Originally Posted by
rekmeyata
I think it is correct. This is the reason that people who tour on bicycle chose steel because it's the only material that even a person with a simple welder can repair, be it anywhere in the world, you won't see that happening with any other frame material, especially CF or TI. Even in the US you still have to send the CF somewhere for the repair, whereas a local person could fix a steel bike.
Ah, yes, the semi-mythical stories about people getting local welders in Timbuktu to repair their steel-framed touring bikes as they heroically pedal around the world. Right. Tell you what: you go get a quote on having a top tube replaced (so, old tube removed, new tube welded or brazed in, including the cost of the tube itself), and don't forget the new paint job. I'll bet it comes to more than the cost of my friend's cf top tube repair, which was under $300.
While it is often true that steel is easier and less costly to repair (especially mere bends which can be cold-set back into shape), and many steel frames function just fine with dents here and there, it is not always true that it'll cost less than a similar repair to a cf frame. That's why I wrote it like this:
Originally Posted by
Koyote
I'm not sure that's always correct.