[CR]Fuji tubing, quad or whatever, good but inferior to 531

(Example: Component Manufacturers:Avocet)

From: "garth libre" <rabbitman@mindspring.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2001 18:09:53 -0400
Subject: [CR]Fuji tubing, quad or whatever, good but inferior to 531

When I said that my 81 Team Fuji with Valite tubing was good, I meant exactly that. It was a good introduction into better biking. I don't seem to remember that it was quad butted, but since it was their top of the line bike for that year (I think), it must have been the quad butted, if that's better. However, the frame was not particularly stiff or responsive or especially comfortable in the fork. It just was good and not too heavy and a lot cheaper than other more expensive European options at the time. To contrast, the 531C Reynolds frame I have now is responsive, and stiffer in the bottom bracket (by a lot), and the fork which is also 531C is strangely comfortable in the paws. I love going over a semi bumpy stretch of road, as that fork soaks up the confusion like tightly sprung steel. I think that is the essence of why people on this list seem to like the lugged steel frames that exhibit a good level of quality in materials and construction. A Cannondale CAD4 (or maybe 3, I can't recall), I tried recently sums up what is so good and what is so bad about the modern trend. The security in corners and the one piece feeling of acceleration out of them, just begs you to push harder. Steel has a hard time matching that degree of solidity. Even after 10 minutes you can feel that your body is being punished mercilessly by vibrations, jarring and jolts. Aluminum just seems to always feel like aluminum and the noises that you hear remind you that you are riding one of the finest soft drink cans that a computer can design... You can't forget that its aluminum.... which is faster? .... I have no idea. I hope its the aluminum for all the other tradeoffs you are forced to make. Garth Libre