Ever notice... (steel isn't real anymore)

[JeffGothro]

I went into a shop a few years ago (a couple shops actually), and there wasnt a steel bike to be had anywhere on the shops floor. Everything is aluminum and carbon - I guess you have to resort to custom frame builders alot now if you want steel. So sad, I love steel, and you wonder why I hardly ever go into and LBS or do business with them, (with an exception for downhill bikes), I'm simply NOT interested.

 

[Tazio]

Steel these days is when you buy a frame and not a complete bike. I'd actually say they are on the up in the UK.

 

[Raging_Bulls]

Just my 2 cents :

Aluminium is the new steel. Due to improvements in design, aluminium frames are less likely to suffer from metal fatigue than in the old days.
Also, most riders now rely on their suspension to soak up the bumps. That means they can use stiffer frames, and that's where alu really shines.

My take on all this : I like my aluminium modern. I spent a lot of time setting the bike and fork up for my weight and riding, and it'll blow any retro bike into the middle of last century.
However I also like my steel Sbike. The alu one not so much, because it doesn't flex the way the steel one does.

So basically :
rigid bike : steel
good suspension : alu

 

[Mahoney1978]

I saw in my local (New Zealand) bike mag that Jamis are still rocking steel frames. I haven't got the mag to hand, but I think it's on their Dragon range and they use Reynolds 853?

 

[Rampage]

Jamis are sold by Evans Cycles over here.
Evans also sell Charge(?) bikes which are steel.

I agree with Raging_Bulls, it's perfect for full suspension being light and stiff, but I prefer steel on rigid or HT.

 

[SeeingisBelievingGTMuseum]

The companies that have steel are selling them through the pipeline well.

 

[We_are_Stevo]

When it comes to steel you to have to look at the World economy versus supply and demand; GB has virtually NO steel industry these days, nor the coal industry to support it (all our steel comes from the Far East) whilst China has the worlds fastest growing economy with the largest steel industry, most production of which goes into the demand from the construction industry...

Aluminium, carbonfibre, and even titanium, by comparison are cheap as chips and easier to produce.

Better to churn the basic components out using virtual slave-labour in the Far East then ship them over to the West to be rebranded by the Majors for distribution through the Chains.

Steel will always be the material of choice for the bespoke producers though...

 

[Neil]

Gold will always be gold, and steel will always be real.

I fully expect to be riding around on my two '91 and two '95 steel bikes, 20 years down the line. Fashions, trends and whims will have no bearing on that.

 

[brocklanders023]

Steel defo on the way back in the UK with more and more popping up.

 

[02gf74]

plenty of steel bikes in Argos and Tesco. :?