Columbus XCr stainless; AerMet; going all-out
Does anyone know anything about these tubesets?
I like the idea of high-end stainless steel as a tubing material, but I wonder what else is out there.... Besides Reynolds 953, are there other, somewhat comparable, high-quality stainless steels?
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It sounds as though AerMet 100 is an unusually strong steel. But it seems that it faded out, to a large extent at least. Was it mainly because it was simply too hard to work with? Not enough demand? Too expensive? Not marketed well enough? Or?
It seems as if there is a conflict of interest (or something along those lines) between cyclists who want a maximally strong and damage-resistant frame (or builders who value building such a frame), and builders not wanting to work with materials that are too hard or strong or difficult to bend, cut, or work with.
Sometimes I wonder what kinds of frames could be built if a builder went all-out for the most indestructible possibilities, regardless of price or difficulty. --And what materials could or would be used for those frames.
(AerMet seems like one possibility; are there others?)