Why Is Steel So “Real?”

February 16, 2009 by Bill Lobe
Filed under Tips

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.

One of the more heralded forms of bike-building steel is 4130 Chromoly. Chromoly, Cromoly, Cromo, CRMO–they’re all the same thing. Chromoly is an abbreviation for Chromium and Molybdenum, the two alloying elements added to the steel to make it more durable. “4130″ is a numerical classification used by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) that designates it as a high-strength, low-alloy steel, and has a carbon content of .30% (hence the “30″). Chromium and Molybdenum make up about 2-3% of the compound, the rest is good old fashioned iron (Fe). The combination of the Chromium and Molybdenum with the steel and minimal amounts of carbon, make it stronger than generic steel (or 1020 steel–used in bikes you’ll find at your local department store), which allows steel manufacturers to create highly durable, lightweight, and easily weldable tubes–great for bicycle frames! Chromoly has myriad applications: Aircraft tubing, engine mounts, race car roll cages, machine parts, hydraulic lines, AK-47 receivers, etc., etc. This versatility and availability is what made steel such a natural choice for bike building. Steel can also be easily brazed (joined together at joints using another metal) at relatively low temperatures with minimal metalurgical effects. This gives bike builders the choice of either welding (TIG), fillet brazing, or lugged construction. Other metals used in bike building typically have to be TIG welded, so having this choice is another benefit.

So how does all this affect ride quality? Well, that’s a tricky one, and there is not a simple answer. There are many adjustments and accessories that can affect the quality of your ride just as much if not more than the frame material choice. That being said, conventional wisdom (aka folklore) will usually point you toward a steel frame if you are looking for comfort. Due to its density compared to aluminum or titanium, steel does provide a very “responsive” ride. Steel frames usually have a flexy feel that pleases many riders, but as any poor sap who has made the mistake of bringing this up in their local bike shop has discovered, there are more opinions in the bike industry than there are bicycles. However you will find a common strain–undying love of the steel bicycle among people who have been around the industry for a long time. The bike shop owner, the old builder, the bearded and tattooed mechanic–they all have a steel bike they love. It’s the bike they think about when they’re not riding. It’s the bike they think about when they’re riding another bike–everything will be compared to their old (or new) durable steel steed. These people have endured all the hype surrounding new materials and construction methods and they’ve had the opportunity to try them all out. Steel is strong. Steel is flexy and responsive. Steel is comfortable. Steel is tough. And most important to some, steel has become cool. This is why steel is so “real.” Despite all the advances and new technology, steel has maintained its viability. Keep this in mind when you’re shopping for a new ride. Steel has definitely become a retro material, but it will always be available, you might just have to look a little harder.

Links:

www.sheldonbrown.org
www.henryjames.com
www.handbuiltbicycleshow.com
www.finishing.com