Steel Stables: Who else has got them??

[handsomerob]

I have been through about 2 dozen bikes since I started riding almost 2 years ago. I am a bit of a bargain hunter, so I have VERY economically been able to try many different sizes and geometries as well as all the major frame materials (steel, Ti, AL, and carbon) and have settled on steel as my preferred construction element. As such I am left with a 4 bike stable of steel. I was wondering how many of you out there also have only steel in your stables.

I do have a Waterford 2200 that has a carbon fork on it, but it was because of necessity and not choice. The steel one it came with was unsalvageable due to a frozen quill stem and the carbon one was given to me by a friend. The other three bikes are carbon free in construction and components (Serotta Club Special, Schwinn Tempo, and a Surly Cross Check)

[SoCalSteve]

Not ONLY steel, but I do have:

Kirk Terraplane

Pegoretti Marcello

Serotta CSI...


and eventuallty a Richard Sachs.

I dont own anything aluminum, a few carbon offerings and a few Ti.

Steel is real!

Just sayin'

Steve

[cmg]

all steel frames.
Colnago Master x-light w/carbon fork
Cinelli Super Corsa
Bianchi Boron w/carbon fork
Carerra Nemo-Focus w/carbon fork

Previously owned but tranfered parts.
Serotta Atlanta
Raleigh International
Lemond Zurich
Lemond Bueno Aires
Fondreist X-Status
Colnago MIX
Carl Strong Custom
Torelli Corsa Strada

[itsflantastic]

I had an aluminum cannondale, once. . . my first bike.
Since then it's been all steel (MTBs excluded).

Bikes of the past:

lemond buenos aires
serotta csi
serotta atlanta
iro fixie

Bikes of very recent past (like, the past week):
guerciotti something or other
bruce gordon blt

current bikes:

serotta csi
lemond poprad
gitane professional

allll steel.
not opposed to trying out ti/carbon/or it. . .
just don't have the loot for it!

cheers

[Sandy]

e-RICHIE and David Kirk used to, but they just switched to all carbon. :)


Steel Sandy

[vaxn8r]

No matter what material, when you get a good one you know it. It's pointless to compare materials as if one is superior to the other. IMO a good bike, no matter the material ought to ride pretty much like any other good bike of any other material.

[Hardlyrob]

It's all steel baby:

Serotta CSI
Fausto Coppi Campionissimo
Trek 970 Singletrack Rigid MTB

No AL, Carbon or Ti to be found.

Cheers!

Rob

[David Kirk]

e-RICHIE and David Kirk used to, but they just switched to all carbon. :)


Steel Sandy

You swore you wouldn't tell.

DARN YOU SANDY!


Dave

[Big Dan]

Serotta
Merckx
Tesch
LeMond
Serotta
Tesch
LeMond


Got to look in the attic....

:D

[stevep]

I have been through about 2 dozen bikes since I started riding almost 2 years ago.
)


2 years.
not enough time to judge 24 bikes.
too much jumping around.

you'll never figure this out.

[GoJavs]

Waterford
LandShark
Tesch 101
Howard by Tesch
LeMond MJ
LeMond Ventoux
LeMond Zurich
Mandaric Cross
Bridgestone RB-1

Trying to get it down to 4 or 5. Always looking for that elusive fleet-changer.

[csm]

Giordana Polaris... columbus slx w/ steel fork. building it back up. gonna go retro I think with super record der and downtube shifters. tubies and record hubs too. a freewheel... remember those? still have a few around.

[sbornia]

Ritchey (sold)
Fat City
De Rosa
Steelman

[dirtdigger88]

here's mine

http://indianametalbuildingsystems.com/Horse%20stable%20with%202%20horses.jpg

jason

[weisan]

To me it's not all or nothin'.

I don't like to keep bikes that don't work for me in the stable, whether it's steel or ti or carbon, that's immaterial.

So for now, I have got Ritchey Road Logic, the ride is sublime, it will make you cry. And an old early 80s Trek which weighs and rides like a tank -- thus relegated to being a fixee. :D

Edit * Oops...sorry forgot to mention the NOS 1988 50th Anniversary Schwinn Paramount frame/fork in pristine condition sitting on the side waiting for a buyer... :D

[jimcav]

Ti a show

vanilla s3 carbon rear
kirk lugged terraplane
waterford r33
crumpton standard
look 585
spectrum Ti

one more and i'll have no repeats each week
anticipate selling the r33 or the kirk if we stay in the seattle area--just too much rain
if we have to move and the housing market is soft i may have to sell several as i am on a 3yr master budget plan, but there is a chance i'll move a year sooner

always on the lookout for a 56 cm paris carbon UCI

jim

[Fixed]

csi road
kirk fat tire road

red sachs cross

zank fix






wakeup fixed oh miele .merckx corsa ...alum junk from china road bike for crits
alum fix mt bike with ...steel fork cheers i have a dream

[dancinkozmo]

gios torino super record
marinoni W columbus nivacrom
mariposa w carbon fork
surly pacer

...

