# Lightweight Steel



## farva (Jun 24, 2005)

After putting many miles on both my steel Ritchey breakaway & carbon fiber Scott CR1 I found that I generally prefer the ride quality of steel over carbon fiber. Based on that I decided to build up another steel bike that would be lighter & climb better than my steel breakaway (lots of hills here in the Wasatch). The finished product came in at 15.9 lbs as shown below. It's 15.5 lbs minus pedals & cages if that matters any. Everything on this bike was picked up used to keep the budget in check. Thinking that with deeper pockets than mine it wouldn't be too hard to put together a steel road bike under 15 lbs. Wondering if anyone else has put together a similar or lighter steel rig? 

Here's the parts

2001 Lemond Malliot Juane 853 Steel Frame 
American Classic Sprint 350 Wheelset w/Sapim CX-Ray spokes
Specialized S-Works Carbon Fork (Repainted)
FSA K-Force Light Compact Crankset & BB
SRAM Force Groupo w/Red Shifters (DA FD)
Dura Ace 7800 12-27 Cassette
Ritchey WCS Aluminum Seatpost
Easton EA90 Aluminum Stem
Easton EC90SLX Handlebar
Specialized Toupe Saddle


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## Mike Prince (Jan 30, 2004)

Very nice.


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## acckids (Jan 2, 2003)

Painted fork looks great.


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## kritiman (Jul 31, 2006)

I'm envious!


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## farva (Jun 24, 2005)

acckids said:


> Painted fork looks great.


thanks. I took the old fork to an automotive paint supply store for a color match. Unfortunately the color is slightly off. I guess it's not that easy to make new paint look like 10 year old paint.


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## raymonda (Jan 31, 2007)

iNce job. I might do the same in the future. I have built up steel bikes that come in at 17lbs without trying to make it light, e.g. 1998 Jamis full 853 and recently went the other direction on a full restore on a 1988 Schwinn Prologue, 21lbs. But I was really surprised to weigh the Schwinn in at 1700 grams, which makes it 400 grams heavier than my Lightspeed and 750 gram lighter than my CF frame, which weighs 13lbs flat. All weights are functional, e.g. with pedals, computers and water bottle cages. I bet I could get the Schwinn down to under 16lbs. What a hoot, a 23 year old bike that weighs under 16lbs!

I think this will be my next project. Now to find an older Paramount to start the project. I have a 1 inch threaded Kestral EMS fork that weighs 350 grams or so..............Now where's my frame........50cm anyone?


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## farva (Jun 24, 2005)

Paramount project sounds interesting although finding a nice older one may lighten your wallet significantly. Originally I had planned to build up a nice 90's era Italian bike but after 2 months of trolling around I couldn't find anything remotely affordable. I also couldn't get used to using campy on one bike & sram on another. Putting SRAM on an Italian frame just doesn't seem right. So in the end the 2001 Lemond made alot of sense in the end as it has nice 853 tubes, good all around geometry, a 1 1/8" headtube for more fork choices, & can be found reasonably cheap.


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## ETWN Stu (Feb 15, 2007)

lackluster said:


> +1
> 
> Also, now you don't have to worry about spontaneous combustion of the Scott.


Nor do you have to worry about UV rays.

I have a Scapin R8 with 11spd Chorus, Ritchey Carbon bars/stem and tubular Hyperons. Yet to weigh it as yet cause if I was worried about the weight I would of used lighter groupset/seatpost/pedals and so on. The ride quality is amazing and it points straight with ease even on the rough roads.

Enjoy your beast :thumbsup:


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## lml1x (Jan 2, 2003)

Is there anything specific about the steel ride you prefer over the carbon?


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## ETWN Stu (Feb 15, 2007)

lml1x said:


> Is there anything specific about the steel ride you prefer over the carbon?


For me, I treat it as my training bike and do all my miles on it. If I ever crashed it I know that I would be able to peel myself off the road and not worry about the frame....just send it down the panel shop and fix her up!!

I like how fresh I feel at the end of long rides (over 500 tasmanian kms a week now...hills hills hills ect) and at a price point they are hard to beat for comfort. So given that said...Carbon is also nice but a good one is not cheap. 

