Frame choices

[mr riff raff]

Oh dear-can you maintain/repair hub brakes?If not you have problems if you are on tour and hit a problem. Perhaps you are a home bird?

Hub brakes?
Cable operated discs.

[mumbojumbo]

I thought such brakes were attached to the hubs?

[mr riff raff]

I thought such brakes were attached to the hubs?

Nice pedantry.
I thought you might have meant those things that you pedal backwards to operate.
Other than pads wearing, I can’t see what else could go wrong, and the same happens with rim brakes. Hydraulics and I can see potential pitfalls.

[Paulatic]

I thought such brakes were attached to the hubs?

They are but they aren’t hub brakes are they?
They are disc brakes and I see no problem they give any different to rim brakes away from home.
Have you got fear of the unknown ?

[mr riff raff]

Anyway, it’ll be having disc brakes where the rotors are attached to the hubs.

I’m just gauging opinion on the merits of steel v aluminium where there’s a reasonable price difference that doesn’t just stop me hitting the button. If the steel would have been under £1k, I’d have done it weeks ago.

[borisface]

Well the received wisdom is that steel is a better quality ride and I would agree with that. My cannondale synapse aluminium rides very well but isn't as smooth as a steel bike, it still jars over rough surfaces and potholes. Other posters have said steel frames can break - I have broken three. I haven't broken an alu frame yet. I think that if you are wanting a steel frame you'll always be thinking, I wish I'd bought a steel frame. You'll always have a better quality ride, although you might have to wait for it. If it were me I'd wait. However, I keep getting emails from planet x with good deals on titanium bikes that they reckon they have in stock. Maybe check them out.

[mattsccm]

Depends on the steel. Many modern ones are not as good as our rose tinted memories remember steel. They can be nice but many are some what hefty despite having stickers suggesting a nice steel. This often only applies to a few tubes and the rest are gas pipe. I believe that some modern standards don't allow mass/factory produced bikes to be as, (shall I say flimsy?) as some older ones. Of course not universal but don't just assume that all steel frames are as nice to ride as a good 531 classic.

[mumbojumbo]

[They are but they aren’t hub brakes are they?
They are disc brakes and I see no problem they give any different to rim brakes away from home.
Have you got fear of the unknown ?/quote]

You must have had a very different experience of such brakes. I do fear the unknown which I believe is common among people who are aware of potential hazards.I do know that many problems with cantilever/ calliper brakes are soluble unlike having to bleed hydraulics etc.

[TrevA]

An earlier poster said they had a steel frame last around 5 years-seems very short and may have been abused. I have ridden a steel bike for s daily for at leat ten years and all that is needed is a regular wash and allow to dry before putting inside.A steel frame will outlast mkost riders who value their bike.Personally I would seek a used frame and refurbish to suit.

Was that me? I don’t abuse my bikes but I do ride them, on average 8-10,000 miles a year. I’ve also had a steel road bike frame that lasted 25 years. It was my summer race and club run bike.

A lot depends on the build quality. The one that lasted was hand built by my local bike shop, who was also a frame builder - the late Brian “Pinky” Green of Langdale Lightweights. In fact, it was still going strong when I scrapped it, it just wasn’t compatible with modern equipment. Most if the others that broke were mass produced, where perhaps less care is taken within the manufacturing process, and you might get weakness within the brazing, which eventually breaks. The exception is the Mercian, which was hand built and only lasted 7 years.

[Paulatic]

You must have had a very different experience of such brakes. I do fear the unknown which I believe is common among people who are aware of potential hazards.I do know that many problems with cantilever/ calliper brakes are soluble unlike having to bleed hydraulics etc.

Have you a car? Do you worry about bleeding the brakes when away from home?
If you have ever bled four corners on a car doing a bike is child’s play. Takes no longer than changing a cable.

[mumbojumbo]

I don't have a car so "bleeding brakes" remains an expletive only.!

[mumbojumbo]

Ten thousand miles a year sounds a lot but equates to 200 miles a week, or 30 miles a day. I rode 5000 miles annually to work and back and my bike lasted decades .I think the depreciation/degradation of a bike is more dependent on the load carried, weight of rider and the train over which one rides eg quasi-mountain bike tracks,wooden tracks,and muddy fields.

[PH]

Are all other things equal? I doubt it at that price difference, you're not so much comparing a steel and aluminium frames, but two frames at hugely different price points, the expensive one is likely to be better regardless of material. if you want to compare materials find a £400 steel frame or a £1.300 aluminium one!
For me, I'd want the right bike, which might be either or neither of them, I wouldn't let the price difference influence that (Unless I couldn't afford it) and I'd wait if need be unless there was some reason I couldn't (There never has been)

[mr riff raff]

Thanks everyone for your input.

Trigger has been pulled and I’ve gone for....

Steel!

[rotavator]

Would you care to say who the maker is?