Another steel bike related question

tjk23 · #1 04-20-2021, 07:23 PM

With all the talk recently about steel bikes it got me pondering building one up. I currently have a Domane SL6 disc. Just wondering who has made the change from carbon to steel and how the experience was? I’m not really unhappy with my current bike just looking to change things up.

prototoast · #2 04-20-2021, 07:30 PM

I have and ride carbon, steel, titanium, and aluminum frames. I like them all, but within each material, there is a huge variation in what a frame can be. Are you looking for a steel frame that's as close to your domane as possible, or something totally different?

Wakatel_Luum · #3 04-20-2021, 07:43 PM

I revert back to my Tommasini at times and the first thing I notice is the comfort, the steel fork I believe enhances the feel. Obviously there's the extra weight but that becomes an after thought.

Coffee Rider · #4 04-20-2021, 07:57 PM

Two thoughts: (1) a lot of it is in your head; (2) a good bike is a good bike and good bikes can be very different from each other. A nice steel bike would be a good complement to your Madone. If you are getting custom steel, you can dial it in exactly how you want and it will be something different from your Madone, but also really good. Have you thought about disc brakes versus rim brakes if you get a steel bike? There are so many great builders out there that you can get something that's great and uniquely you.

joevers · #5 04-20-2021, 08:10 PM

Honestly, I don't think steel and carbon ride all that differently. Obviously they can, but that hasn't been my experience.

My most recent 4 steel bikes have 35mm downtubes and 1 1/8 headtubes and threaded bottom brackets and honestly they don't ride all that different. Geometry differences for sure (2 road, 1 cross/gravel, 1 track). My carbon bikes are currently a hardtail from Cannondale and a Giant TCR Advanced SL Disc. I work at a Cannondale shop and have also ridden the current Supersix Evo, and have test ridden dozens of other high end carbon bikes.

There's huge variety in carbon bikes, and I've got a clear preference for some bikes (Tarmac, Supersix/SystemSix, TCR) and a dislike of others (Canyon Aeroad, Emonda, Dogma). I can't pinpoint what it is, but I found the 3 latter bikes extremely jarring and skittish, a feeling I don't get on really any steel bikes and plenty of carbon bikes. All my steel bikes have been stable and planted, springy and nice (besides my Surly which I just did not like).

To give you a more direct answer, my two road bikes are a very oversized lugged steel rim brake bike with di2, and the TCR with discs. Carbon bikes in general, but specifically the TCR just track really really well. I corner better, I descend better. I just really like the front end stiffness that you tend to get with carbon, and don't find it really in any noticeable way less comfortable than my steel bikes (even with steel forks). FWIW, tires are one size larger on the TCR which probably helps, and the thru axle fork and oversize steerer contribute a lot to that handling stiffness I like. The steel bike doesn't really do anything better, and it isn't much more comfortable, and it's at least 2 pounds heavier, but I find it really enjoyable to ride. I like the springiness, I like how it looks, and I like the geo.

I guess overall, in a straight line I don't think they ride very different at all. They absorb road chatter really similarly, with carbon absorbing small bumps much better and steel absorbing bigger bumps better IME. They're much closer than say, either of those materials vs. aluminum. If you're considering steel, think a lot about geometry and what kind of stiffness (and where) you're shooting for. If you're thinking of working with a builder, you won't really have to worry about either of those things personally, which is a lot of the draw of steel frames to some people. They just tell someone how they ride and what they like and a few months later they have a bike designed with that in mind.

You might also want to look at more stock bikes like Ritchey, Standert, or even Gunnar if you're just looking for a modern, high performance steel bike at a reasonable price.

zennmotion · #6 04-20-2021, 09:13 PM

This is a good read from a master:

https://www.spectrum-cycles.com/materials.php

Wakatel_Luum · #7 04-21-2021, 03:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjk23

With all the talk recently about steel bikes it got me pondering building one up. I currently have a Domane SL6 disc. Just wondering who has made the change from carbon to steel and how the experience was? I’m not really unhappy with my current bike just looking to change things up.

Basically you're going to get a different opinion with every person...

I don't agree with some of the comparisons on here and there are so many factors to consider. Are you considering a full steel frame/fork or with a carbon fork, a frame with classic sized tubing or more oversized?

If you like your current set up you could duplicate it to a steel frame, you might like it or maybe not? It could be an expensive experiment you might not like?

