Lugs at Waterford Precision Cycles, WisconsinA very long time ago, when I lived in Argentina, I was offered a lugged, steel delivery bike by my father. He bought me this used piece of beast thinking I could not break it and it would allow me to get around. We lived in poverty and were under military dictatorship so the old french Porteur bike was a blessing. It weighed a lot and it had big balloony tires. I rode this thing from 1974 until my departure in 1982. Eight years of cruising the streets of Buenos Aires on the beast. I used it to haul wood on it, bricks, groceries, my mom's propane tank for the kitchen stove, car wheels, you name it.
As I arrived to the Great States of America I was in shock to see all things new and shiny. To this day I have had a rough time getting used to the materialism that abounds around me. I have always loved to ride "shit" bikes. My longtime pal is testament to that. After spending so many years in the industry I have always come back to Steel. The material is magical. My father is a mechanical engineer and he swears by it.
Todays steel alloys are incredible. The are light, strong and extremely durable. Steel is pretty, steel is flexible and does not fail catastrophically. Today I worked on an Italian wonder bike in Aluminum and Carbon. The oddsized seatpost is done in Carbon fiber and it is seized in there. I never had that problem on my old french bike.
So if you think that steel is dead think again. Steel is coming back strong and the bikes that are being built are b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l. Will your carbon bike hold value in 20 years? I kinda think it won't. Will it be cool? I don't think so.
Consider steel as an option. Consult your Local Bike Shop (LBS) and see what they have to say.
Just a thought.
Ari
3 comments:
i remember my first "real" bike. a brand spanking new 1973 peugeot px 10 that i bought while stationed in germany. riveted leather saddle and mavic wheels with wolber clinchers. plastic capped downtube shifters and high flanged hubs. that thing took me a lot of places in germany and then here in the u.s. it had lions on the toe strap buttons and a yellow head badge. 3 piece cottered crank.
i rode it to death then let it collect dust in the basement until i finally got rid of it. i should have kept it, i guess....
i still have my 85 schwinn peloton with full suntour superbe pro gruppo and my 86 schwinn tempo.
Suberbe Pro was one of my favorite grouppos along with the famous Mavic SSC grouppo, which I still ride on my Rivendell Heron.
I think a lot of carbon bikes are overpriced for what they are. What is really a marketing hype is the advent of ceramic bearings. People are dumping a lot of money on those.
Tomorrow more flurries and temps in the low 30's
Ari
Maybe if we spell it S-T-E-E-L-E it would be "cool" all over again.
s.
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