DiamondBacks-Let's see them...

[ultrazenith]

I have the 97 UK Apex and I can confirm it has AVR tubing. Is this significantly inferior to the Axis tubeset?

 

[Neil]

I have the 97 UK Apex and I can confirm it has AVR tubing. Is this significantly inferior to the Axis tubeset?

Don't know about significantly.

It won't be quite as light.

I have an Apex with AVR tubing, and two with TT-Lite (two 95 Apexesssseeessss). The TT-Lite frames are notably lighter and pingier - even more so than the two OX tubing / frames of my 91 and 92 Axis.

 

[minor_LEGEND]

Assuming you mean the OX (axis) in comparison with AVR, one assumes it has a slightly better Tensile strength & thus can be used with thinner wall thickness to the tubing, making a lighter weight tubeset.

Same as with most tubesets really.

Here is a pic of me aboard my 92 Apex back in 94 iirc, a mate posted it on Facebook recently. My Apex got resprayed by Argos, it was originally 'Black Forest Spangle' in colour.

 

[Neil]

Assuming you mean the OX (axis) in comparison with AVR, one assumes it has a slightly better Tensile strength & thus can be used with thinner wall thickness to the tubing, making a lighter weight tubeset.

I was really comparing it with the TT-Lite framesets (since Axis from different years had one or the other). The TT-Lite frames feel that bit different to the OX frames - slightly lighter again.

They tended to build the Axis frames (when they were OX tubed) with quite OS tubes - significantly bigger diameter than the AVR frames that were below them in the line-up.

Comparing my 91 Axis with my 91 Apex, and all the 3 main tubes are notably bigger diameter - almost to the point of looking like an alu frame. My 91 Axis takes a 30.4mm seatpost, 91 Apex 27.0. The 92 Axis seems to take a slightly smaller seatpost (29.mumble) - but still notably bigger than 27.0, and the other tubes are chunkier, too.

Same as with most tubesets really.

They seemed to go about it in different ways, the Axis from the early 90s, using OX tubing, had oversize tubes, but presumably thinner wall - in a similar rationale to how they built alu frames, whereas the TT-Lite framesets were skinny tubes again, but they saved the weight by "custom short" butting.

Choosing between the TT-Lite frames, OX frames, and AVR? I'd choose them in that order, personally. I've got two OX framed Axis, and two TT-Lite framed Apex. The TT-Lite frames are lighter, and feel just that bit nicer to ride. Whereas the OX frames are maybe a bit lighter than the AVR frames, but feel stiffer.

 

[minor_LEGEND]

I think it depends on the year, the extent of oversizing.

I had a 92 AVR Apex as pic'd above, I had a friend that bought a 92 Axis & I'd say the tube dia were the same from memory, wheras a friend with a 91 Axis I seem to recall it had a monstrous dia seatpin.

 

[Pyro Tim]

I have a 93 Axis Pro with OX tubing. It's not oversized. It's lovely, but I prefer the Nickel plated 94 Axis, hence it's for sale

 

[Neil]

I think it depends on the year, the extent of oversizing.

I had a 92 AVR Apex as pic'd above, I had a friend that bought a 92 Axis & I'd say the tube dia were the same from memory, wheras a friend with a 91 Axis I seem to recall it had a monstrous dia seatpin.

I've got a 91 and 92 Axis (and a 91 Apex to compare) - both the 91 and 92 Axis are oversize - but the 92 not quite as much as the 91 - as I said in my previous post - the seatpost diameter for the 91 Axis 30.4 - and the downtube and top-tube are very clearly oversized. On the 92, the seatpost diameter is slightly smaller than the 91, I think it's 29.6 and the main tubes seem ever-so-slightly less oversize than the 91, but still notably more so than the 91 AVR framed Apex.

I have a 93 Axis Pro with OX tubing. It's not oversized. It's lovely, but I prefer the Nickel plated 94 Axis, hence it's for sale

I'm guessing that year on year, the OX tubed Axis tubes got less oversize 'till they went with TT-Lite - which was supposed to be an evolution of the OX tubing, but with custom butting.

 

[fignon1989]

Ok so here is my two pennies worth..........

The light blue bike in my pictures is an 92 Apex with AVR tubes.

My Over Drive Comps that I will post pictures of soon are OX tubes.

I had several of the plated Axis frames and an Vertex TR in TT-lite (all now sold)

And I have my titanium.

Of the steel frames I liked the TT-lite ones best (I sold them because they were out and out racers).

And I do like my titanium the most. Is there a big difference between them? not really................

The tyres make a bigger difference!!!!!

 

[drystonepaul]

1990 Diamond Back Ascent - SS build as ridden at Thetford in 2012. Currently tucked away in storage.

 

[frantik]

saw this on Craigslist the other night. Now it's in my house. Oops!

1996 Diamondback Racing WCF 6.0 - Welded Carbon Fiber main tubes with steel stays. Also included Deore XT crankset and rear cantis