It's impressive that a $75 frame had about $4,000 thrown at it and turned out to be a forever bike. Truly a work of art, passion, and experience. I hope we get to see you stumble into another passion build in the future.
I'm more of a carbon guy but totally appreciate what you're doing here. It's like putting fuel injection and a 5 speed on a 68 Camaro. It's still a classic, but better. And that you did it for what you spent is truly amazing.
I just purchased a 1985 Centurion Ironman “Dave Scott” 12 speed. Red & white in excellent condition with all Shimano 600 hardware. The bike stock weighs 22lbs. I promptly pulled everything off the frame and I’m in the process of installing a Shimano 105 R7000 groupset. I have a set of Mavic cxp-22 road wheels for it and cold set the rear chainstays to 130mm last night and made a pair of homemade tools to align the dropouts using a pair of 10” carriage bolts, wing nuts and washers. lol. They work! Thanks for the inspiration! Steel is real!
I get it totally. I just bought a 2002 Klein Quantum Pro Q Carbon full bike for well below $1,000, just upgraded the wheels and the bike weighs 7.2 kgs. But here is the thing, I now have an emotional connection to this bike just like you unlike the modern bikes which simply do not give that same emotional connection.
@@johngoldenbritt5112 that's really great to know, my bike is certainly a keeper. The attention to detail of the Kleins is not matched by the 3D designs of modern road bikes which all look the same and won't last.
Totally get your build up. It’s a labor of love and passion. I rebuilt a 1995 Gary fisher mtn bike that I took out of neighbor’s trash. Cost was $0. Restored everything. Only had to replace the cables, grips, seat, and break pads. Sold it to a happy buyer. Felt really good to restore!
As a bike mechanic apprentice here in Germany, I am saving up for my first custom steel frame build right now. I'm pretty exited, since the guy who builds the frames is related to our shop, so I'll propably be there an get introduced to frame building while mine is being built. Anyways, thanks for your insights Luis, I quite appreciate your videos, since my colleagues all are carbon guys (which is no bad thing at all, I'm just a little lonely with my love for light steel) or extreme downhill/trail mtb-guys!
You should be able to do really well since you are in Germany Lars. I'm 70 now, in Australia & have a small but very, very nice collection. So since you are interested, let me tell you about my "German bike". I have an absolutely mint original condition 1977 Flema Campionissimo. It hasn't a single mark on it, & the paint & decals are as fresh as if they were applied yesterday. Mine is build number 5. (Fritz Fleck, Mannheim) No one knows him, but do check him out, he was one of Germany's foremost steel builders, first to work in titanium, one man workshop, & he only built for select riders in the National Teams. Basically had to win gold, then they got the bike. By the mid 70s Fritz had become a true master craftsman, such fine, fine lug work, delicate fork crown, its a work of art, & I wouldn't swap it for 2 Colnago Supers in similar condition. I have only ever seen one other frame set exactly the same. It is a 1975, in the US, & mounted full Gen 1 Dura Ace. Mine is mounted SR (Sakai Ringkyo) drilled chainrings on SR cranks. NOS Sugino Aero Mighty pedals with SAM titanium toe clips. Simplex derailleur & I keep a Campag gen1 Super Record ('78) for spare. Simplex friction shifters that were unobtainium back in the day, I found NOS just recently to replace the gen 2 Dura Ace I had on it. & also a mid 70s NOS Modolo brake set, levers, twin pivot calipers & pads. I have 2 wheelsets for it, Mavic GP4s on 600 hubs & on Dura Ace hubs. Cinelli quill stem, ATM bars, I replaced its original Cinelli Unicantor saddle with a new black Berthoud Aravais. I was only just, still able to get a stack of spare NOS SR chainrings, but the problem I'm having now is that its a Uniglide freewheel & I can no longer get these cassettes, so I'm trying to figure out the best way to marry a hybrid Uniglide/Hyperglide freewheel setup to carry Hyperglide cogs as I don't want to loose my beautiful hubs. I think I can best do it by using the existing Uniglide pawl carrier body, & putting a suitable width Hyperglide freewheel body over it. The reason I told you to check out Fritz Fleck is because there maybe a valuable lesson in his history. He became a great master craftsman, therefore he was highly sought after, & so he was able to avoid the business expansion trap. When asked why he had chosen to remain a small one man bespoke workshop, when he could instead have sold to shops in vast quantity, he replied that he had a horror of carrying debt, & he wasn't into business, he was into no compromise craftsmanship. I agree with his sentiment. If you are that good at what you do, you can live very well, long & stress free. Enjoy your bike build Lars.
I’ve been riding my Italian made Torelli steel frame with carbon forks, wheels and seat post for over 20 years and it feels as good now as the first ride. I’m a big fan of Steele. It is the forever bike.
The best deal I know of on TIG welded Columbus Spirit frame, made to measure is from Marinoni in Terrebone, Quebec, Canada. The Marinoni family has been making custom steel bikes for Olympic champions (I believe Mr. Marinoni made bikes Connie Carpenter-Phinney, Louis Garneau and others) and they do great work at a low price, by making them in a semi-custom way (standard frames made alongside the custom geometry). They are also one of the few to offer Campagnolo (in addition to Shimano). Piuma is their race geometry and Sportivo, the relaxed endurace version. I had mine made with a head tube extension, like a Pegoretti. I think the nicest feature on my bike is the robust threaded BB shell, which is chrome plated before it is painted. Absolutely no creaks from this bike and it has a wonderful spring when dancing on the pedals. It is a bike built for enjoyment, especially on rough pavement that would rattle your bones on a VR3!
Impressive. I have always been, and remain, a devotee to steel framed bikes, even when I worked at a bike shop. I’ve never had anything that light, but you’ve done a beautiful job.
Irio Tommasini built a custom Fire frame / carbon fork for me in 1997. I still ride it today. It was repainted by Tommasini five years ago, and is sporting Campagnolo Record 10 Speed Titanium. Best bike I’ve ever had, beating my custom Ti and carbon Colnagos. A 55 cm frame is 1550 grams, and about $3,200. A disk version is also available. Love your content, Luis!
I scored a late-80's vintage Tommasini Super Prestige for $300 in need of a complete restoration. They Dura-Ace 7400 on it was seized. I let it sit for months before I started to work on it. I WD-40'd the drivetrain and used some citrus cleaner to get the rust off and WOW! It was smoother than my Dura-Ace 7800 AND my Dura-Ace 9100 groups! 😲 So she's getting a full resto done.
I am quite happy with my steel frame Breezer Venturi that I purchased from Performance Bicycle at approximately 40-50% off because it was a three year old model at the time. It came with Shimano Ultegra components & tubeless ready wheels. Since I do not race it is the perfect bike for me. Steel frames are like classic cars, Jazz, & fine wine - they get better with age!
Love these videos! I only ride steel. I bought a full Carbon Focus a few years ago, i ended up selling it. Steel is real baby! I love not having to feel the lumbs and vibrations of the road. Greetings from England! My steel Condor outta London England is receiving a new set of DT Swiss ERC 1100 DICUT 700C wheels , plus a new Deda Superzero Carbon DCR Handlebar , Deda Superleggero Seatpost , plus i am swapping to Vittoria Competition Latex Presta RVC 48mm Inner Tubes, plus swapping to Specialized S-Works Mondo 2Bliss Ready T2/T5 Tyres. Should help shred a few pounds. Plus the new season is upon us, this old fella can shed a few himself.
