Eldron Posted February 8, 2017 Share Everyone is so obsessed with their opinion being right and not just an opinion these days. Steel is RAD... custom steel bikes are super rad. But I secretly lust after a pink Nomad as well......... Bingo! My other bugbear is "better" - there is not "better" only "fitter for purpose".... Hold on - I think I have used "better" many times in this thread. Dangnamble it. Jewbacca, Rocket-Boy, Patchelicious and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V12man Posted February 8, 2017 Share I agree with you. I have Steel, Ti, and Carbon bikes and somehow have ended up the last year riding an Eddy Merckx Team SC scandium framed bike almost exclusively. Lighter than steel at a 7.1 kg build and a better ride than Carbon.That's the bike with a pineapple instead of a saddle? :ph34r: Grey Hubs and eddy 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jewbacca Posted February 8, 2017 Share Bingo! My other bugbear is "better" - there is not "better" only "fitter for purpose".... Hold on - I think I have used "better" many times in this thread. Dangnamble it.hahahahaha... I am sure we are all guilty of forcing our opinions at some point. Sometimes it is just SO difficult not to! Eldron 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spokey Posted February 8, 2017 Share What size rubber you running on that???WTB Vigilante in 2.3inch. The rims are nice and wide, but I honestly cannot remember the width, can only check in 3 weeks when home. No clearance issues as yet, even in some muddy George area rides. If necessary I can slide the drop outs back, though the handling is likely to change. I ride purely recreationally so may try it anyway............just to see! (When I replace my chain) Grey Hubs 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riaan373 Posted February 9, 2017 Share I'm absolutely enjoying my steel hardtail... definitely a more flexible ride compared to my ally bike, just a heavy beast at 15kg... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goblin Posted February 9, 2017 Share I own a few steel frames.20170202_222843_resized.jpgIm going to keep this photo for my Wife, every time she craps me out for a N +1, Ill point to it and say...It could be worse BenReaper, Fubar and Eppie 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandalf Posted February 9, 2017 Share shaper and Grey Hubs 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I FLY Posted February 9, 2017 Share Im going to keep this photo for my Wife, every time she craps me out for a N +1, Ill point to it and say...It could be worse It can and it does Goblin and Grey Hubs 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I FLY Posted February 9, 2017 Share My steel SS commuter bike in the days when I did the Honeydew/Jet Park by bike/Gautrain thing henningvr 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greatwhite Posted February 9, 2017 Share Kermit was the scandium! Niner's first AIR9s were all scandium. As far as I know Kermit is still alive and well and serving his new master well :-)Then I am totally confused - sorry. I thought kermit was the green carbon RDO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eldron Posted February 9, 2017 Share Then I am totally confused - sorry. I thought kermit was the green carbon RDO That is Kermit II :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greatwhite Posted February 9, 2017 Share Some truth, but not the whole truth!!!! Rourke Cycles in Staffordshire offer 953 as an option for their custom builds. Their master framebuilder, Jason Rourke, reckons that, “In a world of marginal gains, steel can make the difference between victory and disappointment. In all honesty, 953 is technologically more advanced than most carbons out there, and is the major turning point when it comes to steel high performance cycling.” http://www.ridevelo.cc/blog/2017/1/25/a-tour-de-france-winner-on-a-steel-bikeJason Rourke want to sell you steel frame, of course he will tell you this. Not based on any factual data. Even the Reynolds website has very limited data simply stating a UTS of 1750-2050MPa, which is completely useless unless you want to know far you can bend a frame before it suffers catastrophic failure. Where is the yield strength and fatigue data. It hasn't changed in 30 years - as a youngster, I wanted a Reynolds 753 frame because Greg Lemond had used a LOOK 753 in the TDF. I thought is was super strong because they published 1 figure: UTS 1100 to 1200MPa IIRC which was much better than the 800MPa of 531 which I was fortunate enough to have. Then I got to learn a little about engineering and found it was mostly marketing BS. At the end of the day the density and elastic modulus of most steels is about the same, so at the end of the day unless you can make the tubes larger, you