Can we talk XCr?

[prototoast]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

What are the perceived benefits?

I have not ridden a stainless bike, but everything I've read leads me to believe "steel is steel", and aside from some corrosion resistance, a stainless bike will just ride like any other steel bike with the same basic design and geometry.

With regard to the corrosion resistance, I can't see that being a big deal. Any of us who shell out for a new custom bike will likely take reasonably good care of it, and i've had steel bikes for decades that are ridden hard and wet, and the frames are fine with even the most minimal of care.

Just trying to determine why one would seek an XCr bike?

I think the same could be said if somebody wants a lugged frame. There's absolutely no performance benefit to lugs, they actually make the bike heavier all else equal, but sometimes there's a sentimental or aesthetic attachment to a material or construction method and the heart wants what it wants.

[PaMtbRider]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

What are the perceived benefits?

I have not ridden a stainless bike, but everything I've read leads me to believe "steel is steel", and aside from some corrosion resistance, a stainless bike will just ride like any other steel bike with the same basic design and geometry.

With regard to the corrosion resistance, I can't see that being a big deal. Any of us who shell out for a new custom bike will likely take reasonably good care of it, and i've had steel bikes for decades that are ridden hard and wet, and the frames are fine with even the most minimal of care.

Just trying to determine why one would seek an XCr bike?

Stainless can be drawn into thinner tubes and still maintain superior dent resistance to other steels. Since the tubing is thinner there is also a weight savings. This can also have a minor affect on the ride feel of the bike.

Let me be clear that all of the above is way beyond the point of diminishing returns. If we all made the practical choice on what bike to ride this forum probably wouldn't exist. Luckily we have builders providing us choices on how to best spend our children's inheritance.

[professerr]

Originally Posted by Jimbo251

Sorry for being a little vague, I am particularly interested in XCr.
Dave builds with 953 and i want the seamless XCr tubes and I'm a Columbus guy.
Method of construction does not matter but Tig is preferred.
I had a Carl Strong XCr years ago and regret selling it. I would have Carl build me another, but he won't.
I already have a Bishop, so wanted something different.
Thanks for all the replies BTW

Got it — you just want XCr and Tig, which imo is good enough reason to get those particulars over some other flavor of stainless and construction method.

And having lived with a stainless frame and several steel, I definitely preferred the stainless over non-stainless for lack of worry about paint chips, rust, chain slap, cable rub, accumulated road grime, sweat etc. because I don’t want to deal with fussing over my bike — I only infrequently wipe down or clean the non-moving bits.

[crankles]

Xcr = Ride of steel with the hottness of naked Ti!

Too bad Dave isn't taking new orders. He was an early adopter to stainless.

[merckxman]

How about a Cinelli Xcr? Columbus, tig. Maybe your friend doesn't need custom?
https://usa.cinelli-milano.com/collections/xcr

[vespasianus]

Originally Posted by Jimbo251

Sorry for being a little vague, I am particularly interested in XCr.
Dave builds with 953 and i want the seamless XCr tubes and I'm a Columbus guy.
Method of construction does not matter but Tig is preferred.
I had a Carl Strong XCr years ago and regret selling it. I would have Carl build me another, but he won't.
I already have a Bishop, so wanted something different.
Thanks for all the replies BTW

I would talk with Rob English. His XCR bikes are very pretty.

[Jimbo251]

Originally Posted by merckxman

How about a Cinelli Xcr? Columbus, tig. Maybe your friend doesn't need custom?
https://usa.cinelli-milano.com/collections/xcr

Thought seriously about that, plus Cinelli will still make a rim brake version in 2024.
Contacted the USA Cinelli and they never returned my inquiry.

[vespasianus]

Originally Posted by Jimbo251

Thought seriously about that, plus Cinelli will still make a rim brake version in 2024.
Contacted the USA Cinelli and they never returned my inquiry.

I have a Cinelli and honestly, they were the worst company I have ever dealt with. When you buy a bike from them, you are on your own 100%. I dealt with their old distributor, so they might have improved but they were god awful.

[drgonzo]

Originally Posted by vespasianus

I have a Cinelli and honestly, they were the worst company I have ever dealt with. When you buy a bike from them, you are on your own 100%. I dealt with their old distributor, so they might have improved but they were god awful.

I owned a Cinelli XCr frameset that I purchased from Cicli Corsa - https://ciclicorsa.com

The fame set was beautiful and working with Cicli Corsa has always been a good experience for me. I never had to deal with Cinelli so I can't speak to what that would be like.

You may want to consider Cicli Barco (https://www.ciclibarco.it) who I believe was the original team that built the XCr frames for Cinelli.

[vespasianus]

Originally Posted by drgonzo

I owned a Cinelli XCr frameset that I purchased from Cicli Corsa - https://ciclicorsa.com

The fame set was beautiful and working with Cicli Corsa has always been a good experience for me. I never had to deal with Cinelli so I can't speak to what that would be like.

You may want to consider Cicli Barco (https://www.ciclibarco.it) who I believe was the original team that built the XCr frames for Cinelli.

I dealt primarily with the US distributor but also had contacted Cinelli in Italy. The USA guys were a bunch of meatheads from NYC. They had gotten canned recently, so I hope they can do better.

[Mr steel]

Originally Posted by drgonzo

I owned a Cinelli XCr frameset that I purchased from Cicli Corsa - https://ciclicorsa.com

The fame set was beautiful and working with Cicli Corsa has always been a good experience for me. I never had to deal with Cinelli so I can't speak to what that would be like.

You may want to consider Cicli Barco (https://www.ciclibarco.it) who I believe was the original team that built the XCr frames for Cinelli.

They still make them for cinelli and their base price for a custom xcr frame is still less than a cinelli one they were also absolutely fantastic dealing with throughout the whole process. Only negative thing was the 8 month lead time

[pdmtong]

IMHO stainless, whether 953 or XcR, depends completely on how the builder incarnates the tubeset,

The stock size IF SSR (953) I had rode completely different from the stock size Peg respo (XcR) I now have.

If you want stainless, that's cool. Focus on the builder not XcR or 953

[Julien]

Originally Posted by Mr steel

They still make them for cinelli and their base price for a custom xcr frame is still less than a cinelli one they were also absolutely fantastic dealing with throughout the whole process. Only negative thing was the 8 month lead time

My understanding is Cinelli was painting frames built for them by Barco but they now moved to full in house production for steel frames. The frames have been updated too.

[jkbrwn]

When I worked at Rapha, a colleague ordered a Super Corsa. It turned out to be a beautiful bike, but the paint was completely the wrong colour when it turned up. It went back. When they shipped the right colour 6 months after his quoted delivery time, it turned up like this. Never ever deal directly with Cinelli:

[vespasianus]

Originally Posted by pdmtong

IMHO stainless, whether 953 or XcR, depends completely on how the builder incarnates the tubeset,

The stock size IF SSR (953) I had rode completely different from the stock size Peg respo (XcR) I now have.

Your example seems to imply that there is a big difference between 953 and XCR - not that the builder makes a difference.