[Closed] steel ???

oh yes steel is immense...I have an old kona cindercone and I just love it. I have tried upgrading with other alu bikes even a modern version of the cindercone but nothing compares.

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They are defo the best for fully rigid...

Yes, but it`s an old Bontrager
I am also looking for one of the new longer travel breed.

Current thoughts are along the lines of P7 or Genesis. Maybe a Charge.

light steel has a nice magical quality to the ride. Different to ti and prob not as nice, but way cheaper

I wanted a orange p7 pro with some upgrades but was told they are not making anymore more until july so I said bugger to that ....luckily they had a cotic soul frame in my lbs so going to build that up ....cant wait !!!!!!lol bored of full suss bikes ...does anyone have the same feeling ???

Yes I own one, but alu frames can be as good or better. I have a lemond zurich, OK its a road bike, however its 853 pro team including the stays and its a brilliant ride but a bit flexy if you hammer it. I also have a whyte 905, and the ride is very forgiving for alu and IMO better than the steel mtbs I've tried (on one 456, dialled PA).

Steel by itself won't necessarily make a good ride; it has got to be designed and built right too.

Love my Sanderson Life (853) btw.

Steel is lovely! I have an 853 rock lobster, very nice ride. It's not as harsh as the ali trek I was riding before, and seems a lot livelier. I wouldn't go back to aluminium for a hardtail.

Geometry is more important than material

Still rocking it on a '95 Marin steel framed lovely as one of my bikes. Geometry? Perfect! Set up? Perfect! Handling? Sumblime!

Steel is perfect in a great many situations. Not all, but a great many.

I think Geometry is very important dont get me wrong but I personally have comfort first as you could always get used to the geometry ?? thats my way of thinking everyone is different

Love steel frames, had an ally hardtail around ten years ago, emphasis on the 'hard' part. changed the frame for a Handjob, and the difference in comfort and quality of ride was a revelation. I currently own three:
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The grey one is an Inbred 567, a development prototype of the 456 which never went further. I love the Inbreds, but if I was buying a new frame now I'd be looking at the Ragley Blue Pig, [url]www.shedfire.com/tag/ragley/[/url]

I think it depends on where and how you ride combined with the geometry, frame material and overall set up.
I ride a Sanderson Breath (cro mo version of the Life)and it is fantastic. Much better than my last bike which was an Alu HT, but the Sanderson does have a better spec. I can't be sure it is because it's steel but it is great to ride in places where the other bike struggled.

If you are not sure, give a steel framed bike a go. There is quite a revival for them at the moment so if you don't like it you could probably sell it easily enough.

I had a top-end Saracen prestige frame back in the day, beautifully brazed and nice and light - still regret selling it to fund my university living.

(Those were the days - had it kitted out with XT thumbies, super-skinny rims, HS33's and a mix of Cooks Bros and Syncros finishing kit. Ahhh - nostalgia....)

I like how steel rides, I've had ti and alu, found the ti awesome at high speed and a little numb at low where as steel is alive at low and high speed so it's fun all the time not just when your on it. Alu I found a bit stiff and unforgiving so quite tiring for more than 2 hours riding.

There should be a fair few Cotic owners that will give you feed back on there rides, not seen any negative thoughts, if you looking at the don't forget on-one, dialled or sanderson.

I love my Genesis Altitude so far. It is so much more pleasant on rides. I now love going downhill rather than being afraid of my teeth being shaken out. It's early days but I'm not sure I'd want to go back to an alu frame.

It's mostly a myth in my experience.

I like steel and I love my Cotic.

I went through the shall I shant I dance a or so year back and wasn't disappointed. Rides like I [i]remember[/i] my favourite old Explosif of yesteryear.

I've just bought a steel framed ss after riding only aluminium HTs for the last 15 years or so.
I think I was put off by my early steel mtbs which were heavy and felt dead and lifeless and switched to alloy frames which I much preferred.

I must say though, that I'm really enjoying riding a modern steel frame. It certainly has a nice bit of "zing" in the ride and the angles are perfect for me.
Should have given it a go again sooner, I reckon.

i have a P7 and its great, compared to my old Kona alu its like sat on a sofa.

you still get beat up on long rides though, but i don't care i love it

Mrs _mw has a Genesis altitude 20 with posher wheels than it should have, and absolutly raves about it. For her, a combination of the 853 frame, better (more suited to her) geometry and a better fork than she had before have transformed her riding. So ok, it's not just the steel,but it's definately a big part of it. She likes it. A lot.

5 psi out of your tyres, rear suspension, or standing up for the lumpy bits will make way more difference than frame material IME.

Been riding a Bontrager Race for 12 years or so.

[i]Sublime[/i] singletrack machine.

Riding a steel orange clockwork re-issue. Best bike I've had for ride quality. Nice and springy. Waiting for orange to bring out their new R8 which will have reynolds 853 steel and yummy wishbone rear stays...

