NWR-Real Italian steel

N

Ned Hoey

Ned Hoey
This short film (15 min) about Italian frame builder Dario Pegoretti is viewable only today at this site. Dario pursues his life's passion much like the great viticoltori so appreciated around here. The culture of traditional steel frame building has much in common with traditional wine producing.
 
A close friend still has his Pogliaghi bicycle that he purchased sometime in the mid-70s. Full Campagnolo equipped. He hasn't ridden it for a while, but it's not relegated to the storage shed. I'm sure it's worth way more than what he paid for it.

Back in my riding days, a friend built me a set of Mavic rims with Campy Tipo hubs. It seemed like those hubs would spin forever unless brakes were applied.
 
originally posted by Larry Stein:
A close friend still has his Pogliaghi bicycle that he purchased sometime in the mid-70s. Full Campagnolo equipped. He hasn't ridden it for a while, but it's not relegated to the storage shed. I'm sure it's worth way more than what he paid for it.

Back in my riding days, a friend built me a set of Mavic rims with Campy Tipo hubs. It seemed like those hubs would spin forever unless brakes were applied.
Click to expand...

You're right. Well kept or lightly used examples of hand built frames and bikes are valued highly. I thought this a nicely produced visit to a passionate builder who loves the sport, his work and is a curmudgeonly overweight, smoking, cancer survivor who lives as he believes matters.

I own a number of Italian handmade frame/bikes and despite all the hype about space age materials, carbon, etc, I stay with steel.
 
Interesting portrait...my 76 yr old folding screenmaker craftsman here in Kyoto said exactly the same thing about hands as the ultimate tools....and when you watch him at work on one of several hundred different tasks during the course of making a screen, it becomes quickly apparent.
 
my family has had a bike shop for the past 35 years. We are big believers in classic steel bikes. Its the only thing i (and my father) have ever raced on and i can say that i really cannot get a way from steel bikes. I tried a scandium frame for half a year but eventually came back my beloved steel. We just got some awesome Pashley's in from England and man do they ride smooth. I like the 1930's path racer style...

steel is reel.
 
oh yeah, the weight is much more in comparison to other modern materials; aluminum and especially the every more popular carbon fiber weight a fraction of steel. I dont like they ride though, personally.
 
well, i just raced the other day on my steel mountain bike rig. I used to really "compete" and these days i dabble from time to time...ah, how wine has gotten in the way. In terms of pros, id say maybe some hold out old-timers on MTB bikes but def. not in the euro-pro peloton.
 
Good for you, Matteo! Good luck in your competition.

I have steel and titanium and, although I love my steel frames, I frankly prefer to ride (custom) titanium. It still gives the road feel of steel but has a bit more response to it. Since I don't race, I'll never know, but I do feel faster and yet more comfortable on titanium.

The weight difference Joel alludes to of course only concerns the difference in the weight of the frame, since the components can be the same. Frames make up maybe 25% of the weight of a total bike, and the difference between the newest steel frames and carbon frames is less than the weight of an additional water bottle (or maybe the weight I wear from a couple of Five Guys burgers I would be better off skipping anyway).

"Competing" meaning track events? that's still steel. And ultra long distance riding (randonneuring): far, far more steel than carbon. I'm sure some Cat One riders would choose steel or Ti if they weren't all sponsored by the "new improved fantastic even better than last year's model" carbon bike producers.

But yes, it is somewhat of a geek thing, I think, because most who ride steel ride custom steel, and that requires a whole other level of commitment and knowledge and love (and patience: sometimes you have to wait a couple of years for your frame). Steel is elegant and true and not brittle or in vogue. This is analogous to the whole New World vs. Old World wine thing.
 
Thanks, Ken....I had to ask it the dumb way, but your post makes things nicely clear. Interesting the frame only contributes that much of the total weight.
 
No not track, though i have always felt(and several coaches have also told me)that i missed my calling on the velodrome...
You're right in saying that track still has at least some riders using steel, though not all.

I spent several years racing bikes (mountain mostly, though road for training, and a bunch of cyclocross in the winter) in the pro category. I like Ti a bit but not to the same degree that i like steel, the cost is also much more approachable for steel in my opinion. Sure, the components that you hang off the frame make the most weight difference but when you see sub 3 lbs (some even sub 2 lbs (protos) plastic (read: carbon) frames, you'll never get there with steel, nor, in my opinion would you really want to. I like steel because it has more weight and it doesnt feel hollow.

If steel were a grape maybe it would be:...
 
originally posted by Ken Sacks:
Frames make up maybe 25% of the weight of a total bike, and the difference between the newest steel frames and carbon frames is less than the weight of an additional water bottle.

I'm sure some Cat One riders would choose steel or Ti if they weren't all sponsored by the "new improved fantastic even better than last year's model" carbon bike producers.

But yes, it is somewhat of a geek thing, I think, because most who ride steel ride custom steel, and that requires a whole other level of commitment and knowledge and love (and patience: sometimes you have to wait a couple of years for your frame). Steel is elegant and true and not brittle or in vogue. This is analogous to the whole New World vs. Old World wine thing.
Click to expand...

Probably more like 18-20% these days. The average carbon vs steel difference being about half a kilo.

You're right, sponsorship is probably the main factor determining most of the gear a pro will be using.

Steel is indigenous grapes, organic farming, traditional cellar methods and ages well when cared for.
Titanium is prestigious names/labels from from famous regions in top years. Performs well but not
where "value" is found.
Aluminum is large scale hot climate corporate wine.
Carbon is boutique new world pinot noir.
 
I like your analogies, Ned. But custom Ti isn't a whole lot more expensive than custom steel, and their cost ratio is significantly less than the cost ratio of the wines you've proposed for them. Further, there is ultimately more prestige in custom steel (for example, a Nagasawa, Herse, Singer, Richie Sachs or Dario) than in any custom Ti. It's more "cult" than Ti, and I know folks who never ride their custom steel, but rather use them as wall decoration; can't say the same about Ti owners. But I'm becoming an overly sensitive Ti lover here, I think! I do agree that Ti seems more "corporate" than steel because it has to be built in an oxygen-free environment and doesn't get the great lugs.
 
originally posted by Matteo Mollo:

If steel were a grape maybe it would be:...
Click to expand...

Either Aglianico or Mourvedre would get my vote.

I've got an old Fat City hardtail steel frame mountain bike that gets the occasional startled look from the zoomers in the local hills. They say that the geometry is all wrong for the California trails and that I'd be a lot faster on downhills if it were a full suspension bike but it feels really good going up and down the hills.

-Eden (it's a better bike than I am a rider)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top