Eldron Posted October 7, 2009 Share Agreed! My mtb doesn't have a sinlge piece of carbon on it. except the bits of dinosaur in the tyres and tubes. Nitpicker!!! There is also carbon in the steel nuts/bolts, plastic bits, paint, rubber grips, joe's rim strip, valves, polar computer, cable outers, cassette, chain, bottle cages..hmmm have I missed anything?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eldron Posted October 7, 2009 Share Willehond - something just struck me when Mampara was nitpicking - there is no such thing as "plain" steel - steel is an alloy of carbon and iron. When you start adding chrome and moly things get rather interesting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollar Posted October 7, 2009 Share No no Eldron - you are moving the posts boet You said "made of steel and I'llgo out and buy a hat so I can eat it."" All this stuff is made of steel, alloy, carbon, plastic etc etc. Tell you what - only eat some of your hat I agree with your argument though - use whatever is most appropriate - be it whatever, and steel is no longer a winner when it comes to frames. Period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eldron Posted October 7, 2009 Share No no Eldron - you are moving the posts boet You said "made of steel and I'll go out and buy a hat so I can eat it."" All this stuff is made of steel' date=' alloy, carbon, plastic etc etc. Tell you what - only eat some of your hat I agree with your argument though - use whatever is most appropriate - be it whatever, and steel is no longer a winner when it comes to frames. Period.[/quote'] Between Mampara posting that damn Banesto TdF winning steel frame and you taking my words literally I guess it should be a whole hat...besides...what can anyone do with a half eaten hat One wonders what the next miracle metal/non metal for bikes will be? Steel to alu to titanium to carbon with some forays into magnesium and bamboo....anyone hazard a guess?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollar Posted October 7, 2009 Share You are a good sport There is a little company in the States called Du Pont that is doing some really interesting things with composite thermoplastics. Watch that space? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndreZA Posted October 7, 2009 Share Waht about the Univega in the mid 90s that were made from Beryllium (Boralyn) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bat-ass Posted October 7, 2009 Share carbon is just cool... like dura ace!!! some people are happy to ride 105!!!it doesnt make any of us much faster to be on carbon or dura-ace...i'm an in engineering, and obsesed with well engineered things,, hence i ride carbon bikes, with the best components i can afford!! its all fettish, and marketing hype.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willehond Posted October 7, 2009 Share No no Eldron - you are moving the posts boet You said "made of steel and I'll go out and buy a hat so I can eat it."" All this stuff is made of steel' date=' alloy, carbon, plastic etc etc. Tell you what - only eat some of your hat I agree with your argument though - use whatever is most appropriate - be it whatever, and steel is no longer a winner when it comes to frames. Period.[/quote'] Between Mampara posting that damn Banesto TdF winning steel frame and you taking my words literally I guess it should be a whole hat...besides...what can anyone do with a half eaten hat One wonders what the next miracle metal/non metal for bikes will be? Steel to alu to titanium to carbon with some forays into magnesium and bamboo....anyone hazard a guess?? What about this carbon/kevlar beauty I saw at the TdF? Need someone in China to set up a sweatshop first. LOTS of manual labour... Willehond2009-10-07 08:01:59 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wazza Posted October 7, 2009 Share It all depends....do you ride like Penelope Cruz or do you ride like Angelina Jolie? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tumbleweed Posted October 7, 2009 Share No no Eldron - you are moving the posts boet?You said "made of steel and I'll go out and buy a hat so I can eat it."" All this stuff is made of steel' date=' alloy, carbon, plastic etc etc. Tell you what - only eat some of your hat I agree with your argument though - use whatever is most appropriate - be it whatever, and steel is no longer a winner when it comes to frames. Period.[/quote'] ? Between Mampara posting that damn Banesto TdF winning steel frame and you taking my words literally I guess it should be?a whole hat...besides...what can anyone do with a half eaten hat ? One wonders what the next miracle metal/non metal for bikes will be? Steel to alu to titanium to carbon with some forays into magnesium and bamboo....anyone hazard a guess?? What about this carbon/kevlar beauty I saw at the TdF?? Need someone in China to set up a sweatshop first.? LOTS of manual labour... ? ? i saw the mtb version of that in mountain bike action a while back...very kewl... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willehond Posted October 7, 2009 Share Holy, each carbon tube is handwrapped with a little kevlar thread. Not sure what the science behind it is (a bit dodge if you ask me), but I sure would like one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tumbleweed Posted October 7, 2009 Share willehond, i was now the wiser about the process after reading the article! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willehond Posted October 7, 2009 Share willehond' date=' i was now the wiser about the process after reading the article! [/quote'] Sorry Holy, didn't know it was a famous bike/method and published in detail! I just chatted to the guy who was walking around with the bike and he told me the details. Thought I was special Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tumbleweed Posted October 7, 2009 Share willehond' date=' i was now the wiser about the process after reading the article! [/quote'] ?Sorry Holy, didn't know it was a famous bike/method and published in detail!? I just chatted to the guy who was walking around with the bike and he told me the details.? Thought I was special there, there, my friend...you are special if it makes you feel any better, i don't think that many peeps outside the states read MBA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EigerSA Posted October 7, 2009 Share I guess that at the end of the day, everyone is gonna hold onto whatever idea they favor. For me I reckon steel (or perhaps more accurately chromoly steel) is the best material to use, if it were cheaper than alu I believe a lot more manufacturers would use it. For a home builder, steel is easier to weld than alu, I know because I've welded both. I also believe that carbon fiber is the material of the future. Each to his own I guess There's a guy who built bamboo road bike. He had the bamboo woven to specification then used epoxy to put it all together... oh and he made a carbon fiber bike, and carbon fibre/bamboo hybrid... makes for interesting reading. http://www.bmeres.com/bcframe.htm http://www.bmeres.com/images/bamboocomp01.jpg EigerSA2009-10-07 09:44:55 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christie Posted October 7, 2009 Share 1. I want to write an essay too but I'm not going to discuss credentials at all 2. Every material has its place, pros & cons. What you get out at the end of the day depends on what is engineerd into the design. It is possible to design a composite frame that stops bullets - sweeping statements like "carbon frames are fragile" is a bit too, well, sweeping. 3. The same goes for ride quality of a certain material. Frames of all materials can be designed to be compliant, or stiff. 4. In a test by Tour magazine, 25 experienced cyclists were asked to test ride a set of 8 different frames that were disguised, and built up with the same components, over a period of 2 weeks. The riders could not tell the difference in comfort between some modern carbon frames, a Ti frame, some Alu frames and a 1970 steel frame. Conclusion is that a lot of ride comfort depends a on the tyres, wheels and saddle. 5. Of the mainstream frame materials, carbon composite is the only one that can have different stiffness properties in different directions (orthotropic). 6. Titanium is the most difficult of the materials to join. Making Ti welds that last takes a lot of skill. Stay far away from cheaper Ti frames, and never buy one without a lifetime warranty. 7. Carbon has the highest stiffness to mass ratio (specific stiffness) and strength to mass ratio (specific strength) of the materials. So while it is possible to make a 900g metal frame, it will be much less stiff than a 900g composite frame. Some guy on an international forum claimed he could shift gears without using the shifter when sprinting on his Ghisallo. 8. Having a bike that is 200 or 300 grams heavier won't slow you down in races in SA. the routes over here are just too short & flat - no serious mountains around here. Christie2009-10-07 10:55:46 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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