NO! Our eyes roll everytime we hear someone say "I don't want steel because it is HEAVY." Our kneejerk reaction to this statement is usually "Get your brainwashed head out of the corporate/commercial bike companies fluff and hype catalog!" or "PAH-LEEEEEEEZ"! Neither approach will endear too many customers however.
We find it more constructive to take 5 minutes to educate you on the current state of frame materials and their weights.
This topic is best left for in store conversation, but let us type a few words on the matter. First off, proof is in the pudding: we've built full bikes with lugged, steel frames that weigh in UNDER 17 pounds. And NO, they did not cost $6000. Most of the steel bikes we build weigh in between 18 and 19 pounds.
Today's aluminum frames are the lightest available. There are some exceptions, but if you want to talk about top-shelf, proven, stage style frames, this remains accurate. Titanium is light no doubt, but it has lost the label as the LIGHTEST bike material. Carbon, in general, is light....but in some specific cases it is NOT. When you consider ride quality, you can debate for hours on weight vs. material. Ask us (in store) to explain to you how some companies at the TOP of the food chain have decided that Titanium and Carbon on their own don't make for very good bike frames at all. The combination of these materials is another story. More on this when you visit us!
Aluminum seems to be the material that has come closest to the goal of doing what steel does but with less weight. 20 years ago, aluminum was lighter than steel but it was harsh riding and too stiff. [There is a great story about an engineer from a BIG CORPORATE BIKE COMPANY in the pits at the Tour De France in the early 1980's. A team competing in THE Tour was riding his company's newest aluminum frame. When the riders returned from the stage, they we assembled under a tent to meet with the engineer for a feedback session. The engineer, through an Italian speaking helper asked "How was the ride on our great new frame"....the riders muttered to each other in Italian and their collective reply came from the one team member that spoke a few words in broken English, with a heavy twist of Italian accent..."It's a-fast, but it's a-too a-hard!"]
As higher quality materials and aluminum alloys became available, tubing manufacturers became more and more able to make aluminum tubes with a thinner wall thickness which reduced stiffness and even lowered weight more. BUT, at the same time, steel tubing benefited from new alloys and advancements in production and design. Steel tubing is now much lighter than it had been. Also, frame parts like lugs, bottom bracket shells, seat collars, etc. have been slimmed down by new materials and production techniques to reduce full frame weight even further. This lends some proof in our eyes that steel is still at the forefront of frame material. If steel is "OLD SKOOL" or "RETRO" or whatever you want to call it, contact Columbus, Reynolds, True Temper or some of the other steel tubing manufacturers and ask them why they continue to spend millions of dollars on R&D for steel tubes!
Remember that what you lose in weight you gain in many other departments. A light steel frame is 3 to 3.5 pounds*. A SUPER light Aluminum frame is 2.5 pounds*. So we are talking about .5 to 1 pounds net difference. If your absolute 1st priority is building as light a bike as possible, you won't choose steel. If you want a very light bike that performs and rides to the highest quality standard, you will love a steel frame.
*REAL WEIGHTS...not catalog weights or tech sheet weight!
Aluminum, carbon, and titanium are fine frame materials. After all the touting we’ve done here about steel frames, you still might very well be better off with another material. No worries, our friends at Torelli and Mondonico all know this very well and all brands offer frames made of these materials, and of course, all are crafted in the Italian Style. If you aren’t sure what is best for you, please consult with us. We can give you solid advice. We will always throw the warning flag if we think a customer is wandering down the wrong path when buying a bike or making a fit decision. Ultimately, it is your choice, but we are here to help you match your desires and needs with the right product.
