That poster is somewhat misinformed. Steel bikes are current and viable in cycling for anything short of racing in the pro road peloton. This year's US Masters Cyclocross champion rode steel (no surprise, as his name is Richard Sachs). Salsa, Surly and Soma seem to think steel is "commercially viable" and they sell a fair number of bikes. What about Waterford? Indy Fab? Seven? Look at the number of solo custom builders that build in steel by choice, and their customers that can choose any material but buy steel. I seem to be forgetting another small but influential company that sells steel bikes, but I can't remember their name at the moment...
Hay, I own a CF bike and like it a lot, but if it was stolen tomorrow I'd probably replace it with lightweight steel. I'm with you on the vinyl and tubes (and nice mandolins, for that matter, but mine's a modern Weber), but I rarely wear a watch, and I gave up on film years ago. Bill (currently listening to my hand-built stereo system, with high efficiency horn-loaded speakers driven by a vacuum tube pre-amp and amp that deliver something approaching five whole Watts, and both a turntable and a digital music server.) On May 14, 3:59 pm, scott <[email protected]> wrote: > I don't care one way or another about the Carbon Fiber issue. But, in > a recent thread I spotted this quote that I have been thinking about: > > .there is nothing wrong with > steel bicycle frames or the people who ride them, like them, or make > them. I > just proposed to the frame builder list here that steel bikes must be > considered as a fashion decision. This is not a put down at all. Lots > to > things from the past have value but are not very commercially viable. > Vinyl > records, film cameras, mechanical watches, steel bike frames all have > their > place with a small fanatic following." > > I don't know about "Fashion Decision," but I have vinyl records that > are 50+ years old that still play great. I had an Ipod that sh@t out > on me after being left in the cold and CD's that skip even though I > try to take good care of them. My film camera has been repaired and > should last another 20 years hopefully, yet my first digital camera > didn't last two years. I have a tube guitar amp that sounds fantastic > that is 40 years old and has been repaired. My pops recently left me > his 1928 Gibson mandolin that was once run over by a car (the > headstock needed repair) that sounds better than any mandolin I've > ever heard. These things are metaphors for handmade steel bicycle > frames I suppose. But I hope that in fifty years my Sam Hilborne (yet > to be delivered) will be around with the mandolin and tube amp. > > Scott -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
