Steel to carbon?
Discussion
to be honest a lot depends on the carbon frame you are considering as they vary due to design, weave etc
653 is nice and should still be quite supple. i think a lot of nonsense is written about power transfer and different frame materials, unless you are seriously pushing out >200 watts over a sustained period of time, i am not too sure how much difference frame material makes to most of us. I would consider a new carbon fork for the steel frame though which might improve the front end feel.
653 is nice and should still be quite supple. i think a lot of nonsense is written about power transfer and different frame materials, unless you are seriously pushing out >200 watts over a sustained period of time, i am not too sure how much difference frame material makes to most of us. I would consider a new carbon fork for the steel frame though which might improve the front end feel.
I have two road bikes , both entirely different beasts , one steel 531 the other full carbon
First was my Dads , who designed the frame himself based on the track bikes used by Reg Harris in the 50s its circa 1956 and was originally a fixed gear ,
I inherited the frame which is Reynolds 531 tubing and had the bike re-furbished and fitted with Shimano 105 headset .
Its very light and very retro in design , unfortunately I am a bit too heavy for it and going down steep French hills ive encountered serious rear wheel "wobble" .........which i was very lucky to recover from !..Use it only for sunday rides now.
Other bike is a full carbon Colnago C50 with full campagnola record headset, and Hyperon wheels , I bought from Dauphines boxhill in Surrey ( excellent cycle shop )several years ago they will build the bike exactly to your measurements ......... price tag was a bit eye watering over 7k ...., but it really is a fantastic bike , I've travelled all over Brittany and the Campag set up has been faultless much smoother than the Shimano on the other bike.
and no flex in the frame at all ..
its the hills where the carbon bike really comes together , better acceleration on assent & descents which gives you more confidence , ive never encountered any flexing it feels very rigid and it really is so much lighter. its not just the type of frame its also the set up , if you can get a bike set up correctly with all the components working smoothly, it really makes a difference. I'm going to replace the Shimano set up for campagnola in the future.
First was my Dads , who designed the frame himself based on the track bikes used by Reg Harris in the 50s its circa 1956 and was originally a fixed gear ,
I inherited the frame which is Reynolds 531 tubing and had the bike re-furbished and fitted with Shimano 105 headset .
Its very light and very retro in design , unfortunately I am a bit too heavy for it and going down steep French hills ive encountered serious rear wheel "wobble" .........which i was very lucky to recover from !..Use it only for sunday rides now.
Other bike is a full carbon Colnago C50 with full campagnola record headset, and Hyperon wheels , I bought from Dauphines boxhill in Surrey ( excellent cycle shop )several years ago they will build the bike exactly to your measurements ......... price tag was a bit eye watering over 7k ...., but it really is a fantastic bike , I've travelled all over Brittany and the Campag set up has been faultless much smoother than the Shimano on the other bike.
and no flex in the frame at all ..
its the hills where the carbon bike really comes together , better acceleration on assent & descents which gives you more confidence , ive never encountered any flexing it feels very rigid and it really is so much lighter. its not just the type of frame its also the set up , if you can get a bike set up correctly with all the components working smoothly, it really makes a difference. I'm going to replace the Shimano set up for campagnola in the future.
Edited by DBSV8 on Tuesday 21st September 10:55
Yep, just supplemented my mid 90s 653 Harry Quinn with a carbon Felt AR4. Have worked very hard to exactly replicate the riding position of the Quinn so it's a good comparison between the two materials. The Felt is simply lovely to ride, effortless progress, damps road irregularities and climbs brilliantly. There is not the whip (that I love) of the Quinn but it doesn't feel any the worse for it... impressed and I think I now have the best of both worlds 
If you have the money go for titanium without a second's thought. All of the bikes i've ever owned with the exception of one has been steel, the other being my alu/carbon Langster. I like knowing that in a crash my bike will bend and soak up the energy, and in a lot of cases can be bent back into shape with little or no weakness caused. Hence my dislike for alu and carbon, don't get me wrong they're great frame materials when used properly, but titanium would rank quite a bit higher than both imo.
mchammer89 said:
If you have the money go for titanium without a second's thought. All of the bikes i've ever owned with the exception of one has been steel, the other being my alu/carbon Langster. I like knowing that in a crash my bike will bend and soak up the energy, and in a lot of cases can be bent back into shape with little or no weakness caused. Hence my dislike for alu and carbon, don't get me wrong they're great frame materials when used properly, but titanium would rank quite a bit higher than both imo.
That's sort of what I was thinking too. But any idea why the pros don't use titanium though?
Is it too flexible compared to alu or carbon?
BTW Bedford Rascal - once you give up motorsport (no matter how modest) very little in cycling looks too unreasonable!
Ti is difficult to work with and mass produce,carbon frames are made like shelling peas.Steel to either is a big step up in feel,weight and ride quality,neither matter if the fit isnt correct
Ti will look fresher after many years than say a year old carbon that is ridden regularly
Ti will look fresher after many years than say a year old carbon that is ridden regularly
Edited by mrandy on Friday 24th September 15:32
Yep as above - for a start titanium as a material is expensive. It also takes a lot of skill to weld and manipulate properly, which again cuts into profit margins. Pro's do not worry about crashing their carbon bikes because they will have a team car following them with a replacement sitting on the roof.
Once you have bought your carbon moulds (I am excluding the master framebuilders here) carbon frames are easy to produce en masse.
Ti is a great material for bike frames imho, and will continue to be made by the boutique framebuilders for a good while to come.
Once you have bought your carbon moulds (I am excluding the master framebuilders here) carbon frames are easy to produce en masse.
Ti is a great material for bike frames imho, and will continue to be made by the boutique framebuilders for a good while to come.
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