Maybe try a similar sized bike in steel to get a taste to see if it's what you really want?

uber · #8 04-21-2021, 04:26 AM

Some people can tell a difference between your Domane and a Madone while others cannot. As such, some will find big differences between frame materials. I have owned Ti, steel and carbon bikes and the single biggest factor in the ride quality is fit. Between two well fitting carbon and steel bikes, I usually find the steel bike to have a degree of liveliness that carbon frequently does not. Imagine doing some rollers at speed. Getting out of the saddle to hit the next riser is more satisfying on a steel frame for me, as the "springiness" creates a resonance with pedal stroke efforts. This is not the case for all steel frames, and you can get that sensation on a Ti bike as well. My aero carbon bike might be a bit faster than my steel bikes, but I find the steel more pleasurable to ride.

tjk23 · #9 04-21-2021, 06:55 AM

So what I’m actually looking at doing is stripping the Domane down and using the parts to build a Ritchey road logic disc. The geometry on the Ritchey is almost an exact match to a Cannondal Supersix that I had a few years ago. The Cannondale was a great fit and I probably shouldn’t have ever sold it.

bathsalts · #10 04-21-2021, 08:44 AM

Geometry plays a much larger role in how a high-end bike rides than the material it’s made of

veloduffer · #11 04-21-2021, 09:28 AM

I've ridden all the materials and still own a variety of steel, titanium, carbon (no aluminum currently). Design is the single most important factor in how a bike rides - stiffness, geometry, etc.

I currently own a 2020 Madone SLR, classic Merckx steel, carbon Parlee, Seven ti/carbon mix, and several titanium bikes (Mosaic, Seven, Moots, Salsa). They have different purposes and designs and having something different to ride is fun. On the steel, I use downtube shifters (reminds me of driving a manual shift car), Mavic Open rims and skinny 23c tires. Just fun to ride - smooth, stable. So much different than the Madone, which is also much different than the Parlee. The Madone is an aero bike so the stiffness and heavier carbon frame feel more dead than the lively Parlee. But the aero design and ISO coupler of the Madone make it a fast, comfy bike - it just carries speed well.

With my Moots Baxter, it's really closer to a 29er mtb (it can take a 100mm front shock) with drop bars. It's an adventure bike that can do bike-packing and is different than my Seven Evergreen and Mosaic gravel bikes. The Mosaic is closer to a road geometry while the Seven is in-between the Moots and Mosaic. I use different drivetrains (1x11 vs 2x11, electric vs mechanics) and different tires & wheels to keep it interesting.

Really no different than car enthusiasts with several cars. So get a good steel bike, use a different gruppo (Campy!) and have fun with it. Classic steel like a Colnago, DeRosa, Sachs, Della Santa, Merckx and others would be great choices.

bambam · #12 04-21-2021, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjk23

With all the talk recently about steel bikes it got me pondering building one up. I currently have a Domane SL6 disc. Just wondering who has made the change from carbon to steel and how the experience was? I’m not really unhappy with my current bike just looking to change things up.

Is that the only bike you have? (Or road bike anyway)
Come to the Dark side.
Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny.
You should by another bike. Doesn't have to be expensive.
Make your own decision.
Steel tubesets vary as do carbon layup methods and mono vs. lugged.
There are many factors that determine the feel of a bike. I find geometry to be the most important factor in that equation.

Ride Safe,
BamBam

P.S. I have/had Steel, Ti, AL, Carbon. I can't say one material provides a harsher or softer ride. Steel bikes can ride harsher than carbon.

fogrider · #13 04-22-2021, 02:36 AM

So it really depends on you and your riding...are you a racer? rec rider? climber or sprinter? Do you live in the flat lands of Florida or the mountains of Colorado? I'm San Francisco and every ride is hilly...that said, I love climbing with my steel bike. That said, my carbon bike is lighter and might be faster. But for a short lunch ride, I'm all about the steel bike.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjk23

With all the talk recently about steel bikes it got me pondering building one up. I currently have a Domane SL6 disc. Just wondering who has made the change from carbon to steel and how the experience was? I’m not really unhappy with my current bike just looking to change things up.

charliedid · #14 04-22-2021, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjk23

So what I’m actually looking at doing is stripping the Domane down and using the parts to build a Ritchey road logic disc. The geometry on the Ritchey is almost an exact match to a Cannondal Supersix that I had a few years ago. The Cannondale was a great fit and I probably shouldn’t have ever sold it.

Answered your own question.

Geometry matters.

Mr. Pink · #15 04-22-2021, 07:48 AM

I own two steel bikes with carbon forks, one a Serotta and the other a Strong. They are exactly the same geometry (one is a copy of the other) and they both have the same group and the same wheels. This was the result of a project I embarked on to have "twin" bikes after retiring so that I wouldn't favor one over the other. Just, two nice bikes for an old man, one ready if the other breaks, equally shared over time. Well, guess what? Don't tell them, but, love the Strong more than the Serotta (Colorado III). Not a dramatic difference, but, the Strong just feels tighter, more nimble. It could be the different forks I'm feeling, maybe. The Serotta has the highest end Reynolds fork they sold in '03, and the Strong has an Enve, developed and made ten years later. Who knows. I guess that what I'm trying to say is, there are so many factors that determine how a bike feels, that it's almost impossible to say that steel rides better than carbon rides better than titanium, and on. That said, sure would like a new titanium Strong. They are so cool.