Here I go lying again.
Okay next year, I promise that I'm never going to lie to you, the reader, again.
Maybe.
Anyways, my latest prevarication involves the use of stainless steel as a frame material.
I said I didn't like it.
Well, now maybe I like it.
I'm not sure.
Thing is, the folks over at Pelizzoli World have unveiled their new inossidabile frame called the Aeta.
You can check it out on their flickr thingy here.
I gotta say, I'm impressed.
The more I think about how much I ride near the ocean, the more stainless appeals to me.
Mainly, I wouldn't have to worry about hosing my bicycle down so much.
Then again, I do it anyways, since some of my hardware has begun to show some rust and oxidation.
There is more to stainless than meets the eyeball though.
I mean finish is important, like in a satin/brushed finish or polished.
Then there's the whole lugged thing again.
I mean a lugged SS frame would be mondo cool, but not for the wallet.
If you know what I mean.
So now I've sort of been harboring the thought of going with SS, maybe just a little, but not really.
The thing is, will I want a SS frame sometime in the future?
If so, I should just jump on it now.
Personally, I don't really like how they look and from what I'm reading there's really no advantage other than the corrosion resistance.
The salt air around here is pretty much a killer though and you really can't argue the bling factor.
Not that I really want to go around looking like the Silver Surfer on two wheels.
Still, I have to consider it as an option.
I mean it's not like I'm going to order a frame everyday, so I guess I want to make sure I'm making the right decision.
Maybe I should just wait, and then go with something like this later:
That sure is pretty.
That sure is expensive.
That for sure means that I must be out of my mind.
More on that later.
2 comments:
That's pretty cool. Pelizzoli is certainly expanding the line from last year.
Here's my long-winded 2¢ on stainless....
-It will still rust (unless it's clearcoated), just not as quickly. Most makers paint them and maybe leave a bit of the tubing unpainted. I've also read that polishing stainless bike frames is a no-no as it removes too much material.
-If you have a problem with the size of the Spirit tubes, the XCR (or whatever tubing they use) will be larger still. I have a XCR bike I bought recently and the chainstays are almost as large as the top tube on the Pelizzoli..24.8mm compared to 25.4 on my calipers.
-There is an advantage in that the tubing is so strong it can be made thinner. This makes for a lighter frame and does give it a different ride from other steel. I don't have enough time on mine, due to that nasty winter thing, to properly judge the differences but I have noticed it. For example, on a section of bumpy gravel road the stainless bike with 23s seemed smoother to me than my steel (ZeroUno) cyclocross bike with 30s.
-You definitely lose the lugs unless you go with someone else and like you said it is $$$$. As much as I like lugs I think the XCR frame is just as sexy though.
-I understand the appeal of buying a new frame, but FWIW my very lightly used XCR frame with Chorus 11 and Neutrons was less than the frame alone would have cost brand new.
Thanks!
I've been looking at some XCR frames and the tubes don't look that huge, being nekkid and all.
I sort of figured that since I'm going with OS tubes, well, might as well think about it.
The price is right; I wouldn't be able to afford the other XCR/953 stuff out there, but the Pelizzoli is just about in my range.
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