Why Is Steel So “Real?”

Anyone who’s kicked around a bike shop on a Saturday has heard, possibly ad nauseam, the perennial phrase “Steel is Real.” If you’ve ever wondered about the reasoning behind this maxim, you’re not alone. Choosing a frame material, especially for the neophyte rider, can be overwhelming. Most of the bikes in your local bike shop are probably made of aluminum, the nicer road and mountain bikes are now made of carbon, a couple expensive ones will be made of titanium, and there might be a steel bike laying around somewhere. Steel is one of the oldest (if not the oldest) bicycle frame building material that is still available today. For years steel dominated the bicycle market as the frame material of choice. In the past twenty years or so other materials have crept onto the bicycle scene. Some have stayed and some have gone, new materials for bike frames have been discovered and tested, but steel has maintained its viability and is beloved by many a cyclist. “Steel is Real” is not a saying fueled strictly by nostalgia–steel has proven itself and isn’t going anywhere.

We won’t bother talking about the first bike built out of steel, this isn’t a history lesson in the chronology of bike building, but we will talk about the qualities that have made it a favorite among custom builders and aficionados. The next time you’re slacking at work, take a look at the photo gallery from any of the last four National Handbuilt Bicycle Shows (NAHBS). You’ll find a couple aluminum bikes, a handful of titanium frames, one or two carbon bikes from renowned bicycle magnates, and an overwhelming majority of steel frames. So the question remains, with all the advances in technology and design, why is steel even a consideration for boutique designers? With a bit of examination we find that those who have been around bicycles and bike-building for significant amounts of time have the ability to weigh all the criteria of a material coupled with the desires of a rider to build an optimally performing machine. One whose ride quality, strength, stiffness, cost, and overall performance have been considered. Let’s make something clear: Any material on the market (and hopefully more to come) can be crafted into an elegant and appreciable ride if placed in the hands of a conscientious craftsman. However, steel still seems to find a way to satisfy all the criteria most builders consider.  Read more

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