Hey All,
Basic question:
Assuming basic good quality tubing (say, Reynolds 520 or equivalent) and lugs as the default option on a custom track frame, would there be any reason for a non-racer to upgrade tubing and/or lugs aside from vanity?
More detailed version:
I’m trying to understand more about how tubing/lug quality affects the final quality of the bike and ride.
I want to build up a keirin-style frame for road/commuting use (~100 miles/week), and I have the following materials options from a custom builder:
$700 – Tange tubing + standard lugs
$1300 – Tange tubing + Nagasawa lugs
$1500 – Columbus tubing + Nagasawa lugs
(I’m still waiting to receive the full spec sheet on the frame options [so far I’ve only spoken with the middleman shop that’s connecting me with the builder], but I think the Columbus tubing might be Spirit based on
other frames I’ve seen from this builder. Don’t worry about the particulars too much, though. I’m more interested in general principles at this point.)
My personal guideline: I’m more than happy to pay a premium for a genuinely higher quality bike/ride, but I don’t want to pay more just for street cred or dropping a few grams or shaving a few milliseconds off a race time.
So: Assuming basic good quality tubing/lugs to start with, and given that the frame builder is the same and that I’ll build the bike up with the same (high end) components in all cases, do you think it would noticeably improve the quality of the bike/ride to upgrade the tubing/lugs? What are the relevant considerations here? I’m 5’10"/175lbs for reference, if it matters.
Of course the builder will share his own ideas on this, but I want to go in armed with some solid foundational knowledge of my own.