Just my opinion.


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## nayr497 (Nov 8, 2008)

Nice build up and cool that you put it together with used parts! Very impressed with the weight as well.

I have a Casati Laser and the frameset is pretty darn light too.

I also have a very nice carbon Look. When I get up in the morning I can choose between the Look and the Casati. Most days I usually go with steel over carbon. It's just such a nice, smooth ride. (The wheelsets are both 10 speed and I really should do a high mileage comparison. The Casati has Record/OP wheels with VeloFlex tires while the Look has some light Neuvations with GP 4000s)

Woah...Tasmanian kms! I was lucky enough to spend a week in Tasmania and it is easily the coolest place I've ever visited. I'd move there in a second. Darn, wish I'd gotten a chance to cycle while there.


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## ETWN Stu (Feb 15, 2007)

Woah...Tasmanian kms! I was lucky enough to spend a week in Tasmania and it is easily the coolest place I've ever visited. I'd move there in a second. Darn said:


> Nothing soft down here...If the hills dont kill you the winds will. According to Wikipedia its the most mountainous island on earth. Most of the climbs in my part of the state start from sea level. I grew up in Sydney and was coming here for holidays...Just had to move. Coming back? bring your bike and let me know:thumbsup:


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## farva (Jun 24, 2005)

lml1x said:


> Is there anything specific about the steel ride you prefer over the carbon?


The steel just feels a little smoother & provides more comfort on longer rides. Granted my Scott CR1 is now a 5-6 year old carbon design so I'm sure the latest carbon offerings may provide a more compliant ride than it does. I also maybe more sensitive to ride comfort than others as I have a fused spine / alot of lower back scar tissue.


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## sanrensho (Jan 2, 2003)

Very nice. I'm surprised at how light the build is. What is the weight of the bare frame?


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## rollinrob (Dec 8, 2002)

I have a fairly lightweight steel frame as well. It an 2005 Orbea Spirit, built with Columbus spirit tubing. I like it because it is the exact same geometry as my 08 Orca. I am finding I am choosing to ride this bike more and more. It really is more comfortable and smooth. It soaks up both the big bumps and little ones. On my Orca I seem to feel everything coming thru my handlebars, not so on my steel sled. It is also lot quieter. No more strange noises coming from carbon creaking . I also don't feel as though I have to push myself as much, just getting out and riding is a blast. When I do my regular ride of 43 miles 2800 feet of climbing I come home much more fresh and only a couple of minutes slower. To me it feels almost as stiff as the Orca (must be because of the extremely small triangle!) This frame is a keeper. Here is the build and some pics. Oh yeah, it weighs in at 17.1 lbs. 

2005 48cm Orbea Spirit Frame
2005 Mavic K's SL's
Vittoria Rubino Slicks
Dura Ace Shifters
Ultegra compact crank 170
Ultegra 6800 Brakes, front and rear derailleurs
Sram 11-28 cassette
Thomson seat-post
Specialized Toupe 143
Look Keo sprint pedals
Trek bottle cages
42 cm FSA shallow drop handlebars
100mm 170 FSA stem


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## farva (Jun 24, 2005)

sanrensho said:


> Very nice. I'm surprised at how light the build is. What is the weight of the bare frame?


frame (53 top tube) weighs 3 lbs 7 oz with hanger & headset cups


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## farva (Jun 24, 2005)

Haven't seen that Orbea model before. Looks good.


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## jborg28 (Apr 8, 2010)

Can anyone suggest some readily available good steel frames to build up a lightweight bike with? Something at least 15 years old or newer would be appealing as it might have a Carbon fork already...I want to build a modern bike.


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## krisdrum (Oct 29, 2007)

jborg28 said:


> Can anyone suggest some readily available good steel frames to build up a lightweight bike with? Something at least 15 years old or newer would be appealing as it might have a Carbon fork already...I want to build a modern bike.


Gunnar Roadie.


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## laffeaux (Dec 12, 2001)

jborg28 said:


> Can anyone suggest some readily available good steel frames to build up a lightweight bike with? Something at least 15 years old or newer would be appealing as it might have a Carbon fork already...I want to build a modern bike.


