Why do people like steel bikes?

Molgrips.

Is the 29er tubeless? If so, you haven’t accounted for the 2kg of extra Stans Spaff™ in there. 😉

My Soloist is the same geometry as the Life

soloist is an inch shorter in the TT IIRC? That was the reason I bought a life and a tensioner anyway.

I suppose if those figures are given at 120mm then at 100mm it’ll be quite a bit longer and steeper (assuming it’ll take another 10mm layback on the post, and the HA drops to 70).

The life/breath were apparently based on the ‘designers’ old Kona frame with some tweeks, which is allegedly where Cy got his inspiration for the soul from too. Either way it always looked like the bike you’d design in your head, forged headtube, hourglass stays, ritchey dropouts, slightly dropped top tube, forward facing seatpost slot, no rack mounts. My only gripe were the cable guides, I prefer roadie style guides under the BB or zip tied guides, although I can see why there the way they are, perfect for shouldering the bike.

The new house has a big garage, I’ve told myself my first treat as soon as all the DIY is done in a couple of years is a bazing setup and frame jig, then I can tweek old frames to my hearts content!

Why do people like steel bikes?

Cos they is real.
IMAG0348 by pten2106[/url], on Flickr

I like this one because it’s got some hand-built woo-woo in it, I’ve had it for ages and I love the way it rides – all the cliched stuff about resilient, sprightly handling – this has it in spadefuls. Love it even more now it’s debounced and degeared.

I like this one because I’ve done more miles on it than anything else, because I know I’ll have it forever unless something bad happens, nad because it’s so versatile.

I like this one because it’s got bouncy bits and geary bits and it’s fun to thrash. light enough for 100 milers, strong enough to take more abuse than I’m likely to give it. Doesn’t really need to be steel, but I wanted one, they were cheap, and some of it’s magic woo-woo 853. Christmas lights are not a permanent feature.

And I like this one because I asked for a cheap station/pub bike, someone (off here) gave it to me – he’d found it in a skip. Put some of my parts bin stuff on it and I’ve grown quite attached to it! No clue how rusty it is – plenty of algae on it when I picked it up – I reckon it’s spent some time in a canal.

^ that appears to be an old Bontrager RaceLite or OR, you got that for free? Jammy barsteward!

good eyes! OR 1990/1991.

Lovely chap (tobymc on here) rescued it from a skip, kept it, wanted it to go to a good home. I asked on here for a cheap hack, he gave it to me, I had to get rid of most of the bits (27 speed brakeless fixie when I picked it up!) back wheel and frame are only remaining parts. Might do a proper resto job on it at some point. til then, it’s being used!

Ageing 456 that’s done me proud for carrying/towing Nobby Jr to bouncing down a Welsh mountain.

The basic mud/snow/why not one.

One of the nicest riding bikes I’ve used.

The one bike I regret not buying when I had the chance.

Not saying they’re better than my carbon or alu bikes but they each have a place in riding life and all do what they’re intended to do well.

Molgrips.

Is the 29er tubeless? If so, you haven’t accounted for the 2kg of extra Stans Spaff™ in there

Both tubeless. about 100ml in each wheel 🙂

til then, it’s being used!

As it should be!

My Bonty is getting some love at the moment ready for 24/12 again 🙂

well, if I’m honest, I snapped a crank the other day, so it’s not being used!

99 LX finally died on it’s 3rd bike. Not sure how to shuffle chainsets around the bikes. PA will keep it’s XT double, nothing else is quite right where it is.

Old steel frames rust out ? nope I have a 1947 Hobbs in 531 and My mum has her 1953 F C Parkes still going strong

Stadium Platinum for me. Was the first road bike I owned – restored garage find which looked like a pile of rust but is now my commuter of choice and quite often the one I choose when I just fancy a leisurely ride around the local lanes. Never been able to find out anything about them but who cares!!!

Whoops double post – finger trouble tonight

Aesthetics: I just love the look of narrow and (mostly) straight-tubed bikes.

Ride quality: I went from a notoriously stiff Genesis Core to a 456 evo 2 and the difference was noticeable, no matter what the naysayers think. If you get up to a decent speed on chattery stuff especially, the difference between the series of wooden thwacks on the core versus some ‘zing’ on the 456 is marked.

Look right, ride great. Can be repaired with a large adjustable spanner. What’s not to like.

Oh good thread…. and after a long long time away from steel i’m now embracing it again in the form of a singlespeed 🙂 still have my carbon beauty but boy forgot how good steel can be!!

back then…

and now 🙂

I like mine. Being ‘big boned’ I can make it sproing and booooooooiiiiiiiing a bit. It is a nice blue colour. It fits well. It is not as heavy as folk think. It was cheap in a sale, because of a scratched dropout. As said before on this thread, nice stays. 😉
Where did the singletrack go? by Matt Robinson[/url], on Flickr

‘Steel frames rust out’

Whatever.
Here’s ‘Trusty Rusty’ (which isn’t actually rusty) Handbuilt, fillet brazed by Kevin Winter in 1990. Tange Prestige.

Mk 8 by jimmyg352[/url], on Flickr

I will never ever part with it. Ever.

I have always said I would put any top end metal frame (Steel, Ali, Ti) against any cheap carbon frame and they beat the cheap carbon frame any day of the week.

And to back that up I got below in the workshop.

And my young apprentice mumble on the way for test ride “going to ride this bike that’s old than me!

5 mins later, “wow, that really nice bike, rides very well and great handling, better than that Spez Roubaix that I road earlier!”

