Is steel really real?

[Kult Friction]

Having been around trail centre type stuff on rigid with drum brakes and up / down Peaks with nowt but steel, determination and hamster named Fred, nuts to all the marketing bull. Where the hell do you think people rode their bicycles for the last 80 years plus? Mountain biking wasnt invented last week, as much as Apple would have it that EVERYthing was new in 2015, some hard riding has been had on all manner of cycle since the long past dim and distant.

If you are fit, anything can be ridden anywhere, if not, buy a lazee bike and pretend to be a hero with yer gopro.

Back to the On-One: no.

I'm not sure if that's a response to my post, but if it is, that's one of the most uneducated dumb responses I've ever seen and would hope that was intentionally provocative :roll:

I don't ride with a go-pro or strava or anything like that, I'm just out for the ride, Simple! However many years of riding, and in different disciples has taught me a lot about bike handling and symbiotic relationship between terrain and geometry.

Sure most trail centre stuff I've encountered could be ridden on a £200 hybrid and in the right hands could still be one of the quickest round, It doesn't require the latest and greatest and that's the whole point of a trail centre, Many people are all the gear no idea... It's nothing more than a groomed playground to give people a taste of the sport and make them think they're ripping it up like the weekend warrior they are, However It's not a technical challenge and there will never be a substitute for personal fitness and skill, put the worst bike in the best hands and he'll still beat the worst guy with the best kit!

I wan't to agree with you, Maybe people were riding the same terrain 80 years ago (before mountain bikes :roll: ) but I fail to see the relevance, You simply can't deny technological advancement and it's inherent performance gains, Usain bolt and Mo Farah are running on essentially the same tracks and conditions as the original Olympians nearly 120 years ago so why aren't they running bare foot or at least in dunlop green flash and why are they faster? Why do TDF riders no longer wear wool jerseys, eat jam sandwiches and ride steel bikes with 10 gears when the streets of France haven't changed for as long as the competition has existed? Yet from these basic examples people are setting new records every year, So surely there's a trickle down to the everyday man, No? Another prime example possible closer to the point in hand is the automotive industry, We as everyday people can buy a family hatchback that handles and goes faster than formula 1 cars from the 1960's and I can in all honestly say my Audi RS6 which is a family estate handles far better and more fun to drive than my '68 Mercedes 280SL, Surely that is true for bikes as there are less variables than a car, subsequently geometry is one of the biggest factors, But then hey I'm just an engineer so what do I know , Maybe it's because I didn't buy the rose tinted Oakley's......

At the end of the day, Sure any bike can be ridden on any terrain, it's just you'll be faster, safer, more comfortable and ultimately for some of us riding styles have evolved into a more adventurous style of riding because our environment allows it, which modern setups befit by not being dictated by twitchy handling, rubbish brakes and no suspension with only nostalgia as your wingman, Yes I love retro, but there is no way my retro's are as fun or fast as my current bikes.... Sorry to slap you in the balls on this one but that's the truth ol' chap!

 

[davidj]

Re:

Geometry must be linked to terrain though, otherwise the current format would have been adopted a long time ago. I use my bike as a means of transport, not a gravity defying monster. I don't drive to ride my bike, I ride my bike instead of driving.

I don't hold with modern geometry improving "my" ride, but I do wonder if a heavier steel inbred will ride better than my lighter and stiffer alloy Coyotes, bearing in mind the biggest drop they will face is a 6" kerb. I have a FS if I feel more adventurous.

Won't a slack head angle feel slow and ponderous on tarmac and bike tracks like the TPT?

 

[The History Man]

I'm no expert but there's a lot more to it than that. Weight distribution, stem length, tyre pressures to name but a few. Lots to tweak in addition to mentioned

 

[davidj]

Re:

Perhaps Planet Xwill have a demo bike I can try, if so this time tomorrow I will know .

 

[Kult Friction]

Re:

Just give it a go mate, only you know what feels right for you and ultimately it comes down to individual preference and not what someone on a forum thinks. For the sake of £100 I say give it a go. If you don't like it sell it, If you do like it happy days! And if nothing else you will at least have a reference point and some understanding of what you liked and disliked between the two to enable a more informed decision in future and a step forward in how different materials & geometry influence the ride characteristics :xmas-big-grin:

 

[greencat]

Like others, I wouldn't instantly recommend an Inbred as an example of the best steel has to offer. Things might have changed, but they certainly used to be very rideable, if rather heavy. Perfect for an introduction to mountain biking or need a solid commuter/do it all bike perhaps.

Worth a try for the price, but factor in having to buy a few other components eg stem, seatpost, seatpost clamp - even bottom bracket and headset.

 

[legrandefromage]

When I took my inbred around the more lumpy bits of cornwall, it was a terrible dead lump of a frame with no feedback or twang or anything to give it personality or something to like.

I've had more fun with those massive cro-mo tubed Raleigh Max frames of old.

 

[mattr]

Re: Re:

Won't a slack head angle feel slow and ponderous on tarmac and bike tracks like the TPT?

It'll feel unusual, but you won't know fully, until you get a fork on it, length and offset will have a significant effect too.

And my experience of the inbred was pretty similar to that ^^^^^ dead and lifeless. It's an abusable workhorse, not an enjoyable offroad bike.

The wife likes her 456. But she's never ridden steel before, and was expecting it to be relatively heavy and dull feeling compared to her (generally) top end carbon/FS kit.

 

[mattr]

Hmmmm, forgive the hijack but I wonder if a 29er is equally 'shite'?

No idea. Completely different geometry, possibly different tubing. Depending on the cost, it'd be worth an experiment (150 quid or something aren't they? Could probably sell it for 100 quid after 6 months or a year.)

 

[mattr]

As for an aluminium frame only having a finite lifespan, dont start that crap again!

You remember Manitou? Cannondale? Both suffered from work hardening related cracks. I've seen hard used Manitou HT's failing within 3 years. Cannondales within a similar timescale.