"Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...
Quoted message said:Quoted message said:Most of the 'cross bikes I see around are steel. Trek has an the Al XO-1, but have not seen one
on the trail - just in your shop :-) Gunnar's,
Surly's,Quoted message said:Ritchey's, Somas, etc. that I see around here are good ol' steel.
That's due to fashion, not function. The 'cross market is most definitely on the retro side
of things!
Hmmm, I think you severely underestimate the functional aspect. The only advantage of Al is in
lightweight with ultra-thin tubes, which is not a good idea in cross riding. Beefy Al has no weight
savings, so why buy?
I do not have the insight into Trek marketing you do, but I suspect the death of the 540 Al touring
bike while the 520 steel frame remains popular is a similar situation; touring cyclists saw no real
advantage in the 540 and some potential downsides, so opted for the tried and true 520; just my
supposition.
Quoted message said:I've actually seen a steel frame that was essentially destroyed because it fell against a rock
just exactly the wrong way, crumpling the top tube. No rider on it, it just fell over. Obviously,
the builder had figured that the top tube does little more than hold things in place, so he used
something with outrageously-thin walls.
And if it was lugged a good framebuilder could fix it easily.;-)
Quoted message said:be greater. At the far extreme would be the Schwinn Varisty, which I guess you could use to prove
the point that the strongest-possible frame would be made of steel (16-gauge gas pipe tubing,
actually).
Rode one as my commute bike in college - up to 20 miles each way.
Quoted message said:
A reasonable person has to make a reasonable choice based upon their own concerns. But the example
of touring in Bolivia affects such a small number of people buying bikes that such factors really
shouldn't enter into the considerations most people include when comparing bikes.
I agree with the first part, but not fully with the second. These factors will be the same for
anyone doing extremely rough riding, whether in Bolivia or the Bay Area. Frame failures happen,
sometimes due to rough riding, sometimes due to crashes, sometimes due to manufacturing failure.
Point is, how easy is it to overcome the problem. Easier here, but I prefer to have the option to
repair rather than toss a frame.
Quoted message said:If I were cycling in Bolivia, I'd personally be more concerned about wheels than my frame.
Specifically, if I had to buy a replacement wheel, could I find one in the correct axle width? If
I had a cassette or freewheel fail, would I be carrying a spare? Wheel issues are far more likely
to be the cause of a touring disaster than a busted frame.
Correct, and the most likely wheel failure are broken spokes. Most self-supported touring cyclists
carry spokes for just this reason, and cassette crackers. Who cares about axle width? If it is close
a good steel frame is flexible enough, if it is too far off the frame can be cold set in the field.
What type of cassette failure? If one or two cogs get bent, straighten them best you can and proceed
without using them. If you need to replace a 9sp with an 8sp, good thing you have a friction shift
option on those barcons or DT shifters ;-) I think it was last year that Jobst did a field rebuild
of a hub that had gotten water in it using sunscreen as the lube. The idea is to know the
probabilities and know enough to work around the problems best you can. If you have an exotic frame
material, you may be trying to convince some villager to sell you their only mode of transport to
save your butt, or waiting for next time some truck happens down that particular road to give you a
lift to someplace you can catch a bus, train, plane, or boat. Been there - though a broken down
bicycle was not the cause - and would prefer that I not end up in the situation again.
- rick warner