Why Steel?

[mimitabby]

steel is actually quite lively. It's not so heavy, they've learned to thin the tubes down so that they compete nicely weightwise with alum. and titanium bikes.

In an accident, steel bends, doesn't break (usually) carbon breaks, aluminum breaks.

some of this preference for steel is emotional (speaking for myself here); but it gives a good ride and lasts and lasts.

[KnottedYet]

Smooth as silk and springy. When it fails it tends to fail slowly, with lots of noise and warning. Slender graceful tubing. Cheerful "ping" when you bump it. Sturdy and forgiving. (a dent isn't going to spontaneously collapse the tube under presssure) Repairable.

Not heavy. My lugged steel Waterford is only 21.5 lbs with all the components. My TIG-welded steel Kona Smoke feels the same weight as my aluminum Kona Dew when I carry it up and down my steps.

Edit: I was trying to find a particular article about frame materials, but I found this one instead: http://www.rivbike.com/bikes/our_app...rame_materials

[xeney]

Repairable

Is that really true? I always hear that, but when we actually had a dented steel bike we couldn't find anyone willing to work on it.

[Velobambina]

My steel bikes aren't heavy, and they are fast,beautiful machines. For the same reasons as Mimi & Knotted, I prefer steel.

[KnottedYet]

Is that really true? I always hear that, but when we actually had a dented steel bike we couldn't find anyone willing to work on it.

My sweetie drove her car into her carport, with her custom steel bike on the roof-rack.

She was able to have the frame repaired and bike is fine and doing multi-day multi-hundreds-of-miles rides.

Roguedog had her rescued steel Bridgestone repaired where bits of the frame were damaged and corroded.

[xeney]

That's good to hear. I don't think people should count on that as a feature of steel bikes unless they know of a frame shop that will do it, though. Because I know some builders that make their own steel frames will absolutely not repair a damaged steel frame ... which I can understand, from a liability standpoint.

But I don't really mean that as a knock against steel. All but one of my bikes is steel; my husband has a whole stable of steel bikes. It's just that very often I see this cited as a selling point, and in our experience it turned out to be a lot harder to get a steel bike repaired than we'd been led to believe. Most damaged steel bikes get thrown away, just like other kinds of bikes that get damaged.

(The steel bike my husband was riding when he got hit by a car is still sitting in our basement because he was told it couldn't be fixed but he can't bring himself to toss it.)

[Geonz]

Economical. (I know, a bad word!!!)

I have aluminum and steel. On that fourth day of the week-long tour, steel is infinitely more comfortable. Aluminum inspired me to sing the carbon fiber wannabe blues (Other lesson learned : soft tires do not equal softer ride!)

[Veronica]

A non lugged frame is held together with welds or brazing. I think it's just prettier.

V.