What steel frame?

2poc
2poc Posts: 99
edited June 2014 in Road buying advice
So I'm looking at building a new bike for long sportives, club runs. No so fussed about full mudguards. Budget for frameset is about 900. I'd like something exotic, unusual I.e not an equilibrium or the like.

Any ideas?

The ritchey road logic looks good but is it any good?

Cheers

Comments

  • Grill
    Grill Posts: 5,610
    Yes, the Ritchey Road Logic is excellent.
    English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg
  • 2poc
    2poc Posts: 99
    Why? Comfy? Stiff? good quality?

    Must admit they look good on the web fully built up
  • Grill
    Grill Posts: 5,610
    All of the above. Took it on a super hilly 280 miler last weekend and it was fantastic. It's quite light for steel and I like how it has race-oriented geometry (which is hard to find). Even though it's relatively stiff the ride is quite supple and it does a good job soaking up the bumps.
    English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg
  • 2poc
    2poc Posts: 99
    Sounds great - now to start looking for the best deals around
  • ratsbeyfus
    ratsbeyfus Posts: 2,841
    Or handbuilt from this chap: http://www.chickensframeemporium.co.uk/ Haven't got one, but was tempted recently...

    I had one of them red bikes but I don't any more. Sad face.

    @ratsbey
  • bmxboy10
    bmxboy10 Posts: 1,958
    £794 in Halfords! 8)
  • Grill
    Grill Posts: 5,610
    Even cheaper from Acycles (where I bought mine).
    http://www.acycles.co.uk/ritchey-road-logic-20-frame-and-carbon-fork-kit-grey-6147.html
    English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg
  • bmxboy10
    bmxboy10 Posts: 1,958
    Feel a bit like I have just had a epiphany! Been looking at a steel bike for about a year longing for custom or Italian exotica without really wanting to part with the dosh or not wanting to end up with a boutique bike worth £3k plus and being scared to get it dirty, then just realised this could be the frame for me.

    Already got the wheels taken care of and tbh the new 105 group set looks petty tasty for sub £350. This means for about £1200 I could get a steel race bike!

    Gill I know you love the frame as I have read your other posts. What do you think this will be like for a weekend warrior like me as I don't race. Geo looks similar to other bikes I have ridden on a 55cm,
  • Grill
    Grill Posts: 5,610
    It will be fine (I don't race either). I bought it to do long rides and audaxes (600k+). I have a hilly as balls 1000k audax at the end of the month and I'm not sweating my choice of equipment.
    English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg
  • jonny_trousers
    jonny_trousers Posts: 3,588
    I read a great review of Tokyo Fixed's Wide Open Pro (or some such silly name). It supposedly beat the Condor Acciaio in a head to head review.
  • term1te
    term1te Posts: 1,462
    How about finding a used Italian frame having a fancy paint job (and maybe having it coldset to take modern hubs) and putting the savings towards even better wheels and some nice carbon forks? You may have to look harder to find the right size, but I'm sure Italian steel matures with age. Something in Columbus Gilco or SLX with modern running kit would be splendid.

    My son did this with an old British Reynolds 653 frame and modern 105 groupset. Lovely bike, slight weight penalty due to chromed forks, but if he put some carbon ones on it would drop to 8kg, which isn't bad for an "old" bike that cost less than £600 and looked like it had come out of a modern showroom.
    The Master
    The Moser
    The VN
  • cycleclinic
    cycleclinic Posts: 6,865
    Used Italian is how I have done it. Steel does not mature with age it is not cheese you know. We get more nostalic with age though and hancker after things like this more.

    I picked up my Columbus Genius tubed Sanniono for £200 from some chap on retrobike. Perfect frame kitted it out with Record 10 speed and some of my wheels and I have the perfect bike for me at least.

    Grill that is some distance you are doing. I wish I had the time. Ritchey logic frames do look good (you can just tell by looking at them) but Paligap the importer tellms me supply can be a bit erratic.

    Geneis equilibrium 853 is an excellent frame if you want mudguard compability and the Volare 853 or 953 frames are excellent race frames with BB86 BB shells. Supply of geneis frame which are excellent in every way are less erratic.