That did make me smile! 😆

My Sanderson Breath got nicked last summer when my garage was done over,I was far more upset about losing it than I was my flashy FS. I replaced it with a Voodoo Bizango which is a great bike but I could instantly feel the difference in the back end, far harsher. The Voodoo has been on a constant upgrade cycle for the past 10 months to the degree I could rebuild it too its former Halfords glory, flog it for £300 and use the cash to get a nice new steel frame to hang the upgraded bits off. The 29″ town crier would be the obvious option but I’m also tempted by a Genesis High Latitude or push the boat out on a Stanton Sherpa. My other bike is a Kona Process 153 and I love the long TT which I think probably favors the Stanton.
Hmmm decisions…

I have always said I would put any top end metal frame (Steel, Ali, Ti) against any cheap carbon frame and they beat the cheap carbon frame any day of the week.

Dunno why anybody would have one,they are fugly

Just let me check…Yup; gooping

Here is another to keep the kids from the fire.

And they even use the outdated material to make road bikes!

And gingers!

After a solid year on the road bike i’ve started riding my Orange R8 again, with some rufty Pananracer Rampage SC’s on… here @ Cringle Plantation, the isle of Man’s current must ride place full of Enduro-ness. Unlike me.

My TDF 853 Ribble – very stiff

Ribble by adshools[/url], on Flickr][/url]

The XC9

20150214_090005 by adshools[/url], on Flickr

Neither are light, neither are porky, both ride well.

Why do I like steel?

Because I can make whatever I want.
And repair if the need ever arises.
Or replace a tube.
Modify whenever I like.
Reuse or rework bits when they are ready for scrap (dropouts, cable stops etc).
And when finally at end of life they can be fully recycled into some other high grade steel product (not carbon landfill fodder).

Did someone mention skinny stays? These are 1/2″ diameter on my son’s bike. To demonstrate the recycling point, the matching curved seatstay brace was rescued from an old Diamond Back skip find.

29er with 410mm chainstays – no problemo

How would sir like his dropouts today?

And not sure what or why, but just because I can 🙂

Nice work Mick_r. 🙂

I broke one once.

It was welded for free by a man with some welding gear, that day.

Pretty compelling reason right there 🙂

Why are there no rat look steel bikes?

There are a few rat look steel bikes. Julie Racing Design did a nice 29er (picture below if someone has time to faff with the link) http://julieracingdesig.canalblog.com/albums/singlespeed_29__disc/photos/28137396-jrd_mix.html

And apologies to the OP that this seems to have digressed in an interesting way but isn’t really answering his question about which bike to buy 🙂

Quirrel – Member
Why are there no rat look steel bikes?…

All of them have that feature. You just have to ride them for 10 years or so for it to come out… 🙂

Gone the other way.

I have an Inbred 29er and a Gary fisher 29er in alu the GF is a far nicer ride imo than the Inbred although both are almost identical angles and built from the same parts. Steel needs to be skinny and often the weight just kills the feel for me.

Had a Thorn Sherpa amazing bike felt like the magic carpet ride steel is meant to be but it was a £500 frame so you would expect it to be special I think good steel costs, in my experience any way.

To be fair though, the Inbred is a cheap frame and is heavy. Better steel frames have more ‘feel’ to them.

I currently have a Salsa El Mariachi and a Stooge – both are comfortable for miles and miles, and I’ve just gone for a Ti Stooge as well which has a weight benefit over the steel but a very similar feel.

So can you feel the steel apeal through 2.5 inches of soft low inflated tire ?

On a road bike i think its appreciable but on a mtb with fat tires I have my doubts.

I like the feel of steel hardtails and have owned quite a few over the years, they’re not all great though, much is down to design and geometry to make the most of the benefits of skinny steel tubes.

wicki – Member

So can you feel the steel apeal through 2.5 inches of soft low inflated tire ?

On a road bike i think its appreciable but on a mtb with fat tires I have my doubts.

doubt away.

Why do people like steel bikes?

Because they are like, bad peeple.

IGMC.

For mick_r

almost a Brit Chopper bike, if you’re the same mick_r…

853 inbred frame here and it is both lighter and nicer to ride than the 520 ioID it replaced. I am still looking for a 20″ tinbred, or another 853 inbred.

The right material for the right job.

A chain is still steel.

A cassette is still steel.

A pedal axle is still steel.

There’s still steel in the most carbonized bicycle.

There’s new steels that are being developed and [they’re] playing with

Steel is what nails are made out of,

what barbed wire fences are made out of,

it’s train tracks.

It’s the industry,

it’s the most honest material.

Steel is a material that has got a personality.

Steel is the only material you can have with it’s inner core soft and the outer layer case hardened.

Tough.

There’s no other material like it.

The things you can do and the alloying, the joining, the forming, the refabricating, the changing of it.

There’s nothing like it.

There’s nothing that’s going to replace it.

That’s why I’m commited to steel.

Tom Ritchey.

Because the tubing choice for a small builder is excellent, whereas for titanium, or alluminium alloy it’s pretty poor.

it’s easy to modify, repair, and lasts.

material strength means you can (but don’t have to) use small dia tubes.
This means that you can fit people really well, because tubing diameter is part of bike fitting.

This is the one that first made me take notice:

I was new to riding at the time and it was all big hydroformed tubes. This just looked so clean.

You couldn’t have picked an uglier picture of a Soul to demonstrate your point though.

You couldn’t have picked an uglier picture of a Soul to demonstrate your point though.

Au contraire.

I know that it isn’t a great pic. It illustrates my point better if anything. This was the era when gopping bikes like this were in vogue.