tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post5829560387153363951..comments2024-03-28T11:56:48.304-04:00Comments on The Retrogrouch: Resurgence of Steel Frame Bikes?Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12110998345857993287noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-61925777301658643862015-11-12T18:37:44.947-05:002015-11-12T18:37:44.947-05:00I had one of those aluminium Vitus which were glue...I had one of those aluminium Vitus which were glued. It rode well, but the flex was terrible. I don't say that it make me slower, but i sure didn't like it. But i am 90kg heavy and have the physic of a flatlander : Big tights, big calves, good power, can't climb a molehill. :)<br /> Was still a good catch since i bought it at a yard sale for 20€ and resold it for far more. But i prefer my old trusted steel Vitus SV 6000 which is my everyday bike even tough its not that great but resist everything i threw at him.<br /><br />Mercian, never owned one. Never even saw one at yard sales even tough i go to one every week when its the season. Hell, i never even saw one in person. I would like one but not a the prices they are sold on the net...<br /><br />As for the resurgence of steel, its very true, at least were i live. I converted several riders of my group to steel, which was not that difficult since they were tired of sending their frame for warranty and squeeky botom brackets and even more since we witnessed a guy riding Arenberg's trench (a very difficult section of cobbles for those who do not know) having his fork break in two suddenly. Very nasty crash, broken jaw, several teeth missing and good gash on his leg. That sort of things make you think twice about the reliability of your bike.<br /><br />And even friends who are not avid cyclist ask me to find them a nice vintage bike more and more. its not just the retro appeal, its also a question of aesthetics, ridding position, comfort and bang for your bucks. When people see that i get very beautiful bikes for the prices of a new derailleur...that make them pause. <br /><br />I see also a lot more steel frames under younger riders than before out there. A lot of them also comment on my favorite bike (78 gazelle champion mondial the "love of my life" like my ex-girlfriend called it...angrily :) ) , even tough its not that well known. When i sold a bike, more often than not its a young rider that come to purchase it which was not the case a few years ago where it was more likely an older person wanting the bike of his young days or the bike that he could not buy when he was younger. Its anecdotal since i don't sell that much (5-6 a year), but the trend is here.<br /><br /><br />On a tangent its weird how i found different bikes depending on which country i go. Living on the border, i go to yard sales in Belgium and France and the bikes i found are generally very different. Far more Italians bikes in Belgium, and obviously far more french bikes in France (peugeot, motobecane, mercier) even tough its only a few Km from one to another place. <br /><br />Ps: sorry for my bad gramar/spelling, i am a little bit rusty. And i also wanted to say that i appreciate your blog greatly, even tough you have bad taste in saddles: San Marco FTW. :DAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00518909092982637229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-36986080304699716712015-11-10T14:09:34.733-05:002015-11-10T14:09:34.733-05:00Saying that a TIG joint is “stronger” is misleadin...Saying that a TIG joint is “stronger” is misleading. I expect it’s the kind of thing a salesman may resort to saying.<br />TIG welding can be performed by robots quickly, and is used for most mass produced steel bikes these days. <br />Properly constructed joints used for steel bike frames do not fail; the steel tube will collapse near the joint instead. It doesn’t matter if its a lug, fillet, or TIG.<br />I like fillet brazed frames, and it may be the easiest method of construction for the hobbyist. No need to find the correctly angled lug; any tube angle can be possible. A mistake or repair is easy to fix. Just melt the brass while brushing it away with a wire brush, and fit a new tube. Lugged and TIG joints are much harder to repair.Drew Devereuxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13420775765955153979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-76532153535267710952015-11-07T17:32:41.659-05:002015-11-07T17:32:41.659-05:00People always talked about the flex of those Vitus...People always talked about the flex of those Vitus frames, but nobody's ever been able to prove that a little flex slows a person down or saps their power - likewise, there's no substantial proof that a super stiff frame is really any faster or more efficient. Jan Heine of Bicycle Quarterly has even made a pretty good case that a little flex can actually be better for speed, at least in some situations. I had a Vitus cyclocross frame, which turned out to be a fairly rare item, and I really regret selling it. But yes, like you, I really love those Mercians.Brookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12110998345857993287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-48271941633724285882015-11-07T16:11:27.454-05:002015-11-07T16:11:27.454-05:00I've always preferred steel, lugged frames and...I've always preferred steel, lugged frames and still do. However, I have two Vitus 979 bikes and was pleasantly surprised how much I liked the ride. I'm at 183 lbs. and still don't feel the flex that I've read so much about. On the other hand I'm 76 years old and don't have the power of a 25 year old. BTW, I have four vintage Mercians. For the money they are hard to beat. Donhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09710715433883677736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-89619847238144401512015-11-07T14:06:32.757-05:002015-11-07T14:06:32.757-05:00Your review of the article is spot-on, but the sad...Your review of the article is spot-on, but the sad fact is that nobody buying that magazine is going to buy a steel bike and actually ride it anyway.Jim Townsendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01801676156025649033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-68378042884507411132015-11-06T20:01:58.543-05:002015-11-06T20:01:58.543-05:00I feel like my Mercians--three built from Reynolds...I feel like my Mercians--three built from Reynolds 631, the other from 531--ride better and better every year. <br /><br />Even if you outfit a nice steel bike with high-tech components, it will still ride longer and more comfortably, and simply be more classy, than a bike made from any other material.Justine Valinottihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10852069587181432102noreply@blogger.com