COLUMBUS Brain OS Steel

knucklehead
knucklehead Posts: 243
edited June 2007 in Workshop
Looking at a frame made of Columbus Brain OS Steel but can't find any details on the intended use or level of the steel compared to others? Its by a good frame maker but I don't want to buy a lead pipe frame. Anyone got any ideas or experience of this frame material?
_______________________________________________________________________
Always wear a helmet when cycling. If this makes you uncomfortable, think of the helmet as a crown and yourself as King Dorko.

Comments

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Hmm. I've got this page bookmarked and it doesn't mention Brain tubing at all. I've heard of it but don't recall where it sat in their heirarchy.

    It maybe worth cross posting in the Special Interests section of this forum.
  • monty_dogcp
    monty_dogcp Posts: 382
    I seem to remember that it was delibberately built strong:

    http://www.terrafermacycles.com/tubeset ... besets.htm
  • knucklehead
    knucklehead Posts: 243
    Sounds as though it probably is a bit heavy then if its made for cross/track use. Thanks for the links though.

    _______________________________________________________________________
    Always wear a helmet when cycling. If this makes you uncomfortable, think of the helmet as a crown and yourself as King Dorko.
    _______________________________________________________________________
    Always wear a helmet when cycling. If this makes you uncomfortable, think of the helmet as a crown and yourself as King Dorko.
  • The Raucous AUK
    The Raucous AUK Posts: 90
    IIRC it was one of Columbus' 'cyclex steels' (like SLX and broadly equivalent to 531) but oversize (normally?).

    Definitely at the low end of the Columbus range in the early-mid 90's but perfectly respectable as was their Thron tubing. More advanced was their 'Thermacron' range (e.g. Max, Neuron and Genius).
  • Ken Night
    Ken Night Posts: 2,005
    It was a Cyclex steel, with broadly similar characteristics to 531

    some information here
    http://www.framebuilding.com/Tubing%20Materials.htm#top

    and here (apparently Zona replaced the Cyclex tubing -being 10% stronger)
    http://www.framebuilding.com/ZONA.htm

    FWIW, I have a Massi Columbus Brain frame, which is really very stiff, to the point of being unforgiving, and a Raleigh 853 frame, which theoretically should be very very stiff, and provides a sublimely forgiving ride (if I was a magazine reviewer, I'd use the word "supple")

    It really is down to the frame builder, the choice of tubes, and the way they are assembled.....then there is the geometry to think about...



    <font size="1">"I once prayed to God for a bike, but quickly found out he didnt work that way...so I stole a bike and prayed for his forgiveness"
    </font id="size1">
    “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best..." Ernest Hemingway
  • Ken Night
    Ken Night Posts: 2,005
    and some more here-fascinating discussion about steels, weights of bikes etc. Food for thought

    http://www.smartcycles.com/nemo_747.htm

    <font size="1">"I once prayed to God for a bike, but quickly found out he didnt work that way...so I stole a bike and prayed for his forgiveness"
    </font id="size1">
    “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best..." Ernest Hemingway
  • The Raucous AUK
    The Raucous AUK Posts: 90
    Thanks for that link Ken and it's highlighted to me that the range above Cyclex is Nivachrom and not Thermacrom!

    The guy who built my frames back in the 90's reckoned that EL Oversize was very underrated.
  • gundersen
    gundersen Posts: 586
    I have a EL oversize frame and a litespeed titanium frame.
    I prefer the Columbus EL frame any day.

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