Any high end steel bike should be fairly light - i.e. 4 pounds or less in a large size. Reynolds 853 has been around since the mid-90's and is a fairly light tube set. All of the True Temper OX series tube sets are also light. I'm less familiar with Columbus tube sets, but their upper end tube sets are also light. If you're looking for the absolute lightest True Temper S3 is likely the way to go.


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## laffeaux (Dec 12, 2001)

I've been riding a steel Ritchey frame (circa 2001) for the past few years. It's not nearly as light as the OP's bike, but as pictured below (minus the water bottles) it's 16.9 pounds (58cm frame). It's built with mostly Dura Ace 9-speed components. 

<img src="https://www.eandsweb.com/bikes/pics/ritchey_logic/IMG_1355.JPG" height="600" width="800">


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## backinthesaddle (Nov 22, 2006)

I have a Jericho cross frame hanging down in the ManHole(tm), ready for parts. It's Columbus Foco tubing, and extremely light.









I wish Josh Ogle was still making frames. This one is crazy! The welds are TINY and the miters on the tubing had to have been tough, as the down tube is a squared/multi-shaped affair.

Sorry for the BB picture!


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## farva (Jun 24, 2005)

Dig the color scheme on the steel Ritchey. Very nice. Looks like you have the same AM classic wheels as my steel bike. They certainly help bring down the weight.

Interesting downtube shape on that Jericho. Don't see that often on a steel frame


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*That DT*



farva said:


> Dig the color scheme on the steel Ritchey. Very nice. Looks like you have the same AM classic wheels as my steel bike. They certainly help bring down the weight.
> 
> Interesting downtube shape on that Jericho. Don't see that often on a steel frame



is standard in the Foco or Ultra Foco tubesets. The coffin as it is called because the shape resemblles one


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## backinthesaddle (Nov 22, 2006)

atpjunkie said:


> is standard in the Foco or Ultra Foco tubesets. The coffin as it is called because the shape resemblles one



I had a Look AC353 made of Foco as well. These were made for Credit Agricole for the spring classics in 01 and 02. It was light and rode well, but wasn't the stiffest bike I've been on.


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## jborg28 (Apr 8, 2010)

I have an opportunity to pick up a 74 Colnago Super frame for a good price. Does anyone know anything about this bike? Also, what do you consider a good price? Would this be a good frame to build up?


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## Dereck (Jan 31, 2005)

I bought my Bob Jackson, built just south of Leeds, England in 05, delivered in '06. Custom geometry and paint, lugged Reynolds 853OS with a CF fork. It's rigged with Ultegra/SRAM crank now/Mavic wheels and other oddments of my choosing. The paint job is based on my previous Bob Jackson (1972, and a heck of a lot faster than this one  ) in colours inspired by the company my wife and I were trying to make a living from at the time...

Delivery price was a shade under $1700 by the time it was delivered to my pad in Maryland and I hadn't paid any taxes on it  

No idea what it weighs, but I suspect it would absorb way more power than I can put down and corners mostly by not thinking about it much. When I get rid of a lot of surplus pounds, I might weigh it and see if I could drop a little bike weight.

A side benefit is that if I ever get bored with the colours, or it gets too chipped/scratched, a repaint is easy stuff.

That's in contrast to the Trek plastic bike I bought. Geometry never really suited me, the first frame cracked down the headtube, the second had this disturbing habit of developing a wobble at even the pathetic speeds I could manage.

If I ever have the urge for a plain black frame, I'll get a Waterford R33 and have it painted black  

My other ride is a Gunnar Sport - probably the best all-round bike I've ever owned.

D


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## farva (Jun 24, 2005)

backinthesaddle said:


> I had a Look AC353 made of Foco as well. These were made for Credit Agricole for the spring classics in 01 and 02. It was light and rode well, but wasn't the stiffest bike I've been on.


very nice. I really like the asthetics of the older look bikes in contrast to their newer carbon bikes which have every square inch used for advertising. 

Interesting to see two steel bikes above both using aluminum spoked wheels (Mavic K's).


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