[handsomerob]

2 years.
not enough time to judge 24 bikes.
too much jumping around.

you'll never figure this out.

you have been talking to one of my good riding buddies haven't you. :D

Actually, I agree with you, in part.

There have been a number of bikes that after a 30+ mile ride I could come back and say..... definitely not for me.

Too Small:
Lemond Alpe D' Huez 53cm
Schwinn World 53cm
Merckx AX 54cm
K2 Mod 5.0 53cm

Too Big:
Serotta CSI 58cm ST
Gitane Professionnel 58cm TT

Too Stiff:
Cannondale CAD3
Spicer Cycles custom
Colnago Dream B-Stay
Colnago Dream

Sold because I thought was too big at the time and had DT shifters:
Specialized Sirrus 56cm

I also had a few that were sold because I recieved a better frame before I could get in enough miles
Colnago Master Olympic to a Colnago Tecnos to a Colnago Dream
Fetish Cycles S.A.C. to a Spicer Cycles

LOOK KG271 - bad geometry
Colnago Super - needed restoration (Wasfast took care of that)

Waterford 2200 54.5cm ST to a Waterford 1100 w/57cm ST to a Waterford 2200 w/57cm ST

What I know now:
I need a seat tube and top tube between 55-57cm.
I like minimal saddle to bar drop, so I can utilize the bar's drops comfortably.
I have not ridden an aluminum bike I thought was comfortable for a long ride.
Titanium is really good frame material. I would still have it if it fit better.

[Fixed]

Fetish Cycles
that one don't belong on that list imho
thats my red china junk crit bike

[handsomerob]

Fetish Cycles
that one don't belong on that list imho
thats my red china junk crit bike

I got the frame for free from a buddy of mine and I don't know why, but it was more comfortable than any of the other aluminum frames I tried. The Spicer could have moonlighted as a proctologist.

[e-RICHIE]

atmo -

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1312/749882904_65ad7ab188.jpg

[Jeff N.]

Just two:
Land Shark
Seven Cycles Axiom Steel. Jeff N.

[Elefantino]

Steel is real, yes, but now having put about 800 miles on a Concours, I have to say that ti is fly.

Still, current steelers:
Specialized Allez Comp Cro-mo
DeBernardi SLX
Trek 760

Former steelers
Bianchi EV2
Lemond Zurich
Atlanta
CSI
KHS Triathlete Pro
Raleigh International
Gitane Tour de France

I'd like to get either an IndyFab 953 or a Peg Responsorium. Steel that doesn''t rust. Crazy.

[DarrenCT]

tiz real!

current: sachs, if planet cross

weeks away!: kirk, zank

sold: csi, if crown jewel, another if crown jewel, and another csi

carbon: parlee, calfee

[cadence90]

atmo -
Bakelite??? :confused:

[PacNW2Ford]

1991 Schwinn Paramount OS
1993 Fat City Yo Eddy! Team Fat Chance
1998 Waterford 2200
2007 Independent Fabrication Steel Deluxe (too big and for sale)
2007 Independent Fabrication Steel Deluxe (new one on order)

Almost all steel all the time, except for my Klein Performance coffee bike and I am eyeing that one up to be replaced with a Gunnar Sport so I can run fenders.

[taz-t]

steel is cool, but I just recovered some technology (http://www.samstoybox.com/toys/HotWheelsFactory.html) from my parents' house that's gonna make carbon obsolete

- taz

[csm]

Bridgestone MB-1.
forgot that one.

[saab2000]

About 2.5 years ago I bought my first non-ferrous bike. It is an Eddy Merckx Majestic Ti (made by Litespeed) with a carbon fork. I now also own a Look and a CIII with a carbon fork.

But my favorite bikes and rides have always taken place on steel and if I really had to choose just one material it would be steel. With a steel fork.

CIII
CSI
Croll
Croll
Grandis

Those are my steel bikes and they are all very nice. Nothing wrong with a steel bike that losing 15 lbs off my own body wouldn't fix.

