sstorkel

I can't understand why steel is so popular among bicycle tourists! It's too heavy, too flexible, prone to rust, etc. The knock against aluminum has always been the harsh ride when the pavement is anything less than perfect. That old myth is probably true... if you're riding on narrow, high pressure racing tires. With higher-volume, lower-pressure touring tires the ride is blissfully smooth in my experience. Not feeling the frame flex every time you stomp on the pedals is an added bonus and the lighter weight is the icing on the cake. If I ever get rid of my Nashbar double-butted aluminum touring frame, I'll be looking for another aluminum frame to take its place...