At 12:38 PM 03/03/2007 -0800, Richard Olson wrote:
>the posts regarding 953 Reynolds have all stressed weight comparisons. I'm
>curious about ride quality of 953 vs. 531, etc. For instance, I love riding
>my Hansom Super Prestige. Some listers might look down on it because it
>uses 501. However, I have built it up using mostly on topic era parts,
>weighs 20.5 lbs, which seems to be the average weight for an on topic race
>bike. The difference, I've been told, is that 531 has a more lively feel.
>To follow this line of thinking, perhaps the real advantage of 953 over 753,
>531, etc. is more the feel, or ride quality, than the weight.
All steel has pretty much the same modulus of elasticity, i.e. stiffness. The only difference with higher strength steel alloys such as 753, 853 and 953 is the ultimate tensile strength. That means that you can make the frame from lighter gauge tubing than with 531 before it will fail. However, the lighter the gauge, the more flexible the frame will be. "What you gain on the swings, you lose on the roundabouts."
John Betmanis
Woodstock, Ontario
Canada