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If we ignore the cheaper supermarket style high tensile steel frames and look at the classic steel alloy frames which are often a mixture with chrome, manganese, nickel etc we can see the the recent successful utilization of aluminium and carbon fibre meant that steel had to raise its game to keep up in the bike frame business.
Go back to the 80s and Reynolds 531 and 753 and Columbus SL and SP dominated the racing market. Look at the 1990s and beyond to see Reynolds and Columbus joined by a multitude of other tubing manufactuers whilst expanding their own offerings of tubesets to satisfy a greater demand of rider's requirements. Touring, mtb, track, time trialing all require slightly different tubesets.
In addition to the wider selection of steels consumers are also faced with a wider choice of tubes made from the materials. Plain guage and double butted have been supplemented by a wide selection of different buttings and profiles.
To a great extent steel had become unfashionable amonst riders which means it becomes fashionable for restorers. Newer materials are often pushed as being 'better' , however its certainly worth remembering that good steel tubes remain eminently suitable for bicycle frames. They also usually offer the answer when the question is quite simply "what frame should I get?"
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 Ritchey Comp Road Bike Saddle Steel rail Cutout US $29.93 |
 Vintage Peugeot Mixte lugged steel road bike Simplex US $450.00 |
 Vintage Peugeot UO8 lugged steel road bike 57cm Simplex US $550.00 |
 Vintage JCI Steel Road bike Bicycle Toe Clips NOS US $15.00 |
 BICYCLE BIKE SHIFT CABLE ROAD MOUNTAIN GALVINIZED STEEL US $2.74 |
 BICYCLE BIKE SHIFT CABLE ROAD MOUNTAIN STAINLESS STEEL US $3.95 |
 BLACK ROAD BIKE FOR STEEL TRACK FIXIE FORK RIGID FIXED US $45.00 |
 700C TRACK ROAD FIXIE BIKE BICYCLE FORK STEEL THREADED US $89.95 |
 23 Lugged steel road bike frame fork unpainted NOS 58 US $149.00 |
 Vintage 58cm 1986 Trek 520 Reynolds 531 Steel Road Bike US $500.00 |
 NOS Road Bike Dawes Steel Seat Post Binder Bolt Nut US $3.99 |
 Peogeot lugged steel Campy Campagnolo road bike bicycle US $202.50 |
 53cm NOVARA Lugged Steel Loaded Touring Road Bike 7x3 US $152.50 |
 Kelly Handmade Steel 1 Threadless Road Bike Stem Sale US $28.95 |
 NICE SPEEDPLAY X2 ROAD BIKE PEDALS 9 16 STEEL SPINDLES US $50.00 |
 road bike pedal cages Mira Stainless Steel used US $4.00 |
 NEW 2009 52CM MERCIER CORVUS STEEL ROAD BIKE US $649.95 |
 FOCALE 44 FIXIE FRAME SET SINGLE SPEED ROAD BIKE STEEL US $185.00 |
 70S CAMPAGNOLO PATENT ROAD BIKE CRANKS DUST CAPS STEEL US $25.00 |
 New 1 STEEL road bike fork 700c 1 INCH steerer tubes US $158.00 |
 NOS Road Bike Shimano FE Front Derailleur 1 Steel US $9.99 |
 CHROME TOE CLIPS STEEL MEDIUM TRACK ROAD FIXIE NOS BIKE US $3.99 |
 Fixie Road Bike single speed Frame steel 55cm with fork US $51.00 |
 Vintage steel Peugeot vitus 980 12 speed road bike US $480.00 |
 CLASSIC STEEL TREK ROAD BIKE CAMPY NUOVO RECORDCINELLI US $1,000.00 |
 SE Bikes Single Speed Fixed Gear Steel Road Frame 56cm US $169.95 |
 CENTURION lugged steel road bike frame 57cm US $89.00 |
 2010 Jamis Quest Reynolds Steel Road Bike 58cm w 105 US $1,200.00 |
 SE Bikes Single Speed Fixed Gear Steel Road Frame 58cm US $169.95 |
 2010 Jamis Quest Reynolds Steel Road Bike 54cm w 105 US $1,200.00 |
For: Strong, Cheap, Stiff, Repairable
Against: Rust
Good examples of steel frames for restoration projects
Easy: Raleigh, Bianchi, Colnago, Merckx, Peugeot
Harder to find: Masi, Botecchia, Pinarello, Moser, ciocc, wilier,
Great if you can get one: Legnano, Roberts, Mercian, Hetchins
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