columbus tubing reviews?

[tv_vt]

Anyone know of a good website that discusses Columbus tubing, including the old standards like SLX and MXL? They're not on the official Columbus website, and web searches I've done just come up with ads for bikes made out of the stuff. I'd like to see a ride characteristics review or something like that if there is such a thing.

I just bought a used Merckx Corsa Extra (SLX) and I'm psyched to learn as much as I can about it.

Thanks,

Thom

[cadence90]

Not reviews per se, but this (http://www.equusbicycle.com/bike/columbus/columbuschart.htm) and this (http://www.equusbicycle.com/bike/columbus/columbusoldfullcat/index.html) might help you some.

[merckx]

Is this stuff still available? Lugs too?

[David Kirk]

Aside from saying that they are round and what they weigh I have no idea how one would review tubes.

Review a bike made from said tubes I can see but the tubes alone not so much. The trouble with the bike review is it's no longer a tube review........unless you can somehow find bikes made from differing tubes but with the same exact geometry and components.

Tubular dude.

Dave

[cpg]

Is this stuff still available? Lugs too?


Those tubes are available but they're NOS. Lugs are still available. Both new and NOS.

Curt

[Ginger]

Aside from saying that they are round and what they weigh I have no idea how one would review tubes.

Review a bike made from said tubes I can see but the tubes alone not so much. The trouble with the bike review is it's no longer a tube review........unless you can somehow find bikes made from differing tubes but with the same exact geometry and components.

Tubular dude.

Dave

Yeah but Dave,
Guys love to come up to me on group rides and ask what steel my bike is made out of...

What does it matter? Even if it is the "same steel" their memory of a 20 or 30 year old bike's ride characteristics or some paragraph in a bike mag aren't going to match the ride quality of my steel bike.

I look at them and say: The builder told me, but I really don't know.
Because you know...even if I *did* know what steels they were, other than what it means technically, it really really doesn't matter to me 'cause I'm not going to try to build this exact bike in my basement.
Neither are they.

The really funny thing is they'll start guessing and rattling off this and that about the steel and the handling characteristics of bikes built out of that steel and how mine must ride, or if it rides like X it must be this steel...

At which point I glaze over and either fade off the back of the group or do my best to drop them.

[H.Frank Beshear]

Yeah but Dave,
Guys love to come up to me on group rides and ask what steel my bike is made out of...

I get asked that as well. Wise friend told me the answer, "The right kind" :cool: My new S,Assed answer to silly question. How much does it weigh? Don't know, just enough I guess. :p

[Archibald]

It's very, very, simple: there is Columbus MAX and of course PegoRichie and then there are all those other tubes unworthy of a fine custom steel bicycle.

[stackie]

A very long time ago, the old Road Bike Action did a test of bicycles built with the various Columbus steels. They had Marinoni (I think) built seven bicycles that were identical except for the tubesets. Being a geek, I saved it for many years, but alas, the continued moving to escape the law has forced repetitive lightening of the load and it was recycled. There may be someone else geeky enough to have this article still.

Nonetheless, I think the upshot was that the shaped tubes could be differentiated from the others in both ride characteristics as well as visually, (thereby ruining the blinding of the study). Otherwise, there was no significant intergroup difference in ride quality amongst the nonshaped group or the shaped group.

Jon

BTW, is the new RBA anywhere near as cool as the old one was?

[stevep]

my description for anyone over the years who asks what kind of tubing my bike is made out of is:
its round with a hole in the middle...
would draw a questioning look for sure.

by g its not round now...but it still has a hole in the middle i guess.

[Fixed]

bro enjoy the ride knowing you got a cool bike .I have a corsa and they are pretty tough . if you don't get run over or have it stolen it'll be with you for a long time .imho
cheers

[Fivethumbs]

I could review tubes. SL is cool. SLX is bichen. TSX is rad. MXL is righteous... well, you get the idea.

[deanster]

Not reviews per se, but this (http://www.equusbicycle.com/bike/columbus/columbuschart.htm) and this (http://www.equusbicycle.com/bike/columbus/columbusoldfullcat/index.html) might help you some.

All my frames are Columbus:
Bianchi Track 1964 and Cinelli 1969 Tubi Renforzati
Greg Lemond Scapin built 1990 SLX
Ionic (Idaho) 1999 Thermochrom
Scapin MTB (3.1 lb frame) Nevachrome 2004
Mondonico DE 2005 Neuron (Sold a Ti Carbon bike to go back to steel)

and Just built up a CSI (serotta) for a friend before we went on a Long tour here in Colorado.

All good Italian steel bikes that I enjoy riding at different times. Some people enjoy learning about the materials that go into bikes...no need for hysteria when someone is intellectually curious and express themselves.

[cadence90]

SNIP

All good steel bikes that I enjoy riding at different times. Some people enjoy learning about the materials that go into bikes...no need for hysteria when someone is intellectually curious.
You're very welcome; I agree; and welcome to the forum.

[Elefantino]

Guys love to come up to me on group rides and ask what steel my bike is made out of...
That's right up there with "what's your sign?" as a pickup line. If a guy really wanted to impress, he'd roll with something like, "Your KOPS is absolutely perfect. Do you always maintain that center of gravity?"

Oh yeah … I have a lugged SLX frame that rides like a dream but is currently on the wall. I also have a Foco bike that is the best riding, most comfortable all-arounder that I have ever had, except maybe for my Concours, on which I've only had three rides and I'm still tweaking.

[saab2000]

My lugged steel bikes are all flexed out and it's time for new ones. They aren't nearly as fast as they used to be...... :D

[stevep]

My lugged steel bikes are all flexed out and it's time for new ones. They aren't nearly as fast as they used to be...... :D

i didnt want to be the one to tell you.
they are beat. you are fine...or would be with some new bikes.
s

[saab2000]

i didnt want to be the one to tell you.
they are beat. you are fine...or would be with some new bikes.
s

Yeah, if I only spend $12,000 or so on a Meivici with LW wheels and a Record Gruppo that beer gut will disappear and I'll be so much faster!!

[Dekonick]

Thats ok,

I will help you by taking your stretched, tired frames for you thus saving you the labor of taking them to the dumpster...