Originally Posted by
cycle_maven
I was browsing the carbon-fiber thread below, and one advantage of steel over carbon or aluminum is its ability to be repaired mid-tour.
I was curious if anyone had ever had a frame repair done in mid-tour, and what your experiences were. Thanks-
Long ago (about 1988), I had a steel mountain bike repaired by the machinist at my work. The frame broke at the bottom bracket bridge on both sides of the chain stay. He's an extremely talented welder but was shocked at how thin the metal was on the frame...even on an overbuilt mountain bike. His comment was that it would be extremely easy to burn through the metal. Some farmer with a arc welder probably isn't going to know that and will just leave you with a smoking ruin.
The idea that you should ride a steel frame because it can be "fixed anywhere by anyone" is a fallacy. I agree with seeker333 that a frame is consumable. I don't agree with him, however, that steel is more up to the task of touring than aluminum. Aluminum can take a lot of punishment and touring probably isn't the ultimate test.