01-12, 09:42 PM
  #71  
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Originally Posted by StanSeven
My steel Waterford weights within 2 lbs of my fastest (CF Cervelo). So steel can be light as well as comfortable.
Show that Waterford!! Post a pic if you can, please.
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Old 01-21-13, 02:05 PM
  #72  
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Last week I bought an '87 schwinn le tour for $20.00. New tires and tubes cost me about $36.00. New chain about: $18.00. New cables and housing: $8.00. Lube and grease used: about $5.00. White nail polish for touch up: $1.00 Time spend overhauling the bike: about a day and half of pure fun. Grand total $88.00!!!! WOW! What a good deal. I love that bike now, just came back from about a twenty mile ride and the thing fly's with all new grease and cables etc. That is why I love old steel bikes! I'm in college and don't have a lot of money, but honestly even if I had a lot of money I think I might have a hard time spending thousands of dollars on a bike when I can get such an awesome one for 88.00 dollars.

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Old 01-21-13, 02:10 PM
  #73  
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Yawn
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Old 01-21-13, 02:24 PM
  #74  
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Originally Posted by fietsbob
Yawn
The OP was yanking people's chain... the horse was already long dead when you started beating it.

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Old 01-21-13, 03:16 PM
  #75  
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Originally Posted by JohnDThompson
The Viscount frame was straight-gauge chrome-moly, and quite thin walled, which made it more flexy than high-end frames built using double-butted tubing. But it was quite a bargain in its day.



Reynolds 531 first hit the market in 1935 and dominated high end steel frames for half a century. The new alloys are not necessarily stronger than 531, but rather more amenable to modern manufacturing methods -- e.g. TIG welding and automated processes rather than low temperature hand brazing.
John, would you not agree that modern alloys from Reynolds 753 on up to 953, Columbus Niobium, and TruTemper OX-Plat and S3 are stronger steel materials than 531? I think that case is pretty clear. What's not as clear is whether tubing products made of them with thinner walls are as durable in the same usage.
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