[CR]NAHBS and the future of steel

(Example: Racing:Wayne Stetina)

Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2008 18:50:32 -0800 (PST)
From: "mike spess" <mike_spess@yahoo.com>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]NAHBS and the future of steel

Wow! I'm surprised by the comments made thus far. I was rather impressed by the bikes at the show and the level of love and interest in them whether they be purely art or a functional, daily tool. It was readily apparent that the builders took great pride in their craft and that there was a significant amount of public interest in what they were doing.

Is steel a dead material for serious bikes as Tom Dalton contends? I don't think so.

While carbon is the 'hot' material at the moment, it seems that steel is enjoying a bit of a resurgence because of events like this and the bike community's desire to have something 'special' that rings its bells.

Presently there are more quality steel tube and lugsets to build from than have ever been available. NAHBS and events like it allow the public (and more importantly the cycling industry big-wigs) to see that steel is a viable and desired material within the cycling community. I personally feel that we are on the edge of a new era for steel and craft-like bikes from a few of the major design houses. A few major manufacturers are already offering new steel bikes (that are off-topic and will remain unnamed) and I believe that this is a trend that is going to continue.

God bless all of the builders that are taking our favorite medium, pushing the envelopes of art/design, and bringing attention to our world.

Good times! Fun stuff!

Mike Spess Austin, Texas

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