Is this steel real?

[pbarry]

I'd like to ride one.

[jamesdak]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

$7000 or so with mid level group...yowser....

Right! And just under 20 lbs supposedly.

Let's compare this to what I have into my under 20 lb bikes. And my weight is in as ready to ride condition with saddle, bottle cages, and pedals.



XL Super (2) - $1700 - went crazy on this build.
Lemond Versailles - $900 - Wickwerks owner hooked me up with the chainrings cheap
Lemond Custom - $900
De Rosa - $1300 - New Chorus from UK on sale
XL Super - $1500, all new parts from UK and NOS frameset from Gita
Ribble - $ 580, Complete bike was $180 local, Swapped in $400 used wheelset for now.

So I can basically have all these wonderful performing and beautiful bikes for the cost of that ummmm.... thing.....

And reality is I could include the Evans in the too. $450 for it as a built bike and I know once I swapped tires it was under 20 lbs too. As a complete bike with a cheap "parts bin" type build. It's tore down now and awaiting a real build.

I mean you can have "art and craftsmanship" like this for a fraction of the cost of that stamped, welded, mess of a bike. Just my retro grouch opinion.

[Billybob62]

A new Schwinn Varsity:
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/varsity.html

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by Billybob62

A new Schwinn Varsity:
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/varsity.html

That's a good point.

I had forgotten about that process.

[vespasianus]

Originally Posted by tuscanyswe

Agreed

Double agreed. And just because it is steel does not make it special or even good in my mind.

[Velocipede]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

That's not really a first. Sandvik (maker of metal plate, bar and tube products for many industries including military and nuclear power plants) used to make titanum bicycle frames. It's probably not a stretch to say that while they knew a lot about making titanium tubing, they didn't know much about bikes.

Not so sure about this part of the comment. Sandvik, well their bike division they started when ti started getting hot, TST/Titanium Sports Technologies, they made excellent frames. Made them for Bontrager, Kona, Marin, TST, Mongoose, Raleigh and numerous others.

[reuben]

The steel is real. Not so sure about the bike.

[Velocipede]

There was an article about this on some metal sites last year. It looked pretty a great use of current technology. I think it's a bit wasted as they've could easily make it lighter.

[colker]

Even without looking at the link i will say that big euro steel investing in bicycles is significantly good. A while ago True Temper left the scene and the idea of steel tubing became questionable from an economic perspective.
In the last days i hear Pro closet secures a big deal and now this.
We are living hard times right now but when it comes to cycling we are watching a huge turning point.

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by Velocipede

Not so sure about this part of the comment. Sandvik, well their bike division they started when ti started getting hot, TST/Titanium Sports Technologies, they made excellent frames. Made them for Bontrager, Kona, Marin, TST, Mongoose, Raleigh and numerous others.

Right. When designed by others, Sandvik were good fabricators. But their own proprietary models were no great shakes.

[Velocipede]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

Right. When designed by others, Sandvik were good fabricators. But their own proprietary models were no great shakes.

Their road and mountain frames were pretty much the same as the ones they made for others. Not sure why they weren't good. I had a TST mountain frame and loved it. Only reason I got rid of it was someone wanted it and I didn't need a 4th mountain bike.

[Dromen]

Since the steel industry has funded all my bike purchase and everything else for that matter, i find the manufacturing process to weld 2 large, close tolerance, thin, formed pieces of steel with many "twists & turns" quite fascinating.

Typical of MY industry though, it usually fails on the artistic end. Hire someone, anyone to at least make it look good cosmetically.

When an industry friend/non-cyclist sent me this my first thought was, someone is an idiot that's not steel, its carbon fiber as a smart guy like me can easily tell.

I am curious to see/feel how all of this manufacturing weirdness translates to the road.

[Web1111a]

Not being an expert but the mpa numbers don’t look as high as Reynolds 753 for example I may not be understanding them correctly

[Waldo62]

Originally Posted by sw3759

interesting concept.i love steel bikes but that thing is just ugly

No uglier than 99% of carbon frames out there.