A question about modern steel frames…

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  • December 15, 2012 at 12:41 pm #957725
    Tim Kelley
    Participant

    Sorry–your original post got stuck in moderation. Got it this time!

    December 15, 2012 at 1:09 pm #957726
    mstone
    Participant

    Here you go: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Thruster-700c-Men-s-Fixie-Bike/17206771

    You will find steel in absolute bottom-end bikes because it’s cheap. Then, there is basically zero market for steel in the mid range, where people would rather have the lighter weight & corrosion resistance over steel. It doesn’t come back until higher-end bikes aimed at a smaller niche of people who want specialty bikes.

    Edit to add: I missed this one — http://www.walmart.com/ip/Kent-Dualdrive-Tandem-Bicycle/3663045 which both fascinates and horrifies me. Or if you want gears: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Cycle-Force-Tour-de-France-Stage-One-Polka-Dot-51cm-Road-Bicycle/15382827 — that one’s all set for the Tour de France, even has “breaks”.

    December 15, 2012 at 1:22 pm #957727
    Vicegrip
    Participant

    I recently shopped for and purchased a road bike and found that the bottom end of the market was steel bikes. Think big box sporting goods stores. I think bikes are simply evolving. Lighter is better all other things the same. Steel is not stronger or more durable in some ways. Forks for example. A carbon fork can be flexed far more times than a steel fork can before failure. A steel frame is less likely to be damaged from a chain suck but can rust up internaly if water leaks in via the seat tube. If I wanted a trditional steel frame with modern running gear bike at a reasonable price I would check craigs list for a built bike or the frame I wanted and build one up just the way I want.

    I work with metal and I understand why bike builders are using aluminum. It forms well and lets the builder use advanced geomertic shapes to give added strength without added materal or weight. What was once a metal that required more highely skilled workers to weld can now be done via machine.

    Sometimes you just have to swim against the current if you want something out of the mainstream. ;)

    December 15, 2012 at 1:27 pm #957723
    dcv
    Participant

    I think the OP is looking for mid priced steel road bikes, not the thruster. I agree it’s driven by demand, most (not all) roadies place more value on less weight and the latest technology (which is CF, then AL for price). I think most of the SS/FG crowd look for best price / value (seems to be more young consumers with less disposable income), and since FG bikes started out as conversions of old steel frames the aesthetic of traditional geometry and thin steel tubing is still relevant.

    I have CF, AL and steel frame bikes, my all time favorite is an old Reynolds 853 steel frame LeMond. After that I’d say CF, AL, then CroMoly steel. I haven’t tried Ti yet, my $0.02

    December 15, 2012 at 1:43 pm #957724
    DismalScientist
    Participant

    Try these:
    http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_526536_-1___202613
    http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_522412_-1___202613
    http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_522811_-1___202613#ReviewHeader
    http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_543060_-1___203559
    http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/mirage_xi_steel.htm
    http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/windsor/tourist.htm
    http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/gran_turismo.htm
    http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/gran_premio_xiii.htm
    http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/schwinn/schwinn_letour_legacy_xi.htm

    Nashbar used to offer non-customizable steel frames, but does not appear to do so anymore. I guess one could take the cheaper products and just remove all the components if you wanted a bare frame.

    Some people just got sold on Aluminum. It might be due to Grant Petersen critique that racing has too much influence on bicycle design, which led to people purchasing Aluminum and later carbon-framed bicycles although objectively steel might be better suited for their riding style. Touring bikes have retained some preference for steel (although there are many aluminum models) and they make excellent commuters.

    I only wish that these internet retailers like Nashbar and BikesDirect would offer steel touring bikes with disk brakes.

    December 15, 2012 at 2:25 pm #957746
    TwoWheelsDC
    Participant

    Bianchi has you covered…their carbon bikes kinda suck, but their steel bikes are sharp. I have a Volpe and I’d loooove to have a Vigorelli or Imola too.

    http://www.bianchiusa.com/bikes/road/steel/

    Regarding the larger market, it seems to me that steel does well in the market where it fits best, touring/commuting, where riders are looking for comfort and durability, or with the SS/FG folks for affordability. For the larger manufacturers, I think they know that new road riders, for the most part, are going into shops with the mindset of “I want the lightest bike I can get because I’ve heard that’s most important” so it makes sense that AL is dominating the low and mid-range sectors of the market.

