Originally Posted by Dave Kirk

If you are comparing two steel bikes - one tigged and the other lugged - and they are both put together by builders who know what they are doing AND they are built with the same tubes then you should end up with two bikes that feel the same. To put it in the most overly simple way - once the pipes are hooked together they don't care how they are hooked together.

The weight should be very similar (lugs add a small amount of weight - much of which can be offset but using thinner tubes that can be silvered together)

The stiffness should be the same.

The fatigue resistance will be a bit better with lugs (but properly built either should outlast you).

They should be very, very similar in strength (again - built well it's a non-issue either way).

If the same tubes are used in the same design the ride will be the same.

They look different.


I say get the one that makes you smile. Life is too short to get something and wish you had something else. Buy the lugs because they look good to you or buy the tig because you love the welder's mark and want to save a few bucks. You really can't go wrong if you follow your instincts. Just buy one from someone you trust and either way you'll end up with a great bike.

And..... enjoy the process.

Dave