Originally Posted by dminor
Methinks we have a few people getting a little too whacked out about this whole thing. For the most part, we're talking steel here, folks. That's welding (or brazing). That's the beauty of steel - - it's something the shade tree fabricator can touch without a degree in metallurgy. In that advent of compact MIG rigs, you don't even have to be a the Wizard of Oz with the TIG torch (but it doesn't hurt
) Haven't any of you more timid types ever fabricated your own parts? We aren't talking nuclear physics here - - this is bicycles. Blacksmiths built 'em before Orvile and Wilbur made one fly. I know so many people who are afraid to fix anything on a bike - - they'll replace it and junk the old piece - - because they've been brainwashed into thinking these little machines are more complicated than they are. Now aluminum is a little different animal, but if it's steel and it fell off, shucks, weld it back on and ride! [rant over].
yes, i've done all sorts of mods to parts of my rides. but i've stopped short of drilling holes in direct weight and load bearing areas, that weren't designed with holes meant to be in those particular areas......
yes, it's steel. steel can still break. it just *tends* to do it less catastrophically than carbon or aluminum. doesn't mean it doesn't happen from time to time though.
it's not the material i question, it's the engineering of what he wants to do.