Comments on: Old or new

By: A couple of new Bianchis | Bicycle Design

A couple of new Bianchis | Bicycle Design — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 01:43:14 +0000

[...] I have seen a few interesting 2009 offerings from Bianchi on the web lately. Cyclelicious posted recently about the steel Vigorelli and also the Boron steel Pinella frameset, which is back in the line for 2009 after a two year absence. Bike Hugger posted recently about another steel Bianchi for ’09, the celeste colored Dolomiti Veloce with chrome lugs and beautiful 1950’s graphics (certainly in keeping with that classic theme that I brought up in a recent post). [...]

By: mr carter

mr carter — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 01:52:00 +0000

kona was showing a 2009 model bike at expocycle (canada’s version of Interbike) called the honkey tonk that had downtube shifters too.

here is the link to the pics – http://picasaweb.google.com/seanmcarter/Expocycle2008# – enjoy!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 08:08:00 +0000

Neoclasic? When did these bikes go out of fashion? I can’t have been paying attention in my fifty years on the road.

By: billy

billy — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:19:00 +0000

These are cool bikes

By: bikesgonewild

bikesgonewild — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 22:14:00 +0000

...actually guys, part of the F1 analogy is bunk because they are not surrounded by a "steel cage" as ghostrider implies...nascar drivers are "en-caged" but the 'tubs' of F1 & other high end, single seat, open wheel cars are made from carbon fiber structured to absorb, break off outer portions & deflect other than into the actual cockpit, the high-g impacts generally involved in that type of racing...

...so toastghost has got it partially right regarding carbon fibers "job" in race cars...

...it's important to remember that stress risers can be created w/ abuse in any material but i'd venture to say that it's perhaps more of a consideration when dealing w/ the cloth & resin of carbon fiber, all things being equal...

...a chip out of that surface resin, say from a stone or a slight impact is of more concern as opposed to the same force being applied to a 'metal' tube or structure, again, all things being equal...

...carbon can be 'laid up' to give it wonderful properties but protective treatment of it's surface is definitely of great importance, especially considering the load bearing nature of a bicycle frameset...

...& all but the thinnest of tubular metals can be reshaped, ie: internally, w/ oil pressure...

By: James

James — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 01:10:00 +0000

Oops, I meant to say the same materials *make* sense, not makes sense.

By: James

James — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 01:08:00 +0000

Good discussion all. I do think carbon is great for racing bikes (though all the bikes I currently own are steel, aluminum, or titanium) but I also believe there is a higher risk of failure so extra care must be taken in maintenance. I have ridden some really nice carbon frames that I would be happy to own, but I do not believe that it is the right material for most bikes or most riders. Steel is certainly more forgiving and I agree with the comments about it failing predictably. All materials can fail, but one that is more likely to fail catastrophically should be used with that knowledge in mind. That doesn't make it a bad material, but it does mean the user accepts a higher level of risk that is associated with the performance benefit. The F1 example is a good one. Those cars are built for a singular purpose- that doesn't mean the same materials makes sense for a family car that has to serve multiple fuctions.

One other point on the carbon/steel issue- if I am installing a stem on a steel steerer tube, I tighten the bolts quite a bit. I still tighten by feel with a carbon steerer tube, but a little too much torque can mean trouble. I bring up that example because I just saw the results an overtightened stem on a Cervelo yesterday. The steerer tube was cracked and the owner didn't know it until he felt the bars moving up and down nearly a centimeter on a climb. I could see the spacers under the stem moving- definitely a scary situation.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 22:50:00 +0000

I will stay away from the carbon issue, other than to say, the problem with carbon (or any composite structure) is that a crash can cause hidden damage that is not observable, steel more often gives you some clue prior to failure.

As to the Fuji entry into the neo classic realm of which this is of one model, I hope they sell every one. But it will have to fight that its component spec. is held back by the added expense of making a steel lugged frame.

Mfg. cost is what pushed the industry away from steel anyway, that and marketing, a steel frame can last a darn long time, now its just newer = better = faster = you got to have the latest.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 08:41:00 +0000

I miss an horizontal dropout and a pump peg!

By: GhostRider

GhostRider — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 03:41:00 +0000

And in the case of the F1 driver surviving a crash, it's not the carbon-fiber bodywork but the steel cage the driver sits in that lets him or her walk away.

I'm happy to see more steel bikes on the menu -- I lust for a carbon wonderbike, but I have 3 vintage steel bikes and love the way they ride. I'm with Gino, though...gently curved (and crowned!) forks are just so much nicer to look at than the unicrown straight-legged abortions a lot of these bikes come with.