OS steel tubes - dent-able and/or harsh?
#1
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OS steel tubes - dent-able and/or harsh?
Hi all. I am talking to a builder about a custom steel frame that needs to be light and stiff (for road racing). He is recommending light tubes (Deda Zero, Columbus Life, or TT Ox Platinum) and the use of an OS down tube.
Question: I have heard that OS tubes have very thin walls and are prone to denting and such; is that true? And also, will such tubes give a harsh ride?
Thanks for your input.
Question: I have heard that OS tubes have very thin walls and are prone to denting and such; is that true? And also, will such tubes give a harsh ride?
Thanks for your input.
#2
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The three main tubes on my Masi are Reynolds OS 753. I have tens of thousands of miles on the bike, and no dents. The bike rides like the day I built it, and the longer the day, the more I appreciate the frame.
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The term Over Size in framebuilders parlance means one size larger in diameter than Standard size (such as Columbus SL/SLX and Reynolds 531). By todays standards though those diameters have been surpassed by quite a few different tubesets by various manufactures. In fact, tubesets come in so many different diameters, shapes, and different thicknesses that it is very hard to make an educated comment without specific knowledge of which exact tubes are being compared. To answer your question though, OS tubes tend to be thinner than smaller diameter tubes. In most cases these tubes tend to dent more readily than thicker tubes. Of course, an impact is necessary before a dent can occur. I can say that a tube that is butted .4mm is quite thin and dents fairly easily. No more so than a Cannondale with super thin aluminum tubes though.
#4
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I have built hundreds of frames with the TT OX and OXII and have done two for myself for personal rides. The True Temper steel rides extremely well in my personal opinion and is rather highly heat treated, so no...you should not have to worry about it denting any more easily than any other high end steel bike. I would have zero issues having another one if I were still building frames today.