Anyway - test-ride if you can. Cotic get good write ups for sure...

5 psi out of your tyres

Won't make alu feel like steel... my Genesis has a nice bit of give in it but it also 'rebounds' in a way flatter tyres won't. Maybe it's in my head but it just makes it really fun to throw around...

steel is real!

nothing like it IMHO

Everyone who says material makes no difference has obviously never noticed that springs are never made from aluminium. There's a reason for that. It's why full-sus bikes work best with an ally or carbon chassis, and not steel or Ti.

Everyone who says material makes no difference has obviously never noticed that springs are never made from aluminium

However, a hardtail frame isn't made of coils, it's made of triangles, which are pretty rigid in the plane where all this compliance is noticed by the fans.

However, a hardtail frame isn't made of coils, it's made of triangles, which are pretty rigid in the plane where all this compliance is noticed by the fans.

Today, I think it's more about torisional deflection than vertical compliance.

About how some frames keep the wheels in line, and some don't.

The less the wheels are kept in line, the more lively it is. Sometimes that's good and sometimes it's not.

Oh, and also "splay" - or how the wheels spread apart under load as the fork tries to pull the front end off the frame as you load/unload the frame (mostly determined by top tube profile).

Loving the steel - just about to pop out for a local spin right now in fact 🙂

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i have 2 steel based bikes, an On-One SS Rigid and a Orange Clockwork 2007 remake hardtail.

Both of them a great ride 🙂

do it you wont be disapointed 🙂

My Orange Prestige pro 2008 is awesome. Geometery perfect and responsiveness is a dream compared to my old alu frame.

Brant has it right; it's all about the lateral stiffness and vertical compliance..... 🙄

Given that the feel of a bike is modulated by;
the tyre
the tyre pressure
the tyre type
tubeless/not tubeless
the rim
the spoke pattern
the spoke tension
the hub
the QR/Maxleness
the fork
the fork sag
the fork damping
the fork compression
the fork height
the headset bearings
the length of the head tube
the geometry of the front end of the bike
the stack height
the stem length
the stem angle
the bar length
the riser/non-riserness
the grip width
the grip material
the gloves
...at the front,and
the tyres
the tyre pressure
the tyre type
tubeless/not tubeless
the rim
the spoke pattern
the spoke tension
the hub
the drive train
the pedals
the cranks
the seatpost
the seat
the shorts
the shoes,

Isn't it likely that the amazingness of steel is rather more down to individual perceptions and unconcious desire than the actual material?

[i]tubeless/not tubeless[/i]

How so?

I have a cotic soul and ride some pretty rocky/lumpy places. Compared to an alloy frame it leaves you feeling a bit less battered due to the bit of give in the frame. The flipside is that it doesn't have the immediate acceleration of a stiff alloy frame and doesn't feel as solid in the steering/up front as my old Cove stiffee. Offroad I genrally prefer the feel of a steel hardtail. I run some lightish stuff on the soul with 2.25" fast rolling tyres and Pike air forks set at 125mm travel, 70mm stem etc.

a full suss bike is even more forgiving and they are made of Aluminium. figure that techno bods!!

oh hang on...

I couldn't care less what a frame is made of. if its hard tail its going to hurt me the next day.

I find this (pic1) more comfortable than the bike in the second pic and more fun too. not as capable on the downs but...

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I've got a Soul, and it's superb... But not because it's steel, just because it's superb. Excellent geometry, reasonable weight, well designed frame making good use of the material. I'd recommend it to anyone if it wasn't for the price, but it's still great.

Before that, I had a Scandal, which is alloy but also had a surprising amount of flex and give in it, very nice. Just because many ally bikes are built like bridges doesn't mean they all are.

"5 psi out of your tyres will make way more difference than frame
material IME."

That's right, it'll make you slower and you'll pinch flat more, frame material can't do that

Steel is amazing, my Raleigh Lizard is the best bike I've owned, all because of the metal it's made of!

I like my 456, but I've had an Orange Clockwork that was like a soggy noodle, hated the ride, every time I pedalled hard there was so much flex the front mech rubbed on the chain.

My favourite bike is aluminium.

Trekster/No teeth:
Last year went from old faithful ( Bonty Privateer ) to Soul. Absolutely love it! A good decision for me. I'd been going round in circles for ages before biting the bullet. The Soul frame held against the Privateer was interesting. The rear triangle etc. was a perfect match, the only difference I could see was the top tube was longer by 1 1/2 - 2" and I presume the angle of head tube slightly different?, both to take into acocount the new longer forks.
Soul feels same as bonty but a bit longer, so doesn't front wheel lift on steeps, and the adjustable Revalations get wound down to 100mm for ups, 130mm for downs. Brilliant!

No teeth: what forks are you running on the Race?
Mine came with Pace RC35's as the RS's were a nightmare at the time so opted for Pace. I've still got the Privateer's rigids and was wondering which to use.
cheers
Q