Is it worth it? Would a titanium frame be a better choice?

TIG'd it's not worth it.

Elegantly lugged and painted it is very worth it. I'd go with polished stainless steel dropouts and unpainted polished chainstays.

Hocam have you ridden 953 much? Myself only once and very briefly at that.

Nope, I'm friends with the folks at Bilenky and after brazing 2 or 3 frames they love it, but complain about the price.

I just think steel that won't rust is worth it.

Well, if it's pretty.

If they name 953's successor Reynolds 1053 it might be confused as a medieval English history reference. But not quite as pertinent to modern cycling.

Yes. No.

Indy Fab 953:

Why? Just curious.

Sorry for the third post in a row.
In case you're unable to read the part next to the green/brushed bike due to size, it says:

"The welding of bike frames involves both science
and art. All of our frames are TIG (Tungsten
Inert Gas) welded by hand. This process takes years
to learn and is extremely specialized, utilizing
processes and tooling that are as custom as the
bikes themselves. Our welders not only need to
know a lot about metal, but also about bicycle frame
dynamics. The tubing we use is extremely thin and
requires a steady hand. We take great pride in the
quality of our welding which can bee seen on the
bare polished stainless or titanium shotpeened
frames.

After the frame is welded it is fully inspected and
sent on to the Finishing Department."

Its too expensive IMO. Columbus have a stainless steel tubeset thats less expensive and probably performs the same.

Would you like a nice 56K dial up modem to go with that state-of-the-80s-art steel bike frame?

If I could re-sell it at a similarly exhorbitant price, then "yes".

Welding is ugly.

Lugs are pretty.

Then again, War is Peace, Love is Hate.

I my Waterford 953.

Only semi-taking your bait, my speed differential on carbon bike vs. this steel bike would be negligible, while my speed differential on dial-up vs. broadband would be astronomical. So it's apples to oranges (that means not a fair comparison).

P.S. Actually I test the dial-up vs. broadband differential every time I fly home to visit mom. It's not fun.

years to learn how to tig weld??? my junior college must have a crack training program if we can tig weld after only 2 classes... yes it's thin, and it takes a steady hand, that's about it

Quit with the BS.

We all know that you couldn't tig a straight bead on plumbing iron after two classes, much less thin-wall. -- unless, of course, you've been gas welding for years already.

Ti Prices at Steel Performance. Hmm... You get the same performance from 853, TT OX Plat or TT S3 at half the price, just maybe a smidge lighter.

My state-of-the-'80's-art (whatever) steel bike is not 50 times slower than the current state-of-the-art plastic wonder bike.

Aaaaah, if only the bike was what made you go fast....

I just built a new bike from a 2001 (21st century, not 1980s) 853 frame. It makes a great all around training bike. Light enough for climbing, stiff enough for club rides, comfortable enough for long rides, and cheap enough that if it's next to a carbon bike that spontaneously explodes into flames, I can get another frame for $200.

Oh yeah, it weighs 17lbs and few ozs built up.

Az

No, it's going to be 1066.

My Norman ancestors would be proud.

Then again, my Anglo-Saxon ancestors would be pissed, my Pictish ancestors would be lightly amused, my Jute ancestors would be indifferent, my Roman ancestors would be jelous, and the inevitable Dane ancestors (they did have a way of getting into the gene pool, didn't they?) would be merely concerned. Being English is confusing once the history books are opened.

More like ti prices, ti performance. Comes down to aesthetics in my mind.

That Waterford 953 looks the nuts - congratulations. Wonder if anyone else has 953 too?

How does 953 ride? Is it as comfortable as Ti for centuries or perhaps even more so? Is the weight gain worth it or is it just bike porn (fair enough reason in itself!)? Will it last as long, dent etc?

It's steel. It will ride like steel.