Thinking about a steel road bike. What’s the best bang for the buck in a steel frame or complete bike?
Steel bikes are so devalued these days you can pick up a used frame or bike oiff Craigslist for next to nothing. New probably surly, but lots of nice new frames that are fairly cheap.
I know absolutely jack shit about this topic apart from the fact that my BiL rides a steel GIOS that he’s had for years and loves it. Gets lots of admiring comments wherever he rides it too.
Although looking at their IT website they don’t appear to have a distributor in the US, so I’ve probably added nothing right here:-)
TET cycles is nicely priced custom
Gunnar have a great range of options and sizes and made in USA (if that matters to you)
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The TET prices are really low for what you get, especially considering he is a respected builder who has been in the business for years
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I’ve had numerous steel bikes and still own a couple steel bikes. My son and I took a ride together Sunday for Father’s Day - the best gift he could have given me; he was on his Cannondale CAAD and I was on a full chrome Columbus SL Orbea. He’s never ridden the Orbea, but when he asked about it I stopped and we traded bikes. Within a mile he commented about how smooth and quiet the ride was. There is a reason you always hear people say steel is real. I highly recommend a steel bike.
How much do you want to spend? New or used? Custom or production? Racing, touring, cyclocross?
Do it!
go on ebay, find a reputable ebaybikestore, find a cro-moly bike for not much $$, purchase, ride til the cows come home, try to explain the big grin to civilians who don’t know…
Best bang for your buck is low-end Columbus - Aelle, Thron, Gara, Cromor, that kind of stuff.
Of course, if a higher-end Columbus SL or SLX frames comes your way at a good price, go for it.
Take your time, look second-hand. Often it makes sense to buy 2 complete bikes, one classic steel, one a newer whatever with an STI groupset, & swap the newer parts/wheelset onto the steel frame.
Centurion Ironmans are very well thought of.
If you end up with just a frame, carbon 1" threaded & threadless forks are available cheaply from Nashbar.
I’d recommend not getting a run of the mill steel bike. Find a really nice used eye-talian steed or domestic brand with a nice tubeset and enjoy immensely. I have a gunnar (platinum OSX) and the ride is completely sublime. It is almost hard to describe how smooth it is. And don’t put a high-falutin carbon fork on it, keep an original raked out steel one for best effect. Every bike stable needs a steel work horse.
When I restored an Eddy Merckx with Brain tubing for my dad I was amazed at how smooth it felt - if it had been 3 sizes bigger (I’m a lot taller) he’d have never received it. However, a few years later I was able to acquire a Merckx MX-Leader (Max tubing) for myself and it will occupy the position of classic/steel bike in my collection forever more. The only issue I have is that 1" forks aren’t brilliant on a big bike under heavy braking but the ride quality is very good and the satisfaction factor is very high 
Even a cheap Aelle tubed frame I once test rode was remarkably nice. Doesn’t take much to find a frame builder to add/remove some bosses to make the bike suit modern gearing (and in the case of the bike I got my dad - lengthen the steerer to allow ahead rather than quill) elegantly and then a repaint to have a bike that looks and feels good, without necessarily costing much.
Though for the prices that TET charges there is a strong appeal to having custom. There is a certain something about having a bike that was made just for you…
What size?
With a good deal on one of the major Italian brands you’ll be able to get something back when you sell.
This guy has a few of these:
Hmmmm. I just happen to ride a 54 cm and that geometry looks really close.
Could a frame like that be set up with STI shifters?
Yes, but you would want Campy on an Italian frame.
Yes, easily
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Will it buck me with anything else? Kidding, of course would go campy.
Anyone know if it takes 700 wheels?
I Love my All-City Mr. Pink. Smooth, comfortable, quiet.
Yes 700c
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thanks
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Im on a steel bike at moment - columbus cromor tube set. its sweet. its low end steel, cheap, but it rides really nicely. Smooth, and plenty stiff, actually out of the saddle it feels much nicer than my carbon… which has cracked, and awaiting replacement.
A steel will last forever, so if you have cash, dont skimp. get something sexy.
Theres nothing like riding past a sl4, or a crapello on a nice steel ride.
Also since since being forced onto the steel after cracking the carbon, ive hit some records on strava, and It’s not from training hard.
Steel is as good as anything…
dont get a surly… they make me cringe… mass produced chinese steel