Why 'STEEL IS REAL' - the science bit!

[suburbanreuben]

I reckon that bike was hickory.

Yup.
Nice smooth ride, absorbs the shocks.
What do they make baseball bats out of?

 

[02gf74]

initially thought it was a bit strange until I give it a bit more thought and realised that a Morgan sports car has a wooden chassis, so maybe not so strange afterall.

No, that is a common misunderstanding. :twisted:

The The Morgan car has always been built around an ash-frame and a steel chassis.

 

[02gf74]

It's that they are two hollow halves bonded together I find amazing!

If you have any antique furniture from a couple of centuries ago, the workmanship and precision will blow your mind; these bikes are paractise pieces in comparison.

 

[hamster]

It's that they are two hollow halves bonded together I find amazing!

My boat's mast is hollow like that - 17 feet long and doesn't even need any wires to hold it up and stop it breaking under the load of the wind in the sail.
The amazing thing is that it is also barely heavier than the aluminium one on a previous boat.

 

[We_are_Stevo]

I think there is just so much we take for granted these days; we are so used to ever-advancing new technology for everything that we overlook good, old fashioned craftsmanship... :?

 

[Rich Aitch]

Drifting back towards the steel part of the topic, what were bikes made from before been made out of steel? Did they have iron parts? I ask because in Cartmel village their used to be an end wall of a cottage with the remains of an old trade advertisement on it advertising "Raleigh the all steel bicycle".

 

[IanLummes]

WHY STEEL IS REAL

Here's the way it works...

--------------------------
Marvelous
I was fascinated by this one!
We were titillated with the "science" of the situation and it has been contorted throughout the thread into the emotional view of it.
Isn't that the way it should be?
The personal, the passionate, the time away from other things, etc.
I have always been concerned with the preoccupation the phrase 'steel is real' was more to do with the fact that it rhymes, than anything else. That from this embrionic beginning, has come the truth!!! I am not a supporter of one material over another. However, I do think there are places and times of year I wouldn't ride a rigid aluminium framed bike on, because the rigidity ruins a good route. Although at another time, when the top half an inch of soil on a trail is compacted and hard, but softer underneath, I feel the rigidity of aluminium is extraordinary and it is difficult to imagine a more satisfying material, when you are able to push the bike to the absolute limit and not have your body shaken to pieces. I don't think there is such a thing as a wrong material, only the wrong time and place to use it, but like the rest of us, it is only an opinion and what do I know!

Marvelous

 

[02gf74]

WHY STEEL IS REAL

However, I do think there are places and times of year I wouldn't ride a rigid aluminium framed bike on, because the rigidity ruins a good route. Although at another time, when the top half an inch of soil on a trail is compacted and hard, but softer underneath, I feel the rigidity of aluminium is extraordinary and it is difficult to imagine a more satisfying material, when you are able to push the bike to the absolute limit and not have your body shaken to pieces.

a good frame design would take into account the material properties - as example the Gary Fisher frames (circa 2000 - name escapes me) have rear stays designed to absorb road shock to counter the stiffness of the aluminium alloy.

 

[shaun]

There are many adjustments and accessories that can affect the quality of your ride just as much if not more than the frame material choice. That being said, conventional wisdom (aka folklore) will usually point you toward a steel frame if you are looking for comfort. Due to its density compared to aluminum or titanium, steel does provide a very “responsive” ride. Steel frames usually have a flexy feel that pleases many riders and you will find a common strain–undying love of the steel bicycle among people who have been around the industry for a long time. The bike shop owner, the old builder, the bearded and tattooed mechanic–they all have a steel bike they love. It’s the bike they think about when they’re not riding. It’s the bike they think about when they’re riding another bike–everything will be compared to their old (or new) durable steel steed. These people have endured all the hype surrounding new materials and construction methods and they’ve had the opportunity to try them all out. Steel is strong. Steel is flexy and responsive. Steel is comfortable. Steel is tough. And most important to some, steel has become cool. This is why steel is so “real.” Despite all the advances and new technology, steel has maintained its viability. Steel has definitely become a retro material, but it will always be available. As a recent convert to the virtues of a quality Reynolds 853 bike, I find myself still liking the ride of my aluminium and titanium rides, but simply love the 'feel' of steel and also get a lot of self satisfaction in belonging to a certain group of riders who reject fashion in favour of experience and knowledge.

 

[highlandsflyer]

Seems steel is fairly much in vogue the now, in its various forms.

That has to be a great thing for the retro bike fans twenty years from now.