    Personally, if I was in the market for a mid-range bike that was gonna be my primary road/workout bike, I’d go AL without a second thought. Sure, steel is more comfortable to ride all day, but it just can’t put power to the road like AL and carbon can when the roads get hilly, and it doesn’t provide a lot of feeling/feedback when climbing.

    December 15, 2012 at 3:27 pm #957747
    eminva
    Participant

    What about Jamis? (See Performance Road — Steel options on this page).

    I had both a Quest and an Eclipse and liked them both. You should be able to buy the frame only, either through an authorized dealer or on the secondary market.

    Liz

    December 15, 2012 at 4:04 pm #957749
    Dirt
    Participant

    Raleigh too. (http://www.raleighusa.com). Cool thing is that we’ve got some good Bianchi, Raleigh and Jamis dealers locally. Some of the local faves like Proteus, Bikenetic and Revolution carry at least 1 if not all three.

    I’ll also add in a bit of a curve on this… The general things people say about frame materials are true if you look from a distance… but honestly, what is more important about how a bike rides is HOW it is made, rather than What it is made of. I have steel road bikes that are rigid, unforgiving and will jack-hammer you to death. I have aluminum road bikes that are amongst the smoothest, and most refined that I’ve ever ridden. I have carbon road bikes that hit both ends of the spectrum.

    The same is true for mountain bikes. My current geared mountain bike is aluminum. I was purchased to fill in for a fancy steel frame that I was sending back to get painted. It rode so well and so much smoother than my fancy steel frame that cost TWICE AS MUCH that I ended up selling off the steel frame and keeping the aluminum one. $300 aluminum > $800 steel. (Of course it isn’t that simple.)

    My low-end LeMond aluminum road frame is one of the most refined and smooth-riding frames I’ve ever had. In most ways it is much more comfortable than my virtually priceless carbon Colnago. (Don’t tell my Colnago that… She’ll get mad at me for sure!). $500 aluminum > $5000 Carbon.

    One of the most refined and lovely bikes that I’ve ever ridden (Gaulzetti Corsa) has an amazing ability to be stiff as heck at the bottom bracket, but smooth and efficient at the saddle. It is made of…. You guessed it…. oversized aluminum.

    I don’t mean to throw a monkey wrench into things by saying this. What I AM saying is that a test ride will tell you more than any spec sheet ever will.

    I can’t stress the importance of fit. A $700 bike that fits will be much better than a $7000 one that doesn’t.

    I hope that helps.

    Pete

    December 17, 2012 at 6:15 pm #957815
    Certifried
    Participant

    I’m not quite sure what OP is looking for, track bike? road bike? I just thought I’d throw my $0.02 in case OP is looking for a steel road bike. I absolutely LOVE my Jamis Bosanova. The ride is smooth! I like riding my aluminum Trek if I’m going on a fast (for me) ride on reasonably smooth paths or roads, but if I’m going to commute or ride on rough surfaces, my Jamis is fantastic for it.

    It’s a mid-level commuting bike primarily. Jamis has a few other steel bikes, as mentioned above, as well as many other manufacturers. It seems to me that steel has had a bit of resurgence. It had been about 10 years between when I rode last, and starting back up this year, but I found that there are lots of nice steel options out there.

    December 17, 2012 at 7:05 pm #957820
    GuyContinental
    Participant

    @dcv 38229 wrote:

    I have CF, AL and steel frame bikes, my all time favorite is an old Reynolds 853 steel frame LeMond. After that I’d say CF, AL, then CroMoly steel. I haven’t tried Ti yet, my $0.02

    This made my battered Poprad with Reynolds 853 smile… (and me too, it’s not the fastest or lightest but I’ve never had a bike that felt so right)*

    *now if I could just keep my tires inflated and on the rim…

    January 7, 2013 at 1:12 am #959179
    rpiretti
    Participant

    What’s wrong with just buying the frame/fork of an older road bike and outfitting with new components? Theryre everywhere out there. Check out a Rivendell Atlantis

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