I've got a couple of vintage mid 90s steel DeRosa collecting dust that I should get repainted and built up. Nothing beats the classic round tube look of a rim brake bike. Even a bike build weight coming in at 17 or even 18 lbs is light compared to high end carbon disc brake road bikes these days.
great stuff as usual ...we are the older rabbits and more overviewed about the evolution of our sports ... this leads to different and more classic bikes to restore ... love this build :) best regards from Germany
Totally agree with you about the DA 9100. Amazing performance and ergonomics. But I really love the looks of the 9000 series. I build a colnago master with it. The chromed fork looks amazing with the groupset. And performance is as good as the 9100. Thanks for your content. I really like to find somebody who share the same feelings for steel and rim brakes.
Love what you do Luis, thank you for all of these videos. I'm right there with you on your opinion on steel. There is an excellent option on 1 inch steerer all carbon fork - the Columbus Minimal, which comes in at 340g uncut. This opens up a whole world of vintage frames to have fun with. I have a new build Holdsworth 753 frame (sadly no longer available) with the Minimal fork and 2005 Campagnolo Record 10 speed with the original square taper bottom bracket and Campagnolo's first carbon chainset. I've not optimised everything, and I'm using traditional 32 spoke handbuilt wheels, and this comes in at 7.5 kg / 16,5lb. Can I see my way down to 7kg with this frame? Yes, but I'll lose some of that early/mid 2000s Campagnolo beauty so I'm happy where I'm at :)
I’m new to your channel and share your passion for bringing these lovely machines back to life. What a beautiful bike and great job on the build and component selection. Back when I was first getting into bikes I used to scour the pages of the cycleology catalogs for my imaginary dream builds and today’s ebay browsing can be just as much fun. Another lightweight steel frameset that I highly recommend from that era is the Fondriest X-Status, made with custom drawn Dedacciai tubing, a 1 1/8” headset and carbon fork and upper rear stays. Most were black and they sprayed these with a rubberized topcoat that turned into a gooey mess after about 10 years, but if you take the time to strip that off with a light solvent and a lot of elbow grease, the underlying base color and sublimated decals are usually perfect, as they were almost impervious to normal use scratching. I have one of these, as well as the Fondriest TF1 carbon monocoque and Don Racer Dedacciai aluminum bike, all 2003-2005 vintage and all great to ride.
Great to see the Pinella again. This gets my vote for the nicest bike on the internets. Slightly biased as a huge Pantani fan - but it's very aesthetically pleasing, impressive weight achieved in the build too.
I had my 57.5 Mondonico Futura Leggero w/ steel fork (built by Antonio before he retired) a hair under 17 lbs at one point with nothing super crazy on the build. Campy Chorus w/ Shimano DA crank, custom wheels w/ Tune hubs, Time carbon stem, Thomson Masterpiece seatpost, carbon bars (I forget which) and either a Fi'zi:k or Selle Italia saddle, Vittoria tires, latex tubes. Still have it as a backup bike, but it now weighs over 20 lbs. Now that I'm older, I've gone for a shorter/more upright cockpit w/ slightly more relaxed geometry or the Mondonico would still be my main ride.
Your bike is what im trying to do with a classic pro frame I have but haven't been able, this is a great gide, im so glad that I came across this video and your amazing work man
I have a 2006 Specialized Allez Comp Cro-Mo with Columbus Sprit tubing that I've had since new. With Ultegra 11 speed and Mavic Cosmic Carbon wheels, it comes in at about 17.5lbs and rides like a dream.
The main reason why no one in the World Tour rides steel bikes is that they ride what the sponsors tell them to ride. And aerodynamics. If one of the brands represented in the World Tour made a aerodynamic steel frame with disc brakes that weigh close to 7 kg then I bet some of the riders on that team would ride it. Standert Triebwerk CS have a 1 1/8 headset and weighs 1815 for the frame. So maybe that could be interesting for you.
@@oheckt yes but for a rider like Vingegaard, Pogacar or Roglic it has to be lightweight and a bit aerodynamic. All of those rides bikes in the mountains that are close to 7 kg. A sprinter need a aerodynamic bike. So right now there are no steelbikes that gives them that.
The 1 1/8 steerer tube is the one thing a great steel bike needs! Coupled with a good fork, it really sharpens up the handling compared to a 1in steerer tube with a steel fork. I've got a milestone birthday on the horizon and I've been looking for a Pinella or something similar to build up. Love these updates!
You haven't a clue mate. I have a steel bike with a 1 inch carbon fork. My steering is perfect. How anyone rides those stupid looking race frames today with the top tube sloping is beyond me. Mountain bike design.
I would have to agree, Christopher. As I have ridden 1 inch carbon on two builds, tapered and 1⅛, I would have to say the best response and feel came from the straight 1⅛. Thanks for sharing.
@@toddl6139 I have a Colubus Minimal fork on a '92 Cannondale R900 that I polished and resto-modded. It looks the part and takes the edge off the ride. It won't dive bomb corners like my Tarmac S-Works, but it's pretty darn good.
I have had the pleasure of owning a Mondonico (that Torelli you showed may have been made by him as he was contracted to build some Torelli frames). That bike, made with Columbus spirit tubing in a size 55cm (custom) weighed 17 lbs, fully built with Campy SR 10-speed, Campy Nucleon wheels shod with 25mm Conti GP3000s, a titanium seatpost, Ti water bottle cages, and a Terry Ti Fly. What a gorgeous thing it was. I have hand problems and I couldn’t actuate the thumb shifters or safely stop with rim brakes, so I had to move on to disk brakes and electronic shifters. For the last few years I’ve been riding carbon frames and a steel Rawland Ravn and a steel fork (25 lbs., which is great for a purpose built gravel bike with 26” wheels, but I’m a climber and that’s too heavy for what I love to do.)
Same here. I built mine up with DT Swiss wheels, 35 mm Panaracer GravelKing tires, Brooks Team Pro (Ti rails) and Campy Ekar 1x 13-speed. It weighs 21 pounds. It's a great bike!
Great and insightful video Luis.I watched your video about steel frames vs others, informative too. I have a 1995 Columbus SL Marinoni, just had a gorgeous repaint by them, and decided to go from a Campy Athena 8 speed grouppo that was a mix of other higher end components to the beautiful new 11 speed silver Centaur. Getting new Cinelli almuninum stem and bars along with Canpy Scrirocco rim brake wheels. Still waiting for a couple of parts before it'll be on the road again, but am just itching for that day. Appreciate your work and keep it up, your enthusiasm is infective.
I questioned the logic of starting a bike project with a damaged frame, but after following the progress of the build I think this has been a great idea and success. Nice ride!
I learnt to ride on a old steel frame and it took me up - albeit with some effort - a few mountain passes in the Alps. Still thinking of building another one at some point, and would love to end up with a good-looking one like the one you built. Great job, indeed.
Love your channel. I've just started a Gunnar Roadie Disc with a Whisky No. 9 fork build. While I'm not a weight weenie (my gravel bike is a Ritchey Outback), I am using lighter components for the very reason you mention in the video. I'm going with a Ritchey carbon seatpost, Ritchey cockpit, Ultegra mech groupset, and will start out with a set of HED Ardennes RA Pro wheels until I decide on a carbon wheelset to make this performance steel build fly.
Your timing is impeccable. I’m on a similar quest and found the wheels to be the biggest thing. I’m trying to strike a balance between weight and making sure it doesn’t fall apart on the slightest bump. I might be around 16-18lbs. I think the wheels will be the biggest savings and also the biggest consideration. I’ll remember your points as I consider the build. Also on a steel frame I saved tons on.
Nice bike and nice videos talking about steel bike and your built. Im a fan of steel bike and I own a cupple as well (lugged and welded). My steel (welded) bike is a Marinoni piuma Columbus spirit and im pretty sure they are the less expensive in north america (around 1500 CAD$) for spirit tube set. Really great frame (full built without carbon around 18,5 pounds)! They also have the Piuma supreme for bigger riders (bigger headtube), a disc version and a gravel version. Very good customer service as well. Cheers !
