Bicycle Mechanics - Is Columbus SLX Steel or Aluminum??

I am interested in getting this bike: Specialized Allez Elite 2005 (http://www.specialized.com/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=9356&JServSessionIdroot=wqoh8z1yye.j27003)

The frame is Columbus SLX and I'm not sure if that's Steel or Aluminum.

Can anyone enlighten me here? I'm not looking for a steel frame bike, I need something I can ride in the rain.

steel. it's a nice steel bike, an evolution from the 1980s columbus SL. but it's not like you can't ride steel in the rain. people did that for generations.

sd

steel. it's a nice steel bike, an evolution from the 1980s columbus SL. but it's not like you can't ride steel in the rain. people did that for generations.

sdWell, actually it isn't. Old school Columbus SLX steel tubing is long out of print. The current stuff on that frame is aluminum.

Well, actually it isn't. Old school Columbus SLX steel tubing is long out of print. The current stuff on that frame is aluminum.

I actually called Toga Bikes (they're actual roadies there, not a bunch of hipsters) and the guy confirmed that Columbus SLX is aluminum, not steel.

Thanks for the replies though.

Until 2004, Specialized has used their own tubing on the aluminum Elite and the SLX on the higher Comp model. This looks like a pretty good deal as the price didn't really go up much.

Also, steel should do fine in the rain. Spray the inside of the frame with framesaver and ride all you want. I have a 2003 Specialized Allez Elite Cr-Mo and I love it.

Well, actually it isn't. Old school Columbus SLX steel tubing is long out of print. The current stuff on that frame is aluminum.

wow. thankfully u guys know more than me :o

sd

The standard Columbus SLX tubeset is steel. It's one of the venerable products in cycling history and sits just behind Reynolds 531 in the classic tubeset category. Specialized must have paid Columbus big bucks to use the SLX name because it has cache value, typical Specialized move. Reminds me of when they acquired the rights to trek.com and had unsuspecting people that typed it in forwarded over to specialized.com. The old bait and switch I think they call it.

Just my opinion.

Ed

The standard Columbus SLX tubeset is steel. That should be past tense.It's no longer in production..

Well, actually it isn't. Old school Columbus SLX steel tubing is long out of print. The current stuff on that frame is aluminum.


Yeah, I don't why they've done this, because it's creating this confusion.

The new SLX is alu, and it seems to me that they've named it such as a tribute to their classic steel of the same name. Bit silly

That should be past tense.It's no longer in production..

Ceeway in England (framebuilding parts retailer) still stocks SLX tubesets for retail. My understanding is that Columbus will make what ever tubeset a customer wants, assuming some minimum quantity is reached. Maybe this is why SLX can still be purchased though Ceeway? I don't think the demand is high but it is still available.

http://www.ceeway.com/Columbus-Tubing.htm

As far as SLX aluminum goes, there is no reference to this tubeset in any of the Columbus literature I can find. My understanding is that this is a Specialized specific tubeset and not available for resale. Which brings me back to the Specialized factor of them trying to cash in on the cashe value of the SLX name.


Sorry to offend any Specialized owners (actually, I own one :D ). Just not a fan anymore.

Ed

yea. SLX from what I remember is simply the old steel tubing..very high quality.

yea. SLX from what I remember is simply the old steel tubing..very high quality.
It was old school stuff. That's why Columbus moved on to better product. And the Specialized in question ain't steel of any kind.