can't make the frame stiffer. But to do this you need to thin the tube to compensate for weight. Unfortunately you can't go much thinner otherwise you will buckle or dent the tubes easily (953 is 0.4mm thick). Steel is a victim of it own density. Also, relative to other bike frame material, its technology is probably already the most mature, implying there is more room for growth in other sectors leaving steel further behind. Eldron has it right Steel is for fun, Carbon is for racing - in a few years time carbon might be for fun as well having been eclipse by the next great thing, but I doubt that will ever be steel. No, I'm not a steel hater - I just think is passed it sell by date. Its become a bit of a cult or 'be cool' thing. So to use religious terms I'd be an atheist, not a satanist. Edited February 9, 2017 by greatwhite Grey Hubs 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jewbacca Posted February 9, 2017 Share Jason Rourke want to sell you steel frame, of course he will tell you this. Not based on any factual data. Even the Reynolds website has very limited data simply stating a UTS of 1750-2050MPa, which is completely useless unless you want to know far you can bend a frame before it suffers catastrophic failure. Where is the yield strength and fatigue data. It hasn't changed in 30 years - as a youngster, I wanted a Reynolds 753 frame because Greg Lemond had used a LOOK 753 in the TDF. I thought is was super strong because they published 1 figure: UTS 1100 to 1200MPa IIRC which was much better than the 800MPa of 531 which I was fortunate enough to have. Then I got to learn a little about engineering and found it was mostly marketing BS. At the end of the day the density and elastic modulus of most steels is about the same, so at the end of the day unless you can make the tubes larger, you can't make the frame stiffer. But to do this you need to thin the tube to compensate for weight. Unfortunately you can't go much thinner otherwise you will buckle or dent the tubes easily (953 is 0.4mm thick). Steel is a victim of it own density. Also, relative to other bike frame material, its technology is probably already the most mature, implying there is more room for growth in other sectors leaving steel further behind. Eldron has it right Steel is for fun, Carbon is for racing - in a few years time carbon might be for fun as well having been eclipse by the next great thing, but I doubt that will ever be steelBut then that begs the question, where does one draw the line on who is in fact racing? A semi fast average Joe (who can of course beat Globotech) will sacrifice comfort for the racey rigours of a carbon beast because he is 'racing'. But in all fairness he would probably feel better on a steel bike as the comfort to speed graph probably trends more towards the comfort spectrum of his racing ability. So my opinion is just this... Why do we need to put anything in boxes. Tom Boonen won several bike races recently (ish) on a steel bike which immediately null and voids anyone who says 'it isn't for racing.' Lets rather appreciate the mystique of steel, the soulless outright performance of carbon and the workmanship of alu without having to say things like 'better', 'won't', 'nevver' and other absolutes... IH8MUD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uni Posted February 9, 2017 Share Its become a bit of a cult or 'be cool' thing. Sjoe, that was a bit of a science lesson. ^That's exactly what I was going for - what's that they say about it never being too late to have a good childhood. As a weekend warrior - (and a bit girlie about some things ) - I just love the idea of having a uni-que bike - FWIW - and now I'm gonna stop visiting this post before I start questioning my choice - I'll pop in when my baby is finished with a pic. johannrissik, RocknRolla and henningvr 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monark Posted February 9, 2017 Share Sjoe, that was a bit of a science lesson. ^That's exactly what I was going for - what's that they say about it never being too late to have a good childhood. As a weekend warrior - (and a bit girlie about some things ) - I just love the idea of having a uni-que bike - FWIW - and now I'm gonna stop visiting this post before I start questioning my choice - I'll pop in when my baby is finished with a pic. Yeah lets take this thread back to its roots and talk about your gorgeous bike... spill the beans sister.... what made you go for a Mercer? How has the experience been.... come on.... Uni 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henningvr Posted February 9, 2017 Share I'll pop in when my baby is finished with a pic. Can't wait to see the uni-que Monkey! Monark 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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