|   Reynolds Tubing | ps3
Apr 2, 2002 11:40 AM | | Does anyone know how well Reynolds 853 steel tubing compare to Columbus or Tange steel tubing? |
| re: Reynolds Tubing | Hank
Apr 2, 2002 12:08 PM | | it's not the tubing, it's what the builder does with it. But here's a good comparison:
http://www.strongracing.com/frames/tubing/tubing_specs.html |
| Very Informative Chart,Thanks for Sharing(nm) | Voelkel
Apr 2, 2002 12:43 PM | | |
| re: Reynolds Tubing | ps3
Apr 2, 2002 12:51 PM | | Thanks Hank. Framebuilders like SoulCraft, Sycip, Steelman..etc., which I think are all good builders, use steel to make their frames. Its nice to know what all the different types of steel tubes that are out there. |
| True Temper | laffeaux
Apr 2, 2002 1:37 PM | | Seems like True Temper is rarely used these days. I never see it except in magazine adds for OX Platnum. Both my MTB and road bikes are OX-III and I like them a lot. |
| I agree | Steve-O
Apr 2, 2002 2:11 PM | | Prior to buying my cross bike (Kelly Knobby X) I rode several 853 frames (Gunnar and Fuji). The all seemed to have a little more flex then I liked. I also was somewhat dismayed that most manufacturers only use 853 for the main tubes and not the chain/seatstays. I wanted something a little stiffer where I knew the tubing brand for ALL of the tubes. Thus I chose a bike made with OX Platinum and could not be happier.
It seems that Reynolds did a good job of marketing and True Temper is playing a little catch up. It is by no means an inferior tube set and the chart helps to show that. Thanks! |
| It really depends on the tubes | kristian
Apr 2, 2002 2:47 PM | | My 853 bike rides a lot "stiffer" than my OXIII bike. This is partialy due to the larger diameter tubes on the 853, but the 853 stays aren't a whole lot larger but they ARE a whole lot stiffer feeling. That being said, I still find the 853 frame very comfortable and it's over a pound lighter than the OXIII frame.
Most manufacturers don't use 853 stays because of the stiffness, the cost and the difficulty cold working 853. If the "ride" is right and the weight is right what difference does it make what brand of stays are on your bike? |
| that's why it really depends on the builder | Hank
Apr 2, 2002 3:01 PM | | tubing stickers don't mean a whole lot. Some builders don't even put them on their frames. It is interesting in general to read about the properties of different types of steel and cool to see the technology evolve, but ultimately it may not mean a whole heck of a lot--depends how the tubing is used. 853 has been well marketed but it doesn't mean it is better or worse than some of these other high quality tubes from True Temper or Columbus. What is really cool is when a builder can custom spec their own tubing to suit their own purposes--like Ibis did with the Moron tubing. |
| The thing you NEVER see anymore is Tange... | DeeEight
Apr 2, 2002 7:01 PM | | even though they DOMINATED the steel tubing market for mountain bikes for better than a decade. They pulled out of doing bicycle tubing a few years ago. |
| i'm seeing things that aren't there (again).. | seeker
Apr 2, 2002 10:11 PM | | Tange still makes wonderful steel bicycle forks. I just bought one, $44, its perfect! They make headsets too. But you're probably right in that they don't seem to be selling tubing anymore. I have a Tange MTB frame in great shape, maybe it will be a project soon. |
| Nice chart, an additional not-in-sports production alloy... | DeeEight
Apr 2, 2002 7:00 PM | | though it IS available in billet/sheet form, and large diameter tubes (actually available in smaller diameters if you don't mind seamed tubesets and buying several hundred feet at once) is Carpenter Technologies Aermet 100, which as memory serves runs about 270ksi yeild and 330ksi tensile strength, at only slightly higher density (about .295 Ibs/cubic inch) than 4130 CrMo. Its main uses are in military vehicles (both as armor plating and structural components in high stress areas, like landing gear on fighters) and often in place of titanium alloys due to its superior stress-corrosion cracking properties. |
| Nice chart, an additional not-in-sports production alloy... | ps3
Apr 2, 2002 9:21 PM | | Any chance that frame builders will use this Aermet 100 steel for mountain bikes? |
| Actually they used to use it, its why I said.... | DeeEight
Apr 2, 2002 9:51 PM | | not-in-sports production anymore. Carpenter for a time had a sports tubing production run going, where they were making seamed tubing in smaller diameters (than you'd use for landing gear struts) for the sports industries. Arrow Racing, Curtlo and other steel frame builders offered 3 pound or less frames that had Aermet tubing for the main tubes and usually either a high end tange or true temper steel for the stays (they didn't make tubes smaller than 1 1/8" O.D.), dropouts and BB shell (the stuff is VERY hard and is murder on cutting tools, and needs ceramic grinding wheels to shape the tubes for assembly, and you can't just grind the threads for the BB shell). Fortunetly its fairly easy to Tig weld or fillet-braze to other steels used in bike frames.
Essentially with Aermet tubing for the main frame tubes, you end up with a frame lighter than titanium for equal strength, or stronger for equal weight (and a tube, or sheet, as thick as a business card, is bulletproof to a .22LR shell, and that's DAMN thin as far as bicycle tubes go).
The reason they only offered seamed tubes was because of its hardness, it was basically beyond carpenter's equipment to offer seamless drawn tubes in smaller diameters and they for some reason wouldn't outsource the drawing to another contractor with the correct tooling and experience (such as Babbock and Wilcox, who do a lot of steam turbine plant and tubing work for the navy). So they'd take sheets of aermet and roll it into tubes, weld along the seam, grind smooth, and presto, bike sized tubes. |
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