I had my Pinarello built by Ted Ernst in the early 80’s, complete with sew ups. Had it repainted (Joe Bell in San Diego) about 20 years ago with other upgrades including Campy Daytona. I always get compliments when I ride it. The paint still looks new!
There are still a few great steel frame builders around, two of my favourite bikes are the Stelbel SB/03 and the DeAnima O.Q.O.C. The Ritchie is also at the top of my list.
Hello from Italy, if you like steel you should check out Gios Torino. The price is probably higher than what you mentioned in the video, but i think it is worth for how they work.
I did a weight weenie project on my only rim brake titanium bike. It was not as expensive as yours because I bought it used with a full groupset at a cheap price. I got it down below 15lbs without a carbon seat post. I’m sure I could even go close to the 14lb range with a tubular wheelset but that wouldn’t be practical for my riding style. After riding it for a month I started replacing the parts for more durable parts. The bike felt “too delicate” for my use and always felt worried something would crack. Now it’s heavier but with bombproof wheels, basics alloy touch points and I don’t stress over ramps and pot holes. Do I miss it being super light? Nope never lol. Weight is such a minor thing unless you’re racing or it’s part of your hobby and interest. I got out of that mindset and never looked back.
Agree. Solid durable parts is a feature, not a bug. When you ride mostly by yourself and don't care what anyone thinks, riding is more enjoyable and the bikes we configure serve that purpose better
@SurpriseMeJT I've gone full circle and am actually more interested in simple basic stuff that works and cheap to replace. I still ride my very expensive bikes but feel I really don't need it lol
I think it’s an excellent project. I did something similar 10 years ago. I took a 2011 Raleigh International Reynolds 853 frame set and steel fork. I used a Campy Athena Carbon group set with Mavic Ksyrium elite wheels a carbon stem, aluminum handle bars and seat post with a Brooks B-17 saddle. This included the chrome plated steel fork that came with the frame that is just beautiful. It weighs 18lbs. Now I could easily drop two pounds off the frame set by replacing the steel fork, upgrading the groupo to Campy Super Record or Dura Ace, a carbon wheel set and replacing the Brooks saddle with a modern lightweight one and have it weigh in at 16#. But I built this up as more of an endurance bike. In all fairness I only feel at a disadvantage on this bike when going up steep climbs on fast rides. I also very much like the ride quality provided by the steel fork as at 62 my racing days are over. LOL my total cost was $3125. I could have saved considerably more by buying a used 853 frame but I fell in love with the ascetics of the Raleigh frame set that I bought it new.
Great video! I have made a number of custom steel frames as a hobby. Usually Reynolds 631 in .8/.5/.8 with 1 1/8" steerer, all TIG welded (lugs weigh a little bit more). I ride a 55.5cm and the weight comes in around 1650g. Many of the commercial frames you can buy are a bit overbuilt.
This bike build looks amazing, I'd have guessed it was aluminum based on the shape and weight. It all ironically reminds me of Marco Pantani's 1998 TDF winning bike, the last aluminum frame to win. One little tip for people with bikes with 1" headsets: a company called Innicycle makes a 1 1/8 stem conversion that is all aluminum (outside of one bolt) and includes an integrated sealed headset. From what I've read online, it can save 130-180g over most traditional steel headsets.
Great video. I just bouhgt a Ritchey Titanium carbon breakaway rim brake and made similar choices, light bike. For wheels I kinda prefer new age wheels with larger internal width rims for confort. Like the campagnolo ultra wto (19mm id), hed ardennes, and some asiatics brands. For alu wheels, with larger id, you have ritchey zeta wcs (20), spinergy, z-lite, and if you are keen on having custom wheels,for alu rims you can get mavic open pro ust (19mm), HPlus Son Archetype (21mm).
Great video as always. Really like your approach to this beautiful build. Was trying to hunt one of these frames here in Germany but as you say they are very hard to get. Maybe one day. 🫶
Other steel manufacturers doing good work are Hampsten Cycles in Seattle and Independent Fabrications. The Ritchey Road Logic is awesome. I got one built up without anything fancy or exotic (Campagnolo Chorus 12, Ritchey alloy stem, bars, post, Ritchey wheels) for about 17 lbs including pedals and bottle cages.
I agree with you, though for the price you paid to have your Bianchi frame repaired and resprayed, you could have bought a custom made frame or perhaps a Bianchi in good condition. Tom Ritchie said that the reason steel bikes fell out of favour in pro cycling is because fat aluminium tubes made space for bigger manufacturer's logos. carbon has continued the trend.
Very good bike and one great Bianchi. I am doing several steel frame race bike projects which will be all fitted with dura ace 7700/7800 , ITM Goccia quill stems and IT Super Europa bars, Mavic Cosmic Pro wheels and one with Mavic Cosmic Carbons wheels . My oldest racebike is a 1993 Peugeot Prestige made of Reynolds 708 Classic with a time carbon fork with Mavic Ksyrium Equipe wheels. My race steel bike projects are a Fausto Coppi Lugano made of Columbus Genius, a Grandis Overmax, a Vetta made of Deda Dr01, a Pinarello Stelvio made of Deda 18MCDV6 and a CT Wallis made of Reynolds 7310S. These frame have all their original steel forks , my goal with them is to ride with comfort and confidence. My Peugeot is 9,4 kilos but it rides well and it is very secure and easy to ride bike. Steel is real, just choose the right tubing and you will be surprised how quick and how great a steel bike can be. I don't ride carbon frames for many reasons . I have had two steel frame mountain bikes assembled a 1998 Kona Kilaeua made ofReynold 631 and a 1995 Scapin made of Dedacciai 18 MSCVD6HT, both excelled when did ride them in competition trail and are always pleasant to ride. A third one is in the works a 1995 Gary Fisher Hookoo Ekoo made of True Temper Optibutted tubing (in fact, it is the platinum OXPII tubing from True Temper) .KHS back in the day made very interestinf road bike frames made of True Temper Verus steel tubing.
it's indeed a great approach. i went through on a tighter budget. Columbus Foco frame 1650g, Columbus Genius fork 615g, both together for 90 euros (did new paint). NOS Veloce groupset from 2015. Made my weheels, DT rims, Miche hubs.. in the end it's under 8.4 kg / 18.5 lbs and cost me around 800 euros. a fantastic ride.
Hi Luis, Great video. As an oldster that grew up riding steel and have owned all frame materials, I certainly get your love for steel which has an undeniable feel to it. But reason why the pros don't ride it Luis is because they are 'different'. They have more watts/kilo than even very strong amateurs. Pros want stiffness. Why stiffness?...which is often debated for energy transfer from pedals to back wheel in terms of efficiency lost or not? Control more than power lost due to a more flexible rear triangle of steel at 1200 watts of even amateur sprint power.. When they are laying down 1000 watts plus in and out of the saddle they want a rigid chassis for better handling and control of their pedal stroke at 100 rpm +. Carbon frames can be made stiffer 'where designers want it' versus steel. For common riders? Steel is real or just fine of course. You may find this contrarian but for me, Aluminum is the sweet spot for a frame material for price to performance. I prefer Al to steel. Reason is hydroforming Luis...same differential frame section and frame flex at different places along the frame similar to a carbon bike whereas steel with higher yield strength can't be 'shaped' like Aluminum can for differential flex at different points on the frame triangle. Same problem with Ti which can only be shaped in round tube sections unlike hydroformed Aluminum. If you get a chance to ride a very good Aluminum bike, like a Specialized, Trek or CAAD13, I think you will be surprised by just how good they ride and what great control modern Al frames ride compared to carbon with just a hint more weight...and of course carbon frames can now be obtained weighing 700 grams or obscenely light and built well under UCI limit. Btw, I still prefer rim brake and rode Campy for decades as you prefer. Lastly, I will say what a wonderful personality you have that comes through the camera lens. Safe riding and congrats on your Bianchi steel build. I too have owned Bianchi in steel, rim brake with Campy many years past however could clearly flex the frame to the point of rim brake rub out of the saddle, not that is mattered much to me in favor of how nice the frame was to ride. Loved that bike.
