and it was wicked.

A Orange R8 2010. Finally upgraded from my knackered Spesh Rockhopper. And it's true. All the that stuff about 'springy' 'natural' steel is true.

Compared to my Rockhopper the R8 felt fast and stable. It carved it's way round the woods. Responsive and accelerated like a muthafackr. It held the line. Smooth and confident. Out the saddle and in the attack position it seemed to come alive. Loved it.

Steel is great. The marketing is correct.

How would you describe riding a steel bike ?

I'm very excited..

Steel is real and all that jazz. Don't know about the ride but I kike the look of a skinny frame.

I found riding a steel frame a very similar experience to watching the sun set over Stone Henge on the summer solstice, whilst holding hands with hundreds of other like minded people.

I can't tell the difference (except for the price).

Isn't it funny how steel-framed zinginess feels almost exactly the same as new bike syndrome?

It doesn't exist. My Alu Whyte 905 is much more zingy than my old dialled PA

New bike syndrome, excellent!

I agree with Neils, the look of a steel frame can't be beat.

my ally hardtail accelerates quicker cos its really stiff.

Orange could not have put it better…

The R8 creates that feeling, snaking through the fading sinews of a little-used singletrack with leaves grappling at your bars as the trail narrows and your grin widens. A bike designed to truly fulfill an overused adage about bike and rider connecting as one.

suckered in by the marketing blurb…

Titanium is more real. 🙂
And I also ride high end steel.

Me and my R8 are as one. And I (we) will ignore New Bike Syndrome. We are very happy.

I'm a believer

Awwww.. leave him/them alone!

Enjoy your new bike and then be amazed at how dead it feels/felt when you get your next new bike!

Not too sure that steel is any more "natural" than ally though.

The R8 creates that feeling, snaking through the fading sinews of a little-used singletrack with leaves grappling at your bars as the trail narrows and your grin widens. A bike designed to truly fulfill an overused adage about bike and rider connecting as one.

I've owned both steel and ally frames and i've gotta say i've preferred the steel ones, though that could be due to factors other than the ductility of the chosen build material, though it could play a part. keep it steel.

I have a R8 too, and I'm very happy. I'm not going to type superlatives though. All I'll say is that in my experience alloy is fine if you just want light weight and (race pace) speed. Other than that, steel and ti are the way forward for hardtails.

Nice bike choice. Must be into double figures for R8 owners now, eh?!

(I presume a used Dialed PA is Reynolds 520, no? Irrelevant comparison to 853….)

I have ally, steel and Ti hardtail frames and have found that it's the steel ones that get used the most. Not sure if that's just the material or more related to the geometry though, as both my steel hardtails (Soul and BFe) are longish travel and I've never had a ally or Ti hardtail that takes a fork longer than 100mm.

Just building up a 456, will report back on thursday, never had steel always aluminium.

Mate reckons I won't want to build the susser up again after the winter, think he may be mad

I have a steel bike, which is pretty unique amongst the people I ride with who have either Alu or carbon fibre. I have been asked a couple of times how it rides and I never know what to say. Shoulder shrug, 'It's alright. Like a bike?!'.

For me the tyres, tyre pressure, fork, cockpit and geometry are more important than the frame material! I do like skinny tubes though…

I got a p7 this year after quite a few years riding a sub5 and then mainly an Evo 4 -ali hardtail.(still got both)
When I started off on the p7 i thought it was a little too heavy and I soon got used to that.Once it picks up speed ,crikey.

I don't know about rider and bike becoming one , but i do know that
I can ride things more confidently & quicker on the p7 than on the evo.
That however, may be to do with the frame geometry and the bigger fork methinks.
Ruminant – my full suss is now for the lakes/spain only.I still love me full suss , but now I want to take the p7 everywhere.
Also, I can ride the p7 all day and have no upper body fatigue,
the same can't be said for the evo.