I agree with Brandon's premise that tubing doesn't matter regarding ride quality but I disagree with the idea that quality construction will affect the ride. My objection might be viewed as hair splitting but oh well. Quality construction like good miters and full penetration will only affect the longevity of the frame. This is true unless the frame breaks and then of course the ride quality is compromised. Quality construction also means alignment tolerances which absolutely has an impact though. Anyway this wasn't meant as an attack on Brandon's post only my idea of clarification. Also, I'm not saying that quality construction i.e. good miters and full penetration don't matter, just that they don't affect ride quality.
A related story, I once built a frame for myself using the cheapest butted tubing I could get my hands on. I spent a whopping $25 on tubing. Every friend of mine that rode the bike thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bagels. Why? Good design and construction.
Curt Goodrich (framebuilder that doesn't put tubing decals on frames he builds) Minneapolis, MN
-----Original Message----- From: classicrendezvous-admin@bikelist.org [mailto:classicrendezvous-admin@bikelist.org]On Behalf Of Brandon Ives Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2002 9:01 AM To: Joe Bender-Zanoni; Sarah Gibson; classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: Debunking time again (Re: [CR]1962 Raleigh Gran Sport)
At 12:12 AM -0400 5/30/02, Joe Bender-Zanoni wrote:
>This is a very hard bicycle to value. It is in such nice condition and well
>equipped, but the lack of good frame tubing means it will never be a great
>rider.
Sorry, but Joe has fallen for one of the great myths of bikes. The tubing really doesn't matter all that much to ride quality. Design and construction are the real keys to a quality ride. This is just more marketing hype from the industry. This was a myth that was debunked in the early 90's in Bicycle Guide. The bicycle tubing used back when this Raleigh was built was all pretty similar on a basic level. Most of the attributes people lend the tubing actually reside in the length and diameter of the tubes. A good design is the first aspect of a great ride. No mater what you build the bike with if it's a bad design it'll ride poorly. Quality construction is the next key ingredient to the right mix for a righteous ride. If the tubes are cut square and shoved in the lugs or if the joint isn't full of joining material. This will affect ride quality dramatically. The fenders on the bike will affect ride more than if this bike was built from 531.
I'm sure most people will chime in that I'm just full of it. Before you react look for the article in Bicycle Guide and look at the materials used in bike construction 40 years ago. Also note that we're talking about ride and not weight, longevity, ETC. . . Like everyone I want to believe that it really does matter since I'm paying extra for quality tubing, but when it comes to ride it just doesn't matter. I'm now off to put on my asbestos underwear.
enjoy,
Brandon"monkeyman"Ives
Santa Barbara, Calif.