I am currently doing a somewhat similar build using a circa 2000 Olmo Forma Frame handmade in Italy of Dedacciai Zero Tubing which is a higher tensile strength steel than mentioned here. It was actually raced in the Giro D'Italia in the years 1998-2000 by the Vitalicio Seguros Spanish Team. It is the same weight as listed here. It is a 1" headset w/130mm back spacing and you can easily find a nice carbon fork for the job, mine is a Time Stiletto Carbon. I have used Mavic Open Pro 32h as my rims which are so much more durable than the racing rims presented here. Also included are Deda Handlebars and Stem. I have also used Campagnolo Rim Break 11 speed. My build is approximately half of the cost of which is presented here and is of the same quality and weighs 17 lbs but is more durable via higher tensile strength and parts than this listing. Don't get me wrong this is a very worthwhile listing for a durable lifetime bike but you can do much better with a bit of research.
I love the bike and the price is quite reasonable for what it is. If you factor in the seat post clamp, that Chris King headset, and cables and housing; You've prolly got another 300 bucks invested. That's also assuming you're riding tubeless and got the skewers with the wheel-set that you purchased. Not trying to nickle and dime you here!
Wheeltop EDS has a rim brake kit that would be a similar set up to SRAM Etap. Makes for a clean look on a rim brake bike. The other feature is they let you program the RD for the number of speeds so if you have all 10 or 11 speed stuff it will work.
Bro, sick build! I have a Bianchi Zero with Sram Red Etap build that weights 15.2 lbs also. Cost me 2k. Wouldnt trade it for anything. Phenomenal bike.
Beautiful bianchi, I have a bianchi XLEv2 that I’m trying to decide if I should build it up with modern components or do a full restore with original campy record components.
I got a Genesis KVA Stainless Steel Frame Set on ebay for 550 pounds and built it up Di2 Ultegra Mavic SLR alloy wheels carbon spokes and it runs hot. Price at the time for new Groupset was 1800 new Au dollars. Pricing came out pretty good.
11/8" Headtube makes live easier, but 1" is also possible. I just build a Colnago Master X-light frame with 1"Carbon Ahead fork and Campa SR 12speed. As fun fact for traditional look, I got 1piece handle bar, seat tube, 3d saddle, levers and fork chrome plated! A classic look on modern parts.
isn't it incredible how many people are riding the Selle Italia SLR boost saddles ? They absolutely nailed the shape of this magnificent component. I have 3 of them myself.
I absolutely love this build! Well done! Another cool factor of a bike like this is that it stands out in a crowd of carbon bikes that are beginning to all look the same. AND just look at what you would have to pay for a new 15 lb disc brake bike!!The new bikes are just not impressive because quality control is so inconsistent for quite inflated prices.
I ride my ‘93 Bridgestone RB-1 stock except pedals. Mostly indoors on a trainer, though. The gearing is kinda tough on steep climbs compared to a compact chainring/11-34 modern bike. I feel it sacrilege to replace all those yummy chrome parts with carbon and gunmetal. You prove it can be done and pull it off beautifully with that awesome paint job!
I just scored a barely used 2020 Cinelli Vigorelli Disc road and it comes in around 22lbs....going to ride it in it current OEM state for a bit before doing anything to it. Such a joy to ride as it stands.....smooth and no signs of feeling heavy or sluggish.
There is quite a weight hit for a steel fork, and I dont' think there is any down side to carbon on how the frame would feel. Carbon bars also take out a lot more vibration than aluminium ones, which strictly speaking are not steel either. Practical good advice here. My build used sram red axs which keeps a rim brake frame very tidy with only the rear cable running through the top tube. I bought Scribe wheels which is an Irish outfit who get their wheels built in China, Japanese Toray carbon. 50mm rims coming in at under 1300g per set. ( Super impressed with these ... quicker than my Vision Metrons 40mm disc brake wheels, only time will tell if they last as long but not expecting issues)
The big issue I’ve heard about with mixing and matching metals with carbon is they don’t respond the same to changes in temperature, which leads to premature wear on the carbon parts
I have the itch to build a new road bike. Currently, i own and ride vintage Gitane Super Corsa (super vitus#980 ) steel and a specialized aluminum framed bikes,these bikes are equipped with modern components and are in good working order. ive never owned a carbon bike.ive tested a few, and I was just not impressed. You've inspired me to hunt to find a good candidate to restore or build myself ❤,
Just rebuilt a 2002 Lemond Zurich, weight isn’t a concern and I focused purely on making it my perfect fit. 20 lbs of pure riding bliss. A feel that modern materials except for titanium only wish they had.
It's impressive that a $75 frame had about $4,000 thrown at it and turned out to be a forever bike. Truly a work of art, passion, and experience. I hope we get to see you stumble into another passion build in the future.
Thank you! I am always looking 👍🏾
@@thegoodwheeli think u are legend🫡. U are the first black person that i saw riding bianchi bikes. Respect from me
can you put steel rim wheelset on that?
I'm more of a carbon guy but totally appreciate what you're doing here. It's like putting fuel injection and a 5 speed on a 68 Camaro. It's still a classic, but better. And that you did it for what you spent is truly amazing.
You're such a great storyteller/youtube personality. I look up to you.
Bravo! We are so merchandised to death.. Has gotta be a better way, eh?
"A fool and his money are soon parted". I am grateful for your program..
That’s so wholesome 🌞 ❤
Wow, thank you all🙏🏾
I just purchased a 1985 Centurion Ironman “Dave Scott” 12 speed. Red & white in excellent condition with all Shimano 600 hardware. The bike stock weighs 22lbs. I promptly pulled everything off the frame and I’m in the process of installing a Shimano 105 R7000 groupset. I have a set of Mavic cxp-22 road wheels for it and cold set the rear chainstays to 130mm last night and made a pair of homemade tools to align the dropouts using a pair of 10” carriage bolts, wing nuts and washers. lol. They work! Thanks for the inspiration! Steel is real!
I get it totally. I just bought a 2002 Klein Quantum Pro Q Carbon full bike for well below $1,000, just upgraded the wheels and the bike weighs 7.2 kgs. But here is the thing, I now have an emotional connection to this bike just like you unlike the modern bikes which simply do not give that same emotional connection.
I have built up a couple of 10 speed Campy Klein Quantums that are better made and will last longer than 99% of the bikes sold today.
@@johngoldenbritt5112 that's really great to know, my bike is certainly a keeper. The attention to detail of the Kleins is not matched by the 3D designs of modern road bikes which all look the same and won't last.
Totally get your build up. It’s a labor of love and passion. I rebuilt a 1995 Gary fisher mtn bike that I took out of neighbor’s trash. Cost was $0. Restored everything. Only had to replace the cables, grips, seat, and break pads. Sold it to a happy buyer. Felt really good to restore!
As a bike mechanic apprentice here in Germany, I am saving up for my first custom steel frame build right now. I'm pretty exited, since the guy who builds the frames is related to our shop, so I'll propably be there an get introduced to frame building while mine is being built.
Anyways, thanks for your insights Luis, I quite appreciate your videos, since my colleagues all are carbon guys (which is no bad thing at all, I'm just a little lonely with my love for light steel) or extreme downhill/trail mtb-guys!
Nice to hear. Best of luck with your build👍🏾
You should be able to do really well since you are in Germany Lars.
I'm 70 now, in Australia & have a small but very, very nice collection.
So since you are interested, let me tell you about my "German bike".
