willOthewisp

I am hoping to transition to a new road bike in the near future, but have yet to make a decision on a frame / fork. This will be my first road bike, and I am having difficulty reaching a decision. Partly because I am on a serious budget.

The bike that I am currently riding is a 2006 Bianchi Pista 59cm. I love the steel frame of the Bianchi, so I am looking for another decent steel frame to get this project started.

I am planning to use my new bike as an all around training / entry level racing bike. I am hoping to be able to put a lot of weekly miles on the bike, yet be able to compete to a small degree with it. I have been looking at frames similar to the Masi Speciale Premio and Soma Stanyon. Also, I was looking into the Guerciotti Record, but I have yet to find one in a 58cm in the States. Although, I would very much prefer a frame with 1 1/8 steerer tube, and I am not sure that the Guerciotti Records have been made with anything other than 1". I refuse to ride a 1" steerer tube with threaded forks. I would prefer to find something comparable to these aforementioned frames...something that is steel with lugs, and not much more than $700.

The two geometries of these frames are just a little off from what I was hoping though. The Stanyon 58cm has longer chainstays (425mm) than what I would prefer, and the Masi has a very long front end (580mm). I am looking for something a bit more balanced similar to the Guerciotti's 58cm. (570 tt w chainstay 410mm). I know these differences are subtle and it is probably more of a difference in my mind than actual performance, but I feel the Guerciotti would prove to have the most balanced geometry? I will end up liking whatever I decide upon regardless I am sure.

I have been browsing ebay...most of the steel frames I find there have a 1" steer tube..otherwise I would buy something used.

Could anyone offer some advice or opinions or discussion?

Thanks.

unterhausen

most new steel frames use a 1" steerer because there is no reason to use anything else.

The appropriate top tube length is a function of the dimensions of your body, you should get someone to measure you and find out what top tube length makes most sense for you. 425mm really isn't all that long, I wouldn't let that stop me if the bike fit otherwise.

willOthewisp

Yes, if I could get over the 1" steerer tube, that would make things easier for sure. I am biased, because I have had bad experiences with a 1" steerer when I used to ride BMX. For me, I am a terrible bike mechanic, and the 1" steerer proved to be higher maintenance.

mazdaspeed

So you're too good for a 1" steerer yet they were good enough for many of the best cyclists in history, in the worlds most competitive races?

willOthewisp

Not too good, just prefer the 1 1/8.. I would love to be sold to the 1" steerer, but worry about maintenance. I had rode BMX for years, and found that the 1 1/8 set up was a true miracle in comparison, and maintenance free. I heard you are speaking from experience, and won some heavy races.

willOthewisp

Not too good, just prefer the 1 1/8.. I would love to be sold to the 1" steerer, but worry about maintenance. I had rode BMX for years, and found that the 1 1/8 set up was a true miracle in comparison, and maintenance free. I heard you are speaking from experience, and won some heavy races.

unterhausen

it's definitely a different application than BMX. Road bikes see a lot lower stresses. The low end of steel frames coming from Taiwan often have 1 1/8" steerers, but classic steel lugged road never did. So you're limiting yourself pretty severely here.

Just as an aside, up until True Temper came out with a lightweight 1 1/8" steerer tube, it really was a fairly significant weight penalty to go above 1"

mazdaspeed

What maintenance are you worrying about? Having to lube the bearings in the headset every few years? It takes like 15 minutes to do.

willOthewisp

That is very true, I have been very limited with options that are available in that size..especially within my given price range. De Rosa makes a nice lugged steel frame with 1 1/8 currently: the Neo Primato, but I have not seen one for less than $1600.

RFC

I suggest that you not get hung up on lugged frames. They are pretty and chic, put have no performance advantage over TIG welded steel frames. Also, the world is full of 1 1/8" steel frames offered my most of the major manufacturers at a much lower cost than the De Rosa.

Wogster

I think you are confusing steerer size with headset type. There are basically 2 technologies at work here.

Threaded headsets, this is the old familiar quill stem mechanism, it's been around for a century if not more, it may require an overhaul once in a while, but there are also some that have gone 35 years and never seen any maintenance that are smooth as butter, I know, I got one recently. As long as they don't get loose they can last as long as the frame. Headsets are available for this having 1", 1⅛" and 1¼" steerers with 1" being the most common.

Threadless, in this case the steerer is not threaded, the stem clamps to the top of the steerer, using pinch bolts, most modern bikes use this type, and although available for 1", 1⅛" and 1¼" steerers, 1⅛" is the most common.

I think this is where the confusion comes in, you can get a threadless setup for 1", some of the parts may be tricky to find though. Threaded has some advantages though, you can often raise or lower the bars an inch or so, and if you want them much higher or lower, you simply need to change the stem, which is a reasonably priced part. With threadless, you can't really raise or lower the bars, and to do so either requires setting it high and using spacers, moving the spacers around, which looks dorky when the bars are lower, or you need to replace the fork or use an extender.