gmason

I am one who has always been happy with steel, as has my wife. Now we are thinking of getting her another bike, and the following question comes to mind:

Q: If you are a steel fan, have you found any Al frames with carbon rear triangles and carbon forks that come anywhere close to the ride characteristics of an all steel frame?

pseudobrit

The reflexive answer that popped into my head when I read your title "how far has frame tech. come?" was "a long way towards separating you and as much of your money as possible."

jfmckenna

My al/carbon frame bike is just as comfortable as my tange2, reynolds531 or columbus aelle frames. I personally think frame materials get a bunch of BS associated with them when it comes to comfort, though understand my experience is limited. Frame geometry on the other hand, now there is a big difference.

martin_j001

I think thats one of the best funniest answers I've ever seen. The sad thing is it applies to almost any and frame, regardless of material or maker....

As for a realistic and helpful answer, I can only give my opinion on the two bikes I've ridden it the past few years: my current Reynolds 853 Gunnar roadie and my previous Giant TCR2 (aluminum). Using the same wheels and components, I found the ride of the Gunnar to be more "plush"--not as sharp, reactive, stiff. Geometries were really not that much different, but the TCR was a compact frame too. I think the best, and most obvious, thing to do would be to ride different bikes and compare.

zac

I ride two and only two bikes. #1 a Reynolds 531; #2 OCLV110 carbon. I picked #2 based on the fact that it gave me an almost identical ride feel to the steel frame (except for stiffness). Don't get me wrong, I have ridden many a frame over the years. I find fit and geometery to be the most important, followed closely by ride feel. If the bike is too smooth, it tends to feel sluggish to me.

Zac

mashed_potato

Go to a bike shop and try some out!
Seriously, just about everyone has a different opinion on the topic... You owe it to yourself to make up your own mind, and this is the only way to do it.
All of these different materials, frames, do feel a bit different, but which one is "best" is totally up to the rider.

puddin' legs

There was a huge difference between Columbus Cromar and something like EL OS,
and like all other materials, manumactures offered a number of variants for each budget and use. Just like steel, each material has many variations in fabrication, layup, geometry, etc... Find the bike that fits, then find the best deal for your budget. There are still some excellent steel frames out there as well. Like mashed p says, go try some different things and see what suits you two...and of course have a lot of fun doing it!

Yoshi

If you want a bike that has the ride characteristics of an all steel frame, why not just get an all steel frame? Sorry if this reply sounds kind of trollish, but the question just seems kind of silly without any explaination...

gmason

Of course. But my point was to get other peoples' opinions. One can only do so much, though the thought of spending all my time testing bikes does have a nice ring to it.

Not to seem too harsh, but I would seldom depend on info from this kind of venue to make a decision without my own independent understanding.

Trev Doyle

Yes, I have ridden a LeMond Zurich for 2 years. Full 853 steel. I just recently put all the parts from it onto a new Pinarello Prince , which is aluminum with carbon seat stays. The ride is not that different at all. the steel was a bit smoother, but the Prince soaks up the high frequency bumps easily. I was pleasantly surprised when I got on the Prince. Kudos to technology!!!!!

P.S. I still ride an all steel Eddy Merckx w/full Dura Ace though.