Talk to me about Steel

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Comments

  • Having tried a volare frame I really want to find the money to buy one and sell on the sannino because the volare is even better in every way except the price. However I doubt that will happen any time soon.
    http://www.ukbikesdepot.com/m90b0s804p1 ... e_Frameset

    That's a steel! Sorry. The Lemond looks good, too.
  • secretsam
    secretsam Posts: 5,098
    Plenty of steel write-ups in the "show your road bike" forum or whatever. I've just taken my ancient 531 out for a spin and it was LUSH (as we said in Bristol in the '80s, when it was built). The Ritchey is a good price, a bit different, and just got a totally gushing review in C+. But for the same money you could get a Genesis (plus change), or even a Mercian (and choose the colour). Enigma is another option.

    I've seen a chap out on one of the Colnago's near me, red 'n' white IIRC with Campag Athena. Seriously lovely bike, achingly pretty, but I dread to think what it cost!

    It's just a hill. Get over it.
  • Genesis is almost 1kg heavier isn't it?
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  • secretsam
    secretsam Posts: 5,098
    Having tried a volare frame I really want to find the money to buy one and sell on the sannino because the volare is even better in every way except the price. However I doubt that will happen any time soon.
    http://www.ukbikesdepot.com/m90b0s804p1 ... e_Frameset

    F**k me, £2249 for an off the peg frame? In those foul colours????? For that money you could go to Rourke, Chas Roberts, Argos (the Bristol mob, not the cheap retailer!), etc etc and get a 953 to your own colour design, custom made and with change for some bar tape (and maybe even a seat clamp)!!!!!!!

    It's just a hill. Get over it.
  • Grill
    Grill Posts: 5,610
    Genesis is almost 1kg heavier isn't it?

    The Volare 953 looks to be about 100g heavier than the Ritchey and the 853 is almost 300g heavier. Pretty disappointing considering the RRP is almost 3x more.
    English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg
  • Grill wrote:
    Genesis is almost 1kg heavier isn't it?

    The Volare 953 looks to be about 100g heavier than the Ritchey and the 853 is almost 300g heavier. Pretty disappointing considering the RRP is almost 3x more.

    Scrub that, the Equilbrium, if Genesis's own site is correct, is only 700g heavier.

    And the fork is 1000g more! (That can't be right, can it?)

    This:
    http://www.totalcycling.com/en/Genesis- ... 18020.aspx

    Looks more like what you'd expect.
    My blog: http://www.roubaixcycling.cc (kit reviews and other musings)
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  • Grill
    Grill Posts: 5,610
    Equilibrium 725 is lighter than the Volare 853. Wut?
    English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg
  • Grill wrote:
    Equilibrium 725 is lighter than the Volare 853. Wut?

    Not awfully surprising even given the different tubing choices. Genesis have always been "about the ride" rather than weight weenieness.

    So the Volare, in many ways, looks like a triumph of marketing. Or not, given how many 50% off ones are knocking around.
    My blog: http://www.roubaixcycling.cc (kit reviews and other musings)
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  • SecretSam wrote:
    Having tried a volare frame I really want to find the money to buy one and sell on the sannino because the volare is even better in every way except the price. However I doubt that will happen any time soon.
    http://www.ukbikesdepot.com/m90b0s804p1 ... e_Frameset

    F**k me, £2249 for an off the peg frame? In those foul colours????? For that money you could go to Rourke, Chas Roberts, Argos (the Bristol mob, not the cheap retailer!), etc etc and get a 953 to your own colour design, custom made and with change for some bar tape (and maybe even a seat clamp)!!!!!!!

    But it's now £12000. That sounds pretty damn good to me for a 953 frame with Enve 2 fork. At that price you could get it all Rapha Continentalled up with a custom paint job and still have considerable change left over compared to other high end steel options. True you wouldn't get the custom fit thing, though
  • Grill
    Grill Posts: 5,610
    Or for £500 less you could get the lighter Ritchey...
    Steel is over-priced these days as it's become the latest 'must have'. My Wyndy was cheaper than the RRP on a Volare 953...
    English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg
  • Grill wrote:
    Or for £500 less you could get the lighter Ritchey...
    Steel is over-priced these days as it's become the latest 'must have'. My Wyndy was cheaper than the RRP on a Volare 953...

    Agreed. It's still a lot of money for a pretty ugly looking thing.
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,249
    I must stop looking at threads with Ritcheys in them, I'm starting to suffer from Ritchey envy.
  • jordan_217
    jordan_217 Posts: 2,580
    Grill wrote:
    Or for £500 less you could get the lighter Ritchey...
    Steel is over-priced these days as it's become the latest 'must have'. My Wyndy was cheaper than the RRP on a Volare 953...

    I know it's the lowest grade that is licensed by Reynolds but I love my Ribble 525. For not much money I've got a bike that I look forward to riding and makes the thought of getting up and going to work bearable. Only problem is; since I've got it I find that my Eniga Echo isn't getting much use; it just feels numb and boring. I much prefer the Ribble…..

    I bet a high end steel frame, feels sublime?!
    “Training is like fighting with a gorilla. You don’t stop when you’re tired. You stop when the gorilla is tired.”
  • bontie
    bontie Posts: 177
    What Grill said. Steel is becoming very expensive for what it is. Possibly because prices used to include all of the custom stuff and “experience” of buying from the builder. Many of the off the peg mass produced bikes are riding on the back of that and have become quite expensive for what they are.
    I have a Legend Fedaia mentioned before. It’s a true modern steel race bike, tight clearances, short head tube, tapered headtube, and oversized tubing. I suppose you could call it a “high end” steel bike.
    As far as steel goes, it has to be considered with those on your list. £1800 gets you custom geo, handmade in Italy by a prestigious framebuilder, and includes their own design fork (and a might fine one at that).
    Thought about one of these?
    http://www.jaegher.com/L5R74bl
    http://www.pelizzoliworld.com/products/aeta-2/
  • If you want a stiff steel race bike with an internal BB at a good price then the Condor Super Accaio fits the bill. It looks like a carbon bike though. If you want a status symbol that rides like a dream buy a Pegoretti, Feather, Baum etc.
    Pegoretti
    Colnago
    Cervelo
    Campagnolo
  • If you want a stiff steel race bike with an internal BB at a good price then the Condor Super Accaio fits the bill. It looks like a carbon bike though. If you want a status symbol that rides like a dream buy a Pegoretti, Feather, Baum etc.

    If you're racing it I'd not look past the Acciaio. It's plenty stiff. If you're sportiving I just don't see the point of the Super over the Ritchey.

    Honest now, it's as Grill says. And the WCS fork is witchcraft. So so good.
    My blog: http://www.roubaixcycling.cc (kit reviews and other musings)
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  • styxd
    styxd Posts: 3,234
    I wish they made them in more suitable sizes, I'd love to try one.
  • well this thread took off. Thanks for all the replies - very interesting reading.

    I overlooked Argos completely, and Google maps tells me they are 0.7 miles from my front door. Only thing is, it would test my snobbery to the max to be riding around on a bike with 'Argos' written all over it.