So when do you replace your steel frame with an aluminum &/or carbonone?

For the past 18 years I've been riding a Schwinn Paramount frame made
from Columbus SLX tubing and with Campy Super Record components and
friction shifting. In the past few years it has started to become
somewhat difficult to find parts for this bike because it is too old-
fashioned. For example, when it was time to replace the bottom
bracket, the only one I could find was a Phil Wood. Chainrings in the
144 mm. bolt pattern must be special-ordered and cost $60 a pop. And
it's hard to find a good selection of cogs for an old-fashioned
freewheel.

Of course, frames made of exotic materials are quite a bit lighter.

Replacing the existing gruppo on my Paramount with something more
modern seems out of the question because you pay so much for a gruppo
when you purchase it separately from the bike. When you buy a bike,
in effect you get the gruppo pretty cheap.

How much longer will it be feasible to keep riding a steel frame,
anyway? And do I really want to keep riding it? Are exotic-materials
frames THAT much lighter and better? I'm a long-distance tourist
type, not a racer.

On Dec 12, 9:17 am, wrote:
For the past 18 years I've been riding a Schwinn Paramount frame made
from Columbus SLX tubing and with Campy Super Record components and
friction shifting. In the past few years it has started to become
somewhat difficult to find parts for this bike because it is too old-
fashioned. For example, when it was time to replace the bottom
bracket, the only one I could find was a Phil Wood. Chainrings in the
144 mm. bolt pattern must be special-ordered and cost $60 a pop. And
it's hard to find a good selection of cogs for an old-fashioned
freewheel.

Of course, frames made of exotic materials are quite a bit lighter.

Replacing the existing gruppo on my Paramount with something more
modern seems out of the question because you pay so much for a gruppo
when you purchase it separately from the bike. When you buy a bike,
in effect you get the gruppo pretty cheap.

How much longer will it be feasible to keep riding a steel frame,
anyway? And do I really want to keep riding it? Are exotic-materials
frames THAT much lighter and better? I'm a long-distance tourist
type, not a racer.

I sometimes ask myself questions like this, too.

The thing is, if an exotic frame will make you better looking, make
you FASTER, make your bike more reliable, I'd say YES, go for it.

Otherwise I'd just keep enjoying that reliable steel steed.

Lewis.

*****

On Dec 12, 10:17*am, wrote:
For the past 18 years I've been riding a Schwinn Paramount frame made
from Columbus SLX tubing and with Campy Super Record components and
friction shifting. *In the past few years it has started to become
somewhat difficult to find parts for this bike because it is too old-
fashioned. *For example, when it was time to replace the bottom
bracket, the only one I could find was a Phil Wood. *Chainrings in the
144 mm. bolt pattern must be special-ordered and cost $60 a pop. *And
it's hard to find a good selection of cogs for an old-fashioned
freewheel.

Of course, frames made of exotic materials are quite a bit lighter.

Replacing the existing gruppo on my Paramount with something more
modern seems out of the question because you pay so much for a gruppo
when you purchase it separately from the bike. *When you buy a bike,
in effect you get the gruppo pretty cheap.

How much longer will it be feasible to keep riding a steel frame,
anyway? *And do I really want to keep riding it? *Are exotic-materials
frames THAT much lighter and better? *I'm a long-distance tourist
type, not a racer.

What year is the bike? I'm surprised you have that much trouble
getting replacement parts. There are millions of bikes out there
running similar components. I'd think a competent bike shop could
find a replacement for the bottom bracket (for example) pretty
easily. Chainrings might be more difficult, but IME they last many,
many miles. I'd consider watching E-Bay or rec.bicycles.marketplace
once I determined replacement was on the horizon. Freewheels are
getting a bit rare, but they're still available.

In any case, I doubt that "much lighter" is necessarily much better.
Sure, it helps on uphills, but only by the percentage reduction in
_total_ weight.