[jsfoster]

54cm Pinarello cross , now with flat bar for on and off road cruising.
56cm CSI, orignally 9 spd, now 10, many different configurations over the 9 years.
53.5cm Kalivinka street tracker, my only bike with shimano.

All great bike for riding. But,
I just returned from a nice ride on my
custom Legend Ti-st, 2007 Campy chorus, What a ride. it feels so great, so much control, so spirited. If only I could live up to it, but it still makes me happier than any of the others.
-Jon

[rounder]

red nhx - my old bike
red ciii- my new bike

They both take me where I want to go. Thanks Serotta.

[Bud]

3 steel steeds (my entire stable):

'04 Fierte (all) steel
'84 Serotta Slicker-- the "commutocross"
?? random japanese lugged steel touring frame-- the fixie

[coylifut]

lemme see here

Zank Cross
Richard Sachs Cross
Kelly Knoby X single speed cross
Merckx Corsa commuter
Trek fixed gear 1980 vintage


Ti Spectrum - what a super all day ride

Bikes I don't own any more don't count.

[mflaherty37]

Schwinn World
CAAD4 Cannondale
Lemond Buenos Airies (853 & 531)
Dawes (1960's model)
Csi
Giant TCR Composite
Lemond Zurich (853)
Look KG461

BTW the Look KG461 was stiffer than the Csi and Lemond steel frames but smoother than the CAAD4.

[Peter P.]

'84 Trek 660-Lugged Reynolds 531. Repaired once (broken dropout), painted twice. Two rust holes in the top tube. PLEASE DIE SO I CAN BUY SOMETHING NEW!

Circa 2002, 2003 U.S. made Salsa Ala Carte with IF fork.

'97 Bilenky Signature Clubsman. Repaired once (cracked seat tube), repaired again (impact with a car).

I ride my bikes until they die.

[bigman]

Pegoretti GGM
89 Paramount
92 Paramount
Kirk Montanna Terraplane
Kelly Knobby X - (not built up yet but this week for sure)!

Recently removed
Lemond Fillmore
Gunnar Street Dog
Specialized Allez Comp Cro Mo
Serotta CII

Always on the lookout !

[stackie]

'nilla road
'nilla fixed
indy fab mtb
incoming commuter... steel

Almost cheated last week. That indy fab XS on ebay was a perfect size, I just couldn't get my self to pull the trigger. Oddly enough, I'm pretty sure the guy who won it is also an anesthesiologist. His ebay moniker is foranepurple, a name only an anesthesiologist would choose. Anyone want to cop to the deed?

Jon

[lemondsteel]

Trek 650 (I think) 531 Reynolds
Ross 294S. Ishiwata/Tange
Colnago Superissimo Columbus
Colnago Mexico Columbus
Guerciotti Columbus SLX
Serotta Colorado True Temper
Colorado CR
Paramount Mtn. bike. OS Chromoly

I've tried Aluminum, part crabon and just can't seem to like any of them.

[hoss]

Many over the years, it's my material of choose.

Schwinn Peloton - gone
Pinarello Montello - gone
Fuji Team - gone
Land Shark - gone
LeMond Maillot Jaune - gone
Innerlight track bike - returning soon
Waterford 2200 - gone :(
Seven Odonata - leaving

Bontrager CX
Serotta ?
Seven Elium - steel

[slowgoing]

most went the revolving door route over the years, but the following are keepers and are highly recommended.

Lugged Kirk rando (just built up)
Weigle rando
Atlanta
Merckx MX leader
Colnago MXL

[davids]

I'm going to quote myself from the "what's next in frame materials?" thread:

As far as the materials question, I see this evolution with many serious cyclists: We're assaulted by marketing cow crap as we first consider the idea of a high-end bike. We're told that carbon is the new wonder material. We're told to make weight an overwhelming consideration. I see a lot of people who never make it by this stage (like the Madone rider who hefted my Love #3, and walked away satisfied that he had the lighter, therefore better bike.)

It took me a few years to get it through my head that design trumps materials, and that weight only matters when everything else is equal (and it never is!) I've seen this same evolution with others like me - It takes a serious inquisitive interest in all this esoterica to get beyond the superficial marketing.

Parts is parts. Material is material - A means to an end. They're all sticking around, in some form or another. Once the hype machine moves on, carbon will be just like steel, aluminum, and titanium.
I've got three road bikes - one is steel, one is aluminum, and one is titanium and carbon. I didn't buy any of them because of what they were made of, but rather because of how they were made.