I have an absolutely mint original condition 1977 Flema Campionissimo. It hasn't a single mark on it, & the paint & decals are as fresh as if they were applied yesterday. Mine is build number 5.
(Fritz Fleck, Mannheim) No one knows him, but do check him out, he was one of Germany's foremost steel builders, first to work in titanium, one man workshop, & he only built for select riders in the National Teams. Basically had to win gold, then they got the bike.
By the mid 70s Fritz had become a true master craftsman, such fine, fine lug work, delicate fork crown, its a work of art, & I wouldn't swap it for 2 Colnago Supers in similar condition.
I have only ever seen one other frame set exactly the same. It is a 1975, in the US, & mounted full Gen 1 Dura Ace.
Mine is mounted SR (Sakai Ringkyo) drilled chainrings on SR cranks. NOS Sugino Aero Mighty pedals with SAM titanium toe clips. Simplex derailleur & I keep a Campag gen1 Super Record ('78) for spare. Simplex friction shifters that were unobtainium back in the day, I found NOS just recently to replace the gen 2 Dura Ace I had on it. & also a mid 70s NOS Modolo brake set, levers, twin pivot calipers & pads. I have 2 wheelsets for it, Mavic GP4s on 600 hubs & on Dura Ace hubs. Cinelli quill stem, ATM bars, I replaced its original Cinelli Unicantor saddle with a new black Berthoud Aravais.
I was only just, still able to get a stack of spare NOS SR chainrings, but the problem I'm having now is that its a Uniglide freewheel & I can no longer get these cassettes, so I'm trying to figure out the best way to marry a hybrid Uniglide/Hyperglide freewheel setup to carry Hyperglide cogs as I don't want to loose my beautiful hubs. I think I can best do it by using the existing Uniglide pawl carrier body, & putting a suitable width Hyperglide freewheel body over it.
The reason I told you to check out Fritz Fleck is because there maybe a valuable lesson in his history.
He became a great master craftsman, therefore he was highly sought after, & so he was able to avoid the business expansion trap. When asked why he had chosen to remain a small one man bespoke workshop, when he could instead have sold to shops in vast quantity, he replied that he had a horror of carrying debt, & he wasn't into business, he was into no compromise craftsmanship.
I agree with his sentiment. If you are that good at what you do, you can live very well, long & stress free.
Enjoy your bike build Lars.
I’ve been riding my Italian made Torelli steel frame with carbon forks, wheels and seat post for over 20 years and it feels as good now as the first ride. I’m a big fan of Steele. It is the forever bike.
Nice! Thanksnfor sharing
My steel bike is rusting. Don't know how forever it's going to be
The best deal I know of on TIG welded Columbus Spirit frame, made to measure is from Marinoni in Terrebone, Quebec, Canada. The Marinoni family has been making custom steel bikes for Olympic champions (I believe Mr. Marinoni made bikes Connie Carpenter-Phinney, Louis Garneau and others) and they do great work at a low price, by making them in a semi-custom way (standard frames made alongside the custom geometry). They are also one of the few to offer Campagnolo (in addition to Shimano). Piuma is their race geometry and Sportivo, the relaxed endurace version. I had mine made with a head tube extension, like a Pegoretti. I think the nicest feature on my bike is the robust threaded BB shell, which is chrome plated before it is painted. Absolutely no creaks from this bike and it has a wonderful spring when dancing on the pedals. It is a bike built for enjoyment, especially on rough pavement that would rattle your bones on a VR3!
Great comments, BTW it's Marinoni!
I’ll have to look them up. I’m only a a few hours drive from them
I have a Marinoni Spirit HSS bike, I got it in 2016 built with Chorus it's a bit below 8kg! (I m 6'1" so the bike is big).
@@peterhehn9511 Thanks for spotting that! Correction made. The autocorrect feature was messing it up!
I always heat great things about Marinonni. Thanks for sharing 👍🏾
Impressive. I have always been, and remain, a devotee to steel framed bikes, even when I worked at a bike shop. I’ve never had anything that light, but you’ve done a beautiful job.
Irio Tommasini built a custom Fire frame / carbon fork for me in 1997. I still ride it today. It was repainted by Tommasini five years ago, and is sporting Campagnolo Record 10 Speed Titanium. Best bike I’ve ever had, beating my custom Ti and carbon Colnagos. A 55 cm frame is 1550 grams, and about $3,200. A disk version is also available. Love your content, Luis!
I scored a late-80's vintage Tommasini Super Prestige for $300 in need of a complete restoration. They Dura-Ace 7400 on it was seized. I let it sit for months before I started to work on it.
I WD-40'd the drivetrain and used some citrus cleaner to get the rust off and WOW! It was smoother than my Dura-Ace 7800 AND my Dura-Ace 9100 groups! 😲 So she's getting a full resto done.
Good on you, Luis! Happiness is priceless.
Indeed!
I am quite happy with my steel frame Breezer Venturi that I purchased from Performance Bicycle at approximately 40-50% off because it was a three year old model at the time. It came with Shimano Ultegra components & tubeless ready wheels. Since I do not race it is the perfect bike for me. Steel frames are like classic cars, Jazz, & fine wine - they get better with age!
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I have '89 Miyata 1400 and thinking about going this route. Great insight on the build.
Thank you!
Love these videos! I only ride steel. I bought a full Carbon Focus a few years ago, i ended up selling it. Steel is real baby! I love not having to feel the lumbs and vibrations of the road. Greetings from England! My steel Condor outta London England is receiving a new set of DT Swiss ERC 1100 DICUT 700C wheels , plus a new Deda Superzero Carbon DCR Handlebar , Deda Superleggero Seatpost , plus i am swapping to Vittoria Competition Latex Presta RVC 48mm Inner Tubes, plus swapping to Specialized S-Works Mondo 2Bliss Ready T2/T5 Tyres. Should help shred a few pounds. Plus the new season is upon us, this old fella can shed a few himself.
That Condor build sounds amazing!
Standert Treibwerk CR (Rim Brake) - Columbus tubing and carbon fork, rim brake.
Yes, indeed!
I've got a couple of vintage mid 90s steel DeRosa collecting dust that I should get repainted and built up. Nothing beats the classic round tube look of a rim brake bike. Even a bike build weight coming in at 17 or even 18 lbs is light compared to high end carbon disc brake road bikes these days.
great stuff as usual ...we are the older rabbits and more overviewed about the evolution of our sports ... this leads to different and more classic bikes to restore ... love this build :) best regards from Germany
Thank you. I agree... this trend is growing
Totally agree with you about the DA 9100. Amazing performance and ergonomics.
But I really love the looks of the 9000 series.
I build a colnago master with it. The chromed fork looks amazing with the groupset. And performance is as good as the 9100.
Thanks for your content. I really like to find somebody who share the same feelings for steel and rim brakes.
Love what you do Luis, thank you for all of these videos. I'm right there with you on your opinion on steel.
There is an excellent option on 1 inch steerer all carbon fork - the Columbus Minimal, which comes in at 340g uncut. This opens up a whole world of vintage frames to have fun with.
I have a new build Holdsworth 753 frame (sadly no longer available) with the Minimal fork and 2005 Campagnolo Record 10 speed with the original square taper bottom bracket and Campagnolo's first carbon chainset. I've not optimised everything, and I'm using traditional 32 spoke handbuilt wheels, and this comes in at 7.5 kg / 16,5lb. Can I see my way down to 7kg with this frame? Yes, but I'll lose some of that early/mid 2000s Campagnolo beauty so I'm happy where I'm at :)
The Cinelli Nemo Tig might also be an option. it has a tapered head tube which actually opens up a lot of options in regard to carbon forks
Nice to see you having fun with old steel bikes... If you dont race, they are fantastic..in more ways than one.
