Originally Posted by
Doug Fattic
I think builders should take advantage of making frames with lighter tubing that matches the rider instead of the too heavy tubing used by production companies so a frame won't break when ridden by the heaviest possible person. The best way I can think of describing the difference in tubing choice is that they have a 'lively" feel. If and when I make myself another frame, I doubt I would do it with a triple triangle again but absolutely make it out of .7/.4./.7 unless I gain 50 or more pounds.
Now you're making me want to make a .7/.4/.7 frame for myself
Mine are mostly .8/.5/.8. But perhaps another 0.1mm would be really hard to feel. Agree production frames are very overbuilt these days. The Cinelli Nemo Tig frame weighs getting on for 2kg, as does that humungously expensive "Colnago Steelnovo". And they have highly oversized diameters. Both mention in their marketing getting Columbus to "custom draw" tubes especially for them. They're getting them to draw them
thicker than normal. A frame made by a custom builder out of regular Columbus Spirit would weigh about 1.6kg.
I think they are concerned with safety margin, and perhaps they also think customers used to carbon fibre frames with wide tyres on them might not enjoy "planing" even if they experienced it.