I think two notable improvements in modern bikes are freehubs vs.
freewheels, and index shifting. I think the rest (like newer crank &
bottom bracket schemes, dual-pivot brakes, threadless headsets, magic
frame materials) are of negligible benefit for most riders. But even
freehubs and index shifting have gone crazy, with the assumption that
you have to buy 10 cog hubs and integrated brake/shifters.

If you feel you must upgrade, I'd check into doing a minimal upgrade.
Keep all the parts you can. Work with a competent shop, one that
appreciates your classic.

Or you could check with Rivendell, http://www.rivbike.com/ and
Bicycle Quarterly (formerly Vintage Bicycle Quarterly) at
http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com/vbqindex.html (Rivendell sells
freewheels, for example.)

Read their web sites, subscribe to their publications. They'll help
you see that what you have is just fine, and in fact maybe better than
what you crave.

- Frank Krygowski

wrote:

How much longer will it be feasible to keep riding a steel frame,
anyway? And do I really want to keep riding it? Are exotic-materials
frames THAT much lighter and better? I'm a long-distance tourist
type, not a racer.

You probably should replace the Paramount with a Surly Long Haul
Trucker. If you're a long distance tourist you probably wouldn't buy
anything with an aluminum frame, and certainly you wouldn't buy anything
with a carbon fiber frame.

SMS wrote:

You probably should replace the Paramount with a Surly Long Haul
Trucker.

Why would you replace Columbus steel with 4130?

Seems to me the answer is to start collecting parts... so you have
spares sitting in the garage. Or, if pressed for time... email the
folks at YellowJersey.org. It's a local shop for me... but they do a
lot of web business and they have an amazing inventory of older,
vintage stuff. Or, visit Sheldon's web pages to find modern analogs
for older parts. Or call Peter White. That's probably the easiest
thing to do...

Your Phil Wood bottom bracket should last quite a while, although
Campagnolo still makes and sells bottom brackets in Italian and English
threading.

If your frame has 126 mm rear dropout spacing, a good bike shop can
easily cold set the rear triangle to 130 mm, which will let you run
modern cassette hubs. Or you could do what I did, just use a little
muscle to get the hub into the dropouts. With careful positioning and
cable adjustment your shifters and derailleurs can be made to shift
across the full range of an 8 or 9 speed cassette. If the old Super
Record derailleur wears out, a modern derailleur will work just fine
with friction shifting. Friction shift levers are available from
Rivendell if you feel the need for a new set.

A modern set of dual pivot brakes will stop your bike a whole lot faster
than the old Campy single pivot sidepull brakes ever did.

The frame is a small part of a bike's total weight, and modern frames
aren't *that* much lighter unless you make some compromises in
durability. Steel frames (and even lugged steel frames) are still being
made, and people are still riding them. Even if you do get a new bike
with "modern" frame materials and components, I don't think it'll be too
much improvement over your Paramount.

mark

wrote:
For the past 18 years I've been riding a Schwinn Paramount frame made
from Columbus SLX tubing and with Campy Super Record components and
friction shifting. In the past few years it has started to become
somewhat difficult to find parts for this bike because it is too old-
fashioned. For example, when it was time to replace the bottom
bracket, the only one I could find was a Phil Wood. Chainrings in the
144 mm. bolt pattern must be special-ordered and cost $60 a pop. And
it's hard to find a good selection of cogs for an old-fashioned
freewheel.

Of course, frames made of exotic materials are quite a bit lighter.

Replacing the existing gruppo on my Paramount with something more
modern seems out of the question because you pay so much for a gruppo
when you purchase it separately from the bike. When you buy a bike,
in effect you get the gruppo pretty cheap.

How much longer will it be feasible to keep riding a steel frame,
anyway? And do I really want to keep riding it? Are exotic-materials
frames THAT much lighter and better? I'm a long-distance tourist
type, not a racer.