I’m new to your channel and share your passion for bringing these lovely machines back to life. What a beautiful bike and great job on the build and component selection. Back when I was first getting into bikes I used to scour the pages of the cycleology catalogs for my imaginary dream builds and today’s ebay browsing can be just as much fun.
Another lightweight steel frameset that I highly recommend from that era is the Fondriest X-Status, made with custom drawn Dedacciai tubing, a 1 1/8” headset and carbon fork and upper rear stays. Most were black and they sprayed these with a rubberized topcoat that turned into a gooey mess after about 10 years, but if you take the time to strip that off with a light solvent and a lot of elbow grease, the underlying base color and sublimated decals are usually perfect, as they were almost impervious to normal use scratching. I have one of these, as well as the Fondriest TF1 carbon monocoque and Don Racer Dedacciai aluminum bike, all 2003-2005 vintage and all great to ride.
Great to see the Pinella again. This gets my vote for the nicest bike on the internets. Slightly biased as a huge Pantani fan - but it's very aesthetically pleasing, impressive weight achieved in the build too.
Thank you👍🏾
I had my 57.5 Mondonico Futura Leggero w/ steel fork (built by Antonio before he retired) a hair under 17 lbs at one point with nothing super crazy on the build. Campy Chorus w/ Shimano DA crank, custom wheels w/ Tune hubs, Time carbon stem, Thomson Masterpiece seatpost, carbon bars (I forget which) and either a Fi'zi:k or Selle Italia saddle, Vittoria tires, latex tubes. Still have it as a backup bike, but it now weighs over 20 lbs. Now that I'm older, I've gone for a shorter/more upright cockpit w/ slightly more relaxed geometry or the Mondonico would still be my main ride.
Nice build👍🏾
Your bike is what im trying to do with a classic pro frame I have but haven't been able, this is a great gide, im so glad that I came across this video and your amazing work man
I have a 2006 Specialized Allez Comp Cro-Mo with Columbus Sprit tubing that I've had since new. With Ultegra 11 speed and Mavic Cosmic Carbon wheels, it comes in at about 17.5lbs and rides like a dream.
The main reason why no one in the World Tour rides steel bikes is that they ride what the sponsors tell them to ride.
And aerodynamics.
If one of the brands represented in the World Tour made a aerodynamic steel frame with disc brakes that weigh close to 7 kg then I bet some of the riders on that team would ride it.
Standert Triebwerk CS have a 1 1/8 headset and weighs 1815 for the frame.
So maybe that could be interesting for you.
My standert Triebwerk Mach3 rim is about 7.8kg
@@sk27lem Yeah Standert makes great bikes.
That´s why I recommended him to have a look at it.
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7 kg is lighter than a lot of world tour disc brake bikes.
@@oheckt yes but for a rider like Vingegaard, Pogacar or Roglic it has to be lightweight and a bit aerodynamic.
All of those rides bikes in the mountains that are close to 7 kg.
A sprinter need a aerodynamic bike.
So right now there are no steelbikes that gives them that.
I’m always stoked when you chat about steel frames! Top tier video once again! 🔥
Thank ypu kindly Sir!
The 1 1/8 steerer tube is the one thing a great steel bike needs! Coupled with a good fork, it really sharpens up the handling compared to a 1in steerer tube with a steel fork. I've got a milestone birthday on the horizon and I've been looking for a Pinella or something similar to build up. Love these updates!
You haven't a clue mate. I have a steel bike with a 1 inch carbon fork. My steering is perfect. How anyone rides those stupid looking race frames today with the top tube sloping is beyond me. Mountain bike design.
I would have to agree, Christopher. As I have ridden 1 inch carbon on two builds, tapered and 1⅛, I would have to say the best response and feel came from the straight 1⅛. Thanks for sharing.
For carbon on 1" have done a number of Columbus Minimal forks. They mate up will with classic steel geometry.
@@toddl6139 I have a Colubus Minimal fork on a '92 Cannondale R900 that I polished and resto-modded. It looks the part and takes the edge off the ride. It won't dive bomb corners like my Tarmac S-Works, but it's pretty darn good.
I have had the pleasure of owning a Mondonico (that Torelli you showed may have been made by him as he was contracted to build some Torelli frames). That bike, made with Columbus spirit tubing in a size 55cm (custom) weighed 17 lbs, fully built with Campy SR 10-speed, Campy Nucleon wheels shod with 25mm Conti GP3000s, a titanium seatpost, Ti water bottle cages, and a Terry Ti Fly. What a gorgeous thing it was. I have hand problems and I couldn’t actuate the thumb shifters or safely stop with rim brakes, so I had to move on to disk brakes and electronic shifters. For the last few years I’ve been riding carbon frames and a steel Rawland Ravn and a steel fork (25 lbs., which is great for a purpose built gravel bike with 26” wheels, but I’m a climber and that’s too heavy for what I love to do.)
I do have a Ritchey SwissCross, a little over 17lbs. Amazing ride! So good I can ride it anywhere.
Same here. I built mine up with DT Swiss wheels, 35 mm Panaracer GravelKing tires, Brooks Team Pro (Ti rails) and Campy Ekar 1x 13-speed. It weighs 21 pounds. It's a great bike!
Very nice!
Great and insightful video Luis.I watched your video about steel frames vs others, informative too. I have a 1995 Columbus SL Marinoni, just had a gorgeous repaint by them, and decided to go from a Campy Athena 8 speed grouppo that was a mix of other higher end components to the beautiful new 11 speed silver Centaur. Getting new Cinelli almuninum stem and bars along with Canpy Scrirocco rim brake wheels. Still waiting for a couple of parts before it'll be on the road again, but am just itching for that day. Appreciate your work and keep it up, your enthusiasm is infective.
I questioned the logic of starting a bike project with a damaged frame, but after following the progress of the build I think this has been a great idea and success. Nice ride!
The attention to detail in your Pinella is extraordinary, Lu! Chapeaú👌🏾
Thanks my Brother! Respect
I'm Italian and your pronunciation of Bianchi and Campagnolo is excellent!
The video is also very good.
Thank you! That is very much appreciated 👍🏾
Best video on utube iv seen for a long time , love the ride and agree 100 % , very well spoken and honest 👏
Thank you Andrew!
Well thought out and impressive. Great job bringing that bike back to life.
Thank you 👍🏾
I learnt to ride on a old steel frame and it took me up - albeit with some effort - a few mountain passes in the Alps. Still thinking of building another one at some point, and would love to end up with a good-looking one like the one you built. Great job, indeed.
Hey..look at officina Bataglin.
Amazing steel frames❤
& they fly a tech out to adjust the seat for you.
Love your channel. I've just started a Gunnar Roadie Disc with a Whisky No. 9 fork build. While I'm not a weight weenie (my gravel bike is a Ritchey Outback), I am using lighter components for the very reason you mention in the video. I'm going with a Ritchey carbon seatpost, Ritchey cockpit, Ultegra mech groupset, and will start out with a set of HED Ardennes RA Pro wheels until I decide on a carbon wheelset to make this performance steel build fly.
Your timing is impeccable. I’m on a similar quest and found the wheels to be the biggest thing. I’m trying to strike a balance between weight and making sure it doesn’t fall apart on the slightest bump. I might be around 16-18lbs. I think the wheels will be the biggest savings and also the biggest consideration. I’ll remember your points as I consider the build. Also on a steel frame I saved tons on.
Nice bike and nice videos talking about steel bike and your built. Im a fan of steel bike and I own a cupple as well (lugged and welded). My steel (welded) bike is a Marinoni piuma Columbus spirit and im pretty sure they are the less expensive in north america (around 1500 CAD$) for spirit tube set. Really great frame (full built without carbon around 18,5 pounds)! They also have the Piuma supreme for bigger riders (bigger headtube), a disc version and a gravel version. Very good customer service as well. Cheers !
