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Here's some more info on materials from the Motobecane web site:

http://www.motobecane.com/frames.html

Reynolds 853 Chromoly
The best chromoly steel made. This premium tubing to creates the strongest, most comfortable ride.

Reynolds 520DB Chromoly
A tiny bit more comfortable but not as light and stiff as 853. Reynolds 520 is double butted for a smooth ride.

7000 Series Aluminum
Super strong, aluminum alloy. Creates a light, resilient ride. This aluminum series is often used in aircraft.

Kinesium Aluminum
A special formulation of 6000 series aluminum. Double butted and formed for incredible ride quality. Frames as light as 2.8 pounds.

Okay, maybe some of this is marketing crap. But it does talk about how 853 is lighter, but stiffer than the 520....

Quote:

Originally Posted by warrenginn

"On road and touring frames we recommend the use of 525 fork blades with 853 frames."

Is this to suggest that 853 is *too* stiff?

I have always thought that aluminum frames were too stiff, particularly for longer rides.

What that means is that 853 lost a lot of that "Feel of Steel" so they try to soften the ride with a lower alloy on the fork blades. You can avoid this by choosing a touring bike with a low Reynolds number in the first place.

Here are my 3 Surlys (ss crosscheck, ss 1x1, KM in the works)(see pics)

Why Surly? I like the name. Why steel? It is soft and springy. Weight? Real men don't care about weight as the bike is only a small fraction of the TRW (total riding weight).