Originally Posted by
RollCNY
I have a question for the experienced steel folk:
How does a modern production bike such as a Soma Smoothie, with Tange Prestige tubing, compare ride wise to some of the mid-pack or better tubings of a more vintage era? Not trying to get a comparison to 853, but maybe a Reynolds 725, or one of the Colombus tube sets? My Lotus is Ishiwata tubing, so my guess is a significant difference to Prestige, but no other frame of reference.
Sorry if this is off topic, OP.
Wow, Roll, so many variables. The base case is different steels made into the exact same tubes and frame design. The unequivocal answer to that is identical (very nearly so) behavior and feel. But from there it gets really complicated. When you avail yourself of the weight benefits of stronger steel tubing by lightening the tubes, designs have to change to try to retain the characteristic feel of a steel bike. So you often see thinner tube walls combined with larger tube diameters and changes in butt lengths and placement. Do the designers of tubes and frames get it right? I don't have the experience with a really light steel frame to say. My guess is that most folks don't know what that supposedly special feel of steel is anyway. If the frame rides well, is efficient and comfortable, they think they have gotten the "steel-is-real" result no matter how it really compares to a vintage steel frame, no two of which were ever the same anyway.
I've gotta say that this is what test rides are for.