Yes. Will have to give Marinnoni a look👍🏾
I had my Pinarello built by Ted Ernst in the early 80’s, complete with sew ups. Had it repainted (Joe Bell in San Diego) about 20 years ago with other upgrades including Campy Daytona. I always get compliments when I ride it. The paint still looks new!
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There are still a few great steel frame builders around, two of my favourite bikes are the Stelbel SB/03 and the DeAnima O.Q.O.C. The Ritchie is also at the top of my list.
Thanks for sharing 👍🏾
Hello from Italy, if you like steel you should check out Gios Torino. The price is probably higher than what you mentioned in the video, but i think it is worth for how they work.
Thanks for sharing 👍🏾
I did a weight weenie project on my only rim brake titanium bike. It was not as expensive as yours because I bought it used with a full groupset at a cheap price. I got it down below 15lbs without a carbon seat post. I’m sure I could even go close to the 14lb range with a tubular wheelset but that wouldn’t be practical for my riding style.
After riding it for a month I started replacing the parts for more durable parts. The bike felt “too delicate” for my use and always felt worried something would crack.
Now it’s heavier but with bombproof wheels, basics alloy touch points and I don’t stress over ramps and pot holes. Do I miss it being super light? Nope never lol. Weight is such a minor thing unless you’re racing or it’s part of your hobby and interest. I got out of that mindset and never looked back.
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Agree. Solid durable parts is a feature, not a bug. When you ride mostly by yourself and don't care what anyone thinks, riding is more enjoyable and the bikes we configure serve that purpose better
@SurpriseMeJT I've gone full circle and am actually more interested in simple basic stuff that works and cheap to replace. I still ride my very expensive bikes but feel I really don't need it lol
@@bonbonflippers4298 Right there with you. I've got a full carbon hardtail that I spend the least amount of time on.
I think it’s an excellent project. I did something similar 10 years ago. I took a 2011 Raleigh International Reynolds 853 frame set and steel fork. I used a Campy Athena Carbon group set with Mavic Ksyrium elite wheels a carbon stem, aluminum handle bars and seat post with a Brooks B-17 saddle. This included the chrome plated steel fork that came with the frame that is just beautiful. It weighs 18lbs. Now I could easily drop two pounds off the frame set by replacing the steel fork, upgrading the groupo to Campy Super Record or Dura Ace, a carbon wheel set and replacing the Brooks saddle with a modern lightweight one and have it weigh in at 16#. But I built this up as more of an endurance bike. In all fairness I only feel at a disadvantage on this bike when going up steep climbs on fast rides. I also very much like the ride quality provided by the steel fork as at 62 my racing days are over. LOL my total cost was $3125. I could have saved considerably more by buying a used 853 frame but I fell in love with the ascetics of the Raleigh frame set that I bought it new.
I have a Torelli Strade Bianche, my first steel gravel bike. It does great on the technical trails and on the road, and it feels like a road bike.
The initial shots of you riding and the palm trees around you and then the American flag to your left is epic 😮 🇺🇸💪🏻🇺🇸 beautiful bike ❤
Asked a question on your other video. All of the answers are here! Thank you!
Man that set up looks sick; nice job!
Great video! I have made a number of custom steel frames as a hobby. Usually Reynolds 631 in .8/.5/.8 with 1 1/8" steerer, all TIG welded (lugs weigh a little bit more). I ride a 55.5cm and the weight comes in around 1650g. Many of the commercial frames you can buy are a bit overbuilt.
That's a great weight in that size! Thanks for sharing👍🏾
This bike build looks amazing, I'd have guessed it was aluminum based on the shape and weight. It all ironically reminds me of Marco Pantani's 1998 TDF winning bike, the last aluminum frame to win. One little tip for people with bikes with 1" headsets: a company called Innicycle makes a 1 1/8 stem conversion that is all aluminum (outside of one bolt) and includes an integrated sealed headset. From what I've read online, it can save 130-180g over most traditional steel headsets.
Another great video! Such a gorgeous bike!
Thanks a lot!
Great video. I just bouhgt a Ritchey Titanium carbon breakaway rim brake and made similar choices, light bike. For wheels I kinda prefer new age wheels with larger internal width rims for confort. Like the campagnolo ultra wto (19mm id), hed ardennes, and some asiatics brands. For alu wheels, with larger id, you have ritchey zeta wcs (20), spinergy, z-lite, and if you are keen on having custom wheels,for alu rims you can get mavic open pro ust (19mm), HPlus Son Archetype (21mm).
Thanksbfor sharing this info👍🏾
Great video as always. Really like your approach to this beautiful build. Was trying to hunt one of these frames here in Germany but as you say they are very hard to get. Maybe one day. 🫶
They are tough to find Michael. Thanks for watching 👍🏾
Love the bike. paint job is killer.
Other steel manufacturers doing good work are Hampsten Cycles in Seattle and Independent Fabrications. The Ritchey Road Logic is awesome. I got one built up without anything fancy or exotic (Campagnolo Chorus 12, Ritchey alloy stem, bars, post, Ritchey wheels) for about 17 lbs including pedals and bottle cages.
Thanks for sharing 👍🏾
Great commentary! Looking forward to your Ti build.
An excellent 100% on point video, great content.
I agree with you, though for the price you paid to have your Bianchi frame repaired and resprayed, you could have bought a custom made frame or perhaps a Bianchi in good condition. Tom Ritchie said that the reason steel bikes fell out of favour in pro cycling is because fat aluminium tubes made space for bigger manufacturer's logos. carbon has continued the trend.
Thanks for sharing👍🏾
Very good bike and one great Bianchi. I am doing several steel frame race bike projects which will be all fitted with dura ace 7700/7800 , ITM Goccia quill stems and IT Super Europa bars, Mavic Cosmic Pro wheels and one with Mavic Cosmic Carbons wheels . My oldest racebike is a 1993 Peugeot Prestige made of Reynolds 708 Classic with a time carbon fork with Mavic Ksyrium Equipe wheels. My race steel bike projects are a Fausto Coppi Lugano made of Columbus Genius, a Grandis Overmax, a Vetta made of Deda Dr01, a Pinarello Stelvio made of Deda 18MCDV6 and a CT Wallis made of Reynolds 7310S. These frame have all their original steel forks , my goal with them is to ride with comfort and confidence. My Peugeot is 9,4 kilos but it rides well and it is very secure and easy to ride bike. Steel is real, just choose the right tubing and you will be surprised how quick and how great a steel bike can be. I don't ride carbon frames for many reasons . I have had two steel frame mountain bikes assembled a 1998 Kona Kilaeua made ofReynold 631 and a 1995 Scapin made of Dedacciai 18 MSCVD6HT, both excelled when did ride them in competition trail and are always pleasant to ride. A third one is in the works a 1995 Gary Fisher Hookoo Ekoo made of True Temper Optibutted tubing (in fact, it is the platinum OXPII tubing from True Temper) .KHS back in the day made very interestinf road bike frames made of True Temper Verus steel tubing.
Riding a Bianchi with the Mercatone Uno Bianchi 1998 color simply open hearts to an Italian bone in 1990 like me, that’s remind me Pantani ❤
🤗
I've got a Casati RS with Record 2015, great bike and best looking groupset. Like your taste in bikes.
it's indeed a great approach. i went through on a tighter budget. Columbus Foco frame 1650g, Columbus Genius fork 615g, both together for 90 euros (did new paint). NOS Veloce groupset from 2015. Made my weheels, DT rims, Miche hubs.. in the end it's under 8.4 kg / 18.5 lbs and cost me around 800 euros. a fantastic ride.
