Is steel really real?

[one-eyed_jim]

Yes but between Indurain and Froome 's era road bikes haven't changed that much-MTBs in the same time period have changed loads.

That's true of course, and I didn't mean to suggest otherwise. Just a digression based on the suggestion that French roads haven't changed much in 110 years!

 

[captaincosmic]

Re:

If the Alu bike feels 'alive' I would check for cracks unless of course its a Kirk

 

[Mike Muz]

Re:

Aren't they all real? They're definitely there when I go to sit on them.

I'll get me coat! :facepalm:

Seriously though, I prefer my steel to all my others. Can't really put my finger on why though. Maybe just nostalgia, as I'm getting on a bit

Mike

 

[munkey_bwy]

Didn't Kirk's come with a pick your own crack option????

 

[CTK]

Re: Re:

If the Alu bike feels 'alive' I would check for cracks unless of course its a Kirk

No cracks! Maybe responsive would be a better word

 

[gradeAfailure]

...the difference between Indurain's winning speed in 1995 (39.2km/h) and Froome's in 2015 (39.6km/h) is small enough to be lost in the noise.

Of course it's the nature of competition that small technical improvements can translate to big differences in placings, and Froome's bike is almost certainly more efficient than Indurain's. Outside of competition, I'm not at all convinced that such differences are significant. Then again, that's one reason I ride old bikes.

True; that 0.4km/h difference translates into 52minutes over the entire tour - or to put it another way, the difference between first and 17th place in 2015.

Agreed on the sentiment outside of competition as well - which is why I'm still on 26" wheels I think it boils down to:
Steel bikes can be nice.
Carbon bikes can be good.
Aluminium bikes can be cool.
Rigid is all good.
Suspension; go for it.
Rim brakes stop your bike, as do discs.
Steep geometry can be fun, so can slack.
26" wheels go round, as do 650B and 29".

It's just riding bikes; if you're having fun, you're doing it right

 

[greencat]

Re: Re:

If the Alu bike feels 'alive' I would check for cracks unless of course its a Kirk

Kirk's were, of course, magnesium (mostly).

 

[munkey_bwy]

steel is good, steel also feels nice, but it is all about quality of the steel.

The thing that confuses me is that i'm running 26" disc brakes......so what is all the fuss around 160-200 mm ones????

 

[legrandefromage]

Whatever the material, if it isnt designed to transfer the pedal force in the most efficient manner to the back wheel, it isnt going to ride well. Thats the issue I had with my inbred. I like to go up now and again and a lot of frame designs dont like it.

 

[captaincosmic]

Re:

Its fair to say that great design and good craft can make
a good ride from all materials my superlight Rockies ride
Beautifully and you would expect them to at the cost. A cheap
bike made from second rate materials without love can only
rely on luck more than judgement and most hit only the pricepoint.