i want a steel bike. whats my options?

sandbag
sandbag Posts: 429
edited June 2009 in Road beginners
i want a competition road bike in steel, steel frame with forks other than carbon preferably. all i see is aluminium, carbon or a alloy mixture on factory bikes. i dont see off the peg steel bikes. is it a custom job for a steel bike?

who makes decent steel frames?

Comments

  • k-dog
    k-dog Posts: 1,652
    There was a good one reviewed here a few weeks ago but I can't find it. I want to say it was a Bianchi or Cinelli - something like that anyway.

    Probably had a carbon fork though.
    I'm left handed, if that matters.
  • sandbag
    sandbag Posts: 429
    thanks alot mate and i will keep digging.i remember old skool Reynolds frames in my day but i want a modern design. i don't mind carbon forks if it widens my choice. the saving appox a 1lb but steel forks can give a better ride more sense of give.
  • macondo01
    macondo01 Posts: 706
    Enigma I think do steel badhand mentioned this when I posted a question - I have an old Nigel Dean which is steel
    .
    "Let not the sands of time get in your lunch"

    National Lampoon
  • sandbag
    sandbag Posts: 429
    i found a list.

    http://www.bikeframes.co.uk/steel.html
  • TheHatter
    TheHatter Posts: 122
    I think Bianchi make a steel single speed but not sure about a geared machine. Depends on your budget but Mercian may be worth a look.
  • macondo01
    macondo01 Posts: 706
    http://www.enigmabikes.com/
    .
    "Let not the sands of time get in your lunch"

    National Lampoon
  • sandbag
    sandbag Posts: 429
    beautiful Mercian. someone who cares.

    i think they be out of my price league. my frame budget is a £1000 tops.

    edit: just looked maybe not.
  • sandbag
    sandbag Posts: 429
    i look at Bianchi and Cinelli.

    yes Enigma do steel the Elite £899

    if you see any mentioned highly in the reviews here then please post.

    cheers
  • jmaccyd
    jmaccyd Posts: 17
    yes, Mercian have some good ones including one mated to carbon ends and fork , and they can custom build to your spec and colour etc.
  • fast as fupp
    fast as fupp Posts: 2,277
    have you tried your local scrapyard or antiques fair? :twisted:
    'dont forget lads, one evertonian is worth twenty kopites'
  • starseven
    starseven Posts: 112
    Kona, Condor, Salsa of the top of my head. I also recall an English builder named " Wilson" with loads of frames on his website new and old, of the peg or made to measure.
  • starseven
    starseven Posts: 112
    Kona, Condor, Salsa of the top of my head. I also recall an English builder named " Wilson" with loads of frames on his website new and old, of the peg or made to measure.
  • blu3cat
    blu3cat Posts: 1,016
    Surly do lots of steel frames
    http://www.surlybikes.com/
    "Bed is for sleepy people.
    Let's get a kebab and go to a disco."

    FCN = 3 - 5
    Colnago World Cup 2
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,665
    Quite a few here -

    http://www.wheelism.co.uk/index.php?topic=CustomBuilders
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Off the peg - there's little choice these days, most are custom. Depends on how much you want to spend - from a few hundred for a Surly all the way to a Cinelli XCR. I'd have a Colnago Master X-lite
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • crankycrank
    crankycrank Posts: 1,830
    Also try Bob Jackson bikes in Leeds.
  • sandbag
    sandbag Posts: 429
    edited June 2009
    excellent. now thats what i'm talking about. good choices.
    fast as fupp wrote:
    have you tried your local scrapyard or antiques fair? :twisted:
    The Waterford R33 frameset is just about as light as a carbon frame, especially if measured in ounces not grams. It is outrageously stiff. Check out the link http://www.yellowjersey.org/r33.html that bike is 18 lbs without any carbon parts or lightweight wheels. If you went crazy with Campy Record parts and some Bora wheels you could maybe knock another 2 lbs off the total.
    the added advantage of steel it wont snap when you sit on the top bar like a carbon :wink: if you a heavy rider using the lightest carbon it can work against you as you lose stabilty.

    a few more steel

    here is the Bianchi Dolomiti i think you referring to maybe.
    15f92cd9ea.jpg

    Fuji Connoisseur
    Fuji_09_Connoisseur.jpg

    Kona Kapu
    T2K9_KAPU.jpg
  • badhand
    badhand Posts: 115
    That fuji is damn sexy...
  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    I'd get a bob jackson, ridden a couple and they're lovely.

    853 is probably under budget, but you could get a nice Ti frame for a grand...
    Neeermad
    Carbon 456
    456 lefty
    Pompino
    White Inbred
  • salsarider79
    salsarider79 Posts: 828
    Salsa Pistola or you may still find a Salsa Primero around. They would be very beautiful and a practical race/crit tool too! :wink:
    jedster wrote:
    Just off to contemplate my own mortality and inevitable descent into decrepedness.
    FCN 3 or 4 on road depending on clothing
    FCN 8 off road because I'm too old to go racing around.
  • sandbag
    sandbag Posts: 429
    jmaccyd wrote:
    yes, Mercian have some good ones including one mated to carbon ends and fork , and they can custom build to your spec and colour etc.

    the Velocitá with 853 tubing would be the one to go for me if i got Mercian.

    There is Reynolds 953 steel tubing from a couple of years back. I dont see that it sounds fantastic and expensive. Bob Jackson do it, i thought Mercian would do it.
    This is now the Ultimate tubing from Reynolds,Made from Stainless steel this tubing is very,very strong with about 30% more tensile strength than the now famous 853.

    even lighter and sounds like it would survive anything. found a review bike on here
    http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... udax-32144
  • 1878
    1878 Posts: 34
    I think planet x may have a steel frame on their kaffenback
  • sandbag
    sandbag Posts: 429
    salsarider79 wrote:
    Salsa Pistola or you may still find a Salsa Primero around. They would be very beautiful and a practical race/crit tool too! :wink:

    yes they are. i found one here.
    http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... mero-10718
  • sandbag
    sandbag Posts: 429
    ride_whenever wrote:
    I'd get a bob jackson, ridden a couple and they're lovely.

    853 is probably under budget, but you could get a nice Ti frame for a grand...

    i am hearing titanium it not as comfortable as steel. It is out of my budget and i want steel anyway. Bob Jackson is near to me.Steel is still very alive and well. i look at all the makes in this thread that should be enough choice for me now. that Cinelli XCR is quite something.

    thanks

    http://www.torelli.com/tech/material.shtml
    badhand wrote:
    That fuji is damn sexy...
    yes. if you into sexy bikes other than steel. check out this thread.
    http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showth ... p?t=147258

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