Amazing project! Ride it in good health 👍🏾
Hi Luis,
Great video. As an oldster that grew up riding steel and have owned all frame materials, I certainly get your love for steel which has an undeniable feel to it. But reason why the pros don't ride it Luis is because they are 'different'. They have more watts/kilo than even very strong amateurs. Pros want stiffness. Why stiffness?...which is often debated for energy transfer from pedals to back wheel in terms of efficiency lost or not? Control more than power lost due to a more flexible rear triangle of steel at 1200 watts of even amateur sprint power.. When they are laying down 1000 watts plus in and out of the saddle they want a rigid chassis for better handling and control of their pedal stroke at 100 rpm +. Carbon frames can be made stiffer 'where designers want it' versus steel.
For common riders? Steel is real or just fine of course.
You may find this contrarian but for me, Aluminum is the sweet spot for a frame material for price to performance. I prefer Al to steel. Reason is hydroforming Luis...same differential frame section and frame flex at different places along the frame similar to a carbon bike whereas steel with higher yield strength can't be 'shaped' like Aluminum can for differential flex at different points on the frame triangle. Same problem with Ti which can only be shaped in round tube sections unlike hydroformed Aluminum. If you get a chance to ride a very good Aluminum bike, like a Specialized, Trek or CAAD13, I think you will be surprised by just how good they ride and what great control modern Al frames ride compared to carbon with just a hint more weight...and of course carbon frames can now be obtained weighing 700 grams or obscenely light and built well under UCI limit. Btw, I still prefer rim brake and rode Campy for decades as you prefer.
Lastly, I will say what a wonderful personality you have that comes through the camera lens.
Safe riding and congrats on your Bianchi steel build. I too have owned Bianchi in steel, rim brake with Campy many years past however could clearly flex the frame to the point of rim brake rub out of the saddle, not that is mattered much to me in favor of how nice the frame was to ride. Loved that bike.
Love this!!! All the new plastic bikes are too tight and twitchy. Older geo for the win. And yes, steel is real
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That bike is awesome and so are you! I want to do this!
Thank you for your kind words 🙏🏾
I am currently doing a somewhat similar build using a circa 2000 Olmo Forma Frame handmade in Italy of Dedacciai Zero Tubing which is a higher tensile strength steel than mentioned here. It was actually raced in the Giro D'Italia in the years 1998-2000 by the Vitalicio Seguros Spanish Team. It is the same weight as listed here. It is a 1" headset w/130mm back spacing and you can easily find a nice carbon fork for the job, mine is a Time Stiletto Carbon. I have used Mavic Open Pro 32h as my rims which are so much more durable than the racing rims presented here. Also included are Deda Handlebars and Stem. I have also used Campagnolo Rim Break 11 speed. My build is approximately half of the cost of which is presented here and is of the same quality and weighs 17 lbs but is more durable via higher tensile strength and parts than this listing. Don't get me wrong this is a very worthwhile listing for a durable lifetime bike but you can do much better with a bit of research.
I love the bike and the price is quite reasonable for what it is. If you factor in the seat post clamp, that Chris King headset, and cables and housing; You've prolly got another 300 bucks invested. That's also assuming you're riding tubeless and got the skewers with the wheel-set that you purchased. Not trying to nickle and dime you here!
Wheeltop EDS has a rim brake kit that would be a similar set up to SRAM Etap. Makes for a clean look on a rim brake bike. The other feature is they let you program the RD for the number of speeds so if you have all 10 or 11 speed stuff it will work.
Thanks a lot for the great information Sir.
Always welcome
Bro, sick build! I have a Bianchi Zero with Sram Red Etap build that weights 15.2 lbs also. Cost me 2k. Wouldnt trade it for anything. Phenomenal bike.
Your build sounds amazing👍🏾
Inspired. Custom Ti or the new Richie..... Blessed to be able to choose. 😊
Beautiful bianchi, I have a bianchi XLEv2 that I’m trying to decide if I should build it up with modern components or do a full restore with original campy record components.
Preach it, baby!😊
De Rosa Corum, if you can find one
I almost purchased one of those recently. Size was a bit off for me.
Mine is 87 Colnago Super, newer components, at 16.7 pounds.
Braun Cycles in the Netherlands offers a great selection of rim and disk brakes in both steel and Ti.
Excellent subject. Excellent job on video.
Bike looks super hot
Thank you👍🏾
I got a Genesis KVA Stainless Steel Frame Set on ebay for 550 pounds and built it up Di2 Ultegra Mavic SLR alloy wheels carbon spokes and it runs hot. Price at the time for new Groupset was 1800 new Au dollars. Pricing came out pretty good.
11/8" Headtube makes live easier, but 1" is also possible. I just build a Colnago Master X-light frame with 1"Carbon Ahead fork and Campa SR 12speed. As fun fact for traditional look, I got 1piece handle bar, seat tube, 3d saddle, levers and fork chrome plated! A classic look on modern parts.
isn't it incredible how many people are riding the Selle Italia SLR boost saddles ? They absolutely nailed the shape of this magnificent component. I have 3 of them myself.
Great saddles for sure👍🏾
Great channel Luis, much appreciated.......Aust.
Thank you, I’m working on a steel road build right now
Nice!
I absolutely love this build! Well done! Another cool factor of a bike like this is that it stands out in a crowd of carbon bikes that are beginning to all look the same. AND just look at what you would have to pay for a new 15 lb disc brake bike!!The new bikes are just not impressive because quality control is so inconsistent for quite inflated prices.
Thanks for sharing your insights!
I ride my ‘93 Bridgestone RB-1 stock except pedals. Mostly indoors on a trainer, though. The gearing is kinda tough on steep climbs compared to a compact chainring/11-34 modern bike. I feel it sacrilege to replace all those yummy chrome parts with carbon and gunmetal. You prove it can be done and pull it off beautifully with that awesome paint job!
Thanks Ken👍🏾
I would like my next bike to be a Cinelli XCR Disc. A friend owns one and is gorgeous.
Great bike!
I just scored a barely used 2020 Cinelli Vigorelli Disc road and it comes in around 22lbs....going to ride it in it current OEM state for a bit before doing anything to it. Such a joy to ride as it stands.....smooth and no signs of feeling heavy or sluggish.
There is quite a weight hit for a steel fork, and I dont' think there is any down side to carbon on how the frame would feel. Carbon bars also take out a lot more vibration than aluminium ones, which strictly speaking are not steel either. Practical good advice here. My build used sram red axs which keeps a rim brake frame very tidy with only the rear cable running through the top tube. I bought Scribe wheels which is an Irish outfit who get their wheels built in China, Japanese Toray carbon. 50mm rims coming in at under 1300g per set. ( Super impressed with these ... quicker than my Vision Metrons 40mm disc brake wheels, only time will tell if they last as long but not expecting issues)
Insane bike, Perfect build!
Thank you!
The big issue I’ve heard about with mixing and matching metals with carbon is they don’t respond the same to changes in temperature, which leads to premature wear on the carbon parts
I have the itch to build a new road bike. Currently, i own and ride vintage Gitane Super Corsa (super vitus#980 ) steel and a specialized aluminum framed bikes,these bikes are equipped with modern components and are in good working order. ive never owned a carbon bike.ive tested a few, and I was just not impressed. You've inspired me to hunt to find a good candidate to restore or build myself ❤,
Great video, thanks!!
My pleasure!
Great video! Thanks a lot
What about a Colnago Master? Would it work?
Great bikes. To my knowledge, Colnago builds the master with a 1 inch headtube... but I would love to own one.
Rodriguez Bikes makes a steel model called the Outlaw that builds up as light as 13.5 pounds.
Amazing!
@@thegoodwheel handmade in Seattle. I wish I had one! I will say the paint doesn’t match the beauty of an Italian bike but nobody’s perfect 😉
Standert has many modern steel and aluminium rim brake frame options if you want German industrial design over Italian style/passion
A few others worth looking into are the Fairlight Strael, the Soma Smoothie HP, and the