On Dec 12, 11:25*am, SMS wrote:
wrote:
How much longer will it be feasible to keep riding a steel frame,
anyway? *And do I really want to keep riding it? *Are exotic-materials
frames THAT much lighter and better? *I'm a long-distance tourist
type, not a racer.

You probably should replace the Paramount with a Surly Long Haul
Trucker. If you're a long distance tourist you probably wouldn't buy
anything with an aluminum frame.

Bull****. Stop it with the bull**** memes. You like the look of small
tubes and the thing rides nice and fits, get it, if you like the big
tubes and the aluminum bike rides good, get it. On a budget--cheaper
aluminum bikes are going to carry heavier loads on average with less
flexing about. Not saying they'll weigh any less. And if they break,
sit tight and order a replacement for $199 from Nashbar! hahahahaa!

wrote in message
...
For the past 18 years I've been riding a Schwinn Paramount frame made
from Columbus SLX tubing and with Campy Super Record components and
friction shifting. In the past few years it has started to become
somewhat difficult to find parts for this bike because it is too old-
fashioned. For example, when it was time to replace the bottom
bracket, the only one I could find was a Phil Wood. Chainrings in the
144 mm. bolt pattern must be special-ordered and cost $60 a pop. And
it's hard to find a good selection of cogs for an old-fashioned
freewheel.

Of course, frames made of exotic materials are quite a bit lighter.

Replacing the existing grippe on my Paramount with something more
modern seems out of the question because you pay so much for a gruppo
when you purchase it separately from the bike. When you buy a bike,
in effect you get the gruppo pretty cheap.

How much longer will it be feasible to keep riding a steel frame,
anyway? And do I really want to keep riding it? Are exotic-materials
frames THAT much lighter and better? I'm a long-distance tourist
type, not a racer.

Whether you should replace your old bike or not isn't something anybody
but you can determine. And to determine that, you need to ride one of
the bikes you might be interested in, and see if there's something about
it that will make you want to ride more. Something about the way it
rides or even looks.

I could get into the various things that might have improved in the past
18 years, but you know, my priorities will be different than yours, and
the things that I like about a particular bike are just that... things
*I* like.

So go to your local shop and ride a couple. See if there's something
about a new bike that excites you, something it offers that's different
from your old machine, something that might keep you putting on the
miles for the next 18 years.

But don't let someone else tell you what you don't need (or what you
do).

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

Right, I'm running an 8-speed freewheel on a long axle. I've got the
wheel spaced 'way over, and I do have to muscle it into the frame.

The only 8-speed freewheel I've been able to find is a SunRacer which,
IMHO, is not a very high quality item.

Also, the Super Record crankset only goes down to a 42, or maybe a 41,
chainring. It would be nice to have a 39 like everybody else. Then I
could probably use a smaller, lighter freewheel, too.

But I don't want to go inventing reasons to buy a new bike when I
really don't need to.

On 2008-12-12, wrote:

For the past 18 years I've been riding a Schwinn Paramount frame made
from Columbus SLX tubing and with Campy Super Record components and
friction shifting.

I'm still riding my Super Record equiped bike from 1979.

In the past few years it has started to become
somewhat difficult to find parts for this bike because it is too old-
fashioned. For example, when it was time to replace the bottom
bracket, the only one I could find was a Phil Wood.

Super Record bottom brackets are abundant on eBay, and unless you need a
"Pista" (read: "fashionable") version they can often be had at quite
reasonable prices.

Chainrings in the 144 mm. bolt pattern must be special-ordered and
cost $60 a pop.

Once again, eBay can get you these at good prices, particularly if you
don't mind a 2nd tier brand like Ofmega, Galli, Gipiemme, etc.

How much longer will it be feasible to keep riding a steel frame,
anyway? And do I really want to keep riding it? Are exotic-materials
frames THAT much lighter and better? I'm a long-distance tourist
type, not a racer.

A good steel bike, well maintained should be able to last a lifetime.
I'm not convinced that that the modern Al and carbon fiber frames will
last that long, though.

--

John )
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **