Steel is......ya know

Ducati's MotoGP bike is known to have more power and better aerodynamics. FWIW, Yamaha's won 5 races this year to Ducati's 4.

There are zero definitive studies that suggest anything even remotely like steel has some magical property that yields a supreme ride or supreme setup tuneability.

The big cheese at Heron Bikes said the difference in how one bike rides compared to another is the length of the wheelbase and tire inflation pressures. Of course, that's his opinion.....even though he makes bikes out of that magical and real steel.

The given material in a bike is about as important as the paint job when it comes to how that bike rides.

alienator said:

The given material in a bike is about as important as the paint job when it comes to how that bike rides.

I hope we don't go down this thread again...but I take issue with your last statement...on the other hand my bike doesn't have any paint on it.

I ride titanium because it has the ride of steel with the stiffness and lightweight of aluminum and greater durability than all the current materials. 😄

Mish said:

I hope we don't go down this thread again...but I take issue with your last statement...on the other hand my bike doesn't have any paint on it.

I ride titanium because it has the ride of steel with the stiffness and lightweight of aluminum and greater durability than all the current materials. 😄

Perceptions are powerful things.....but they don't always correlate with reality. That's not to say you shouldn't trust your perceptions. After all, it's those perceptions that pretty much determine whether you like your ride or not. You just have to be really careful to what you ascribe real physical causality, that's all.

I love the way my 595 rides, but that's likely the case just 'cuz me and the 595 get on so well. It certainly doesn't tell me any empirical truth about CF. On the other hand, I hated the way my Waterford/Schwinn Paramount OS rode, and it was steel.

alienator said:

Perceptions are powerful things.....but they don't always correlate with reality. That's not to say you shouldn't trust your perceptions. After all, it's those perceptions that pretty much determine whether you like your ride or not. You just have to be really careful to what you ascribe real physical causality, that's all.

I love the way my 595 rides, but that's likely the case just 'cuz me and the 595 get on so well. It certainly doesn't tell me any empirical truth about CF. On the other hand, I hated the way my Waterford/Schwinn Paramount OS rode, and it was steel.

I hear ya, I love the way my 2001 LeMond Tete De Course titanium rides, probably in part because I'm the only one I've ever seen on one.

Peter@vecchios said:

Just for info on this rainy day in the 'republic.

http://www.motorcycledaily.com/21may03steeltrellisframe.htm

hmm, ineresting. What is the latest on bicycle "spring theory"? 🙂 Has it been proven correct? That motorbike guy seems to be suggesting it has:

"Recently, research has discovered that the steel frames act similarly to a spring, absorbing some energy as they flex, but releasing it again when they snap back to their original form. This energy is released somewhat gradually, where bikes provide a more immediate "snap" when pressure is applied to the pedal, but both bikes ultimately give a nearly identical amount of drive."

531Aussie said:

hmm, ineresting. What is the latest on bicycle "spring theory"? 🙂 Has it been proven correct? That motorbike guy seems to be suggesting it has:

"Recently, research has discovered that the steel frames act similarly to a spring, absorbing some energy as they flex, but releasing it again when they snap back to their original form. This energy is released somewhat gradually, where bikes provide a more immediate "snap" when pressure is applied to the pedal, but both bikes ultimately give a nearly identical amount of drive."

As alienator said, it's the same old BS. Even dumber when the moto guys talk about it, since motorcycles have carefully-tuned suspensions which allow the tires to move orders of magnitude move than the frame can ever move.

Generalizations just don't work. My steel Fuji Track bike is noticeably stiffer than my al/cf rear road bike because it's designed to be.....proves absolutely nothing about the respective frame materials.

does bicycle 'spring theory' also related to wheels? :p

I hope so, because I keep buying flexy wheels 🙁 🙂