Originally Posted by sykerocker

The stable, at present, is twelve bikes - 11 road, 1 mtb. Of those, two are single speed (both lugged steel frames). Six are geared, lugged steel frames with either downtube or bar end shifters, only one is indexed. The remaining four are my 'modern' bikes, which I define as: brifters or trigger shifters, cassette rather than freewheel, non-lugged frame, steel is optional. Of those four, one is steel, two are entirely aluminum, and the last (my newest) is aluminum with carbon fiber fork and stays.

No, steel is not obsolete. It still has a place, and will continue to have a place as long as weight is not the absolute first consideration.

Obsolete? About the only things I'll put in the obsolete category (as in, I'll only use them on period correct bikes and see no need whatsoever to transfer them to modern frames) is downtube shifters, single pivot brake calipers, and freewheels. Their replacements (brifters, dual pivot calipers and cassettes) are significantly superior.

I'll always defend steel. If we're talking a bagged tourer, it's the only alternative I'll consider. I'm just sick to death of the constant slagging of aluminum and carbon fiber.

Addendum: Even in the days when steel was the 'only choice', it wasn't the only choice. Aluminum proved workable for frames quite a few decades ago. It's only recently that the production cost of aluminum has gotten down to the point where it finally challenged steel for the mainstream.