Originally Posted by bluespenny
Now, I'm keen on putting together a sport-touring type 10-speed, but depending on what thread you read, the frame I've chosen to work with is either crap, or well worth using, though not worth much (namely, it's a 1973-era peugeot with fenders, possibly a uo8, but that's not the point).
I don't think anybody here would say or even think that a 1973 era Peugeot is crap, regardless of whether it's a UO8 or a PX10. There's more to the quality of the bike than what steel is used. That said, a PX10 is going to be a better bike than a UO8, and that does have to do with the steel (spoken by someone who's never ridden either bike).
So, my query: is a Reynolds 531 really that much better than what many refer to as gas pipe frames, or is it like fine wine, where the differences would quickly vanish if the name were covered up?
My 1977 Moto ( a sport tourer, by the way) is made with Vitus something-or-other-- more or less equivalent to 531-- in the main triangle. Before I bought my Moto, I had a 1971 Raleigh Record-- Raleigh's entry-level gaspipe sport tourer. The weight difference was palpable. The first time I lifted the Moto, at the bike shop, I could tell it was lighter than my Raleigh. And the ride was just so much nicer. Now I don't know if that's because of the Vitus tubing, or the quality of the components, or a combination of the two, but I really did like-- strike that-- LOVE the Moto from the moment I first test-rode it.
I'm not sure I have the ability to distinguish
riding differences between 531 and carbolite 103 (which, by the way, is a step above gaspipe) in a blind test, at least not without extensive experience testing them before-hand. Maybe I could, but I just don't know. I do know, however, that the unsprung weight of a bicycle means that a lighter bike will be more efficient than a heavier bike. But as somebody pointed out above, if our primary concern was about weight, we would be riding modern carbon fiber bikes.
So...go ahead and build up your UO8 and enjoy that classic Peugeot ride!