    I have to say thought the ritchey does appeal alot.
    http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.
  • mroli
    mroli Posts: 3,622
    I've got a Ritchey Breakaway steel and just ridden it for 4 days in Croatia - including up a HC 24km climb (Mt Jura). It was fantastic.
    http://www.georgesfoundation.org
    http://100hillsforgeorge.blogspot.com/
    http://www.12on12in12.blogspot.co.uk/
  • Crozza
    Crozza Posts: 991
    can't help but think this would be all the bike you'd ever need

    http://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum ... c&start=15
  • Grill
    Grill Posts: 5,610
    thecycleclinic wrote:
    Grill that is some distance you are doing. I wish I had the time. Ritchey logic frames do look good (you can just tell by looking at them) but Paligap the importer tellms me supply can be a bit erratic.

    Very true, I had to wait 2 months for a new one after I wrote off my original (my fault).
    English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg
  • bmxboy10
    bmxboy10 Posts: 1,958
    Grill - Do you have any photos of yours?
  • dork_knight
    dork_knight Posts: 405
    I've taken a liking to the Ritchey Road Logic after looking through this thread.
    Grill wrote:
    All of the above. Took it on a super hilly 280 miler last weekend and it was fantastic. It's quite light for steel and I like how it has race-oriented geometry (which is hard to find). Even though it's relatively stiff the ride is quite supple and it does a good job soaking up the bumps.

    Hmmm, Race-Orientated Geometry... Would one say that by that statement it's a little aggressive compared to a lot of other frame geometry these days?

    Cheers
    The path of my life is strewn with cowpats from the devil's own satanic herd.
  • 2poc
    2poc Posts: 99
    Likewise , I think I'm in between a 53 and 55. I'm currently riding a 54 kinesis tk3. Can anyone help out?
  • Moonbiker
    Moonbiker Posts: 1,706
    Decent modern steel frames seem very expensive compared to what 531 pro steel used to cost before carbon & aluminuim came out :evil:

    Would like a nicer columbus or renolyds frameset with 130mm spacing to replace my heavy cromoly 4130 53cm one.
  • bluemoon17
    bluemoon17 Posts: 718
    Crozza wrote:
    can't help but think this would be all the bike you'd ever need

    http://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum ... c&start=15

    That looks fantastic.

    Grill, I echo one of the above posters- have you got any pictures of yours?
  • Grill
    Grill Posts: 5,610
    Here's a picture of my old one. I'll get pics of the new one when I get back to England in a few weeks.
    524598_10153776433655722_1634374706_n_zps2feaab08.jpg
    English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg
  • bmxboy10
    bmxboy10 Posts: 1,958
    Is that a 53cm?
  • Grill
    Grill Posts: 5,610
    edited June 2014
    Yup. Really short head tube and I probably should have gone for the 55 considering it's for long rides. Were I to use it as my main bike, I'd drop a few spacers.
    English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg
  • 2poc
    2poc Posts: 99
    And how tall are you out of interest, inside leg measurement etc I'm torn between a 53/55 I'm 5'11 with a 30" leg
  • Grill
    Grill Posts: 5,610
    I'm the same height with a slightly longer inseam (although I about 32").
    English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg
  • matt-h
    matt-h Posts: 847
    That's a great looking bike Grill

    Matt
    Scott Foil Di2 viewtopic.php?f=40044&t=13020685&p=19496365#p19496365
    Genesis Volare 853 viewtopic.php?f=40044&t=13020702&p=19589281#p19589281
  • bmxboy10
    bmxboy10 Posts: 1,958
    Well Road Logic frame ordered so it looks like I am building a bike! :D

    Picked up a bargain saddle at Evans so now need to source a 105 5800 groupset.......when are they available?
  • 2poc
    2poc Posts: 99
    End of July
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    Moonbiker wrote:
    Decent modern steel frames seem very expensive compared to what 531 pro steel used to cost before carbon & aluminuim came out :evil:

    You are looking in the wrong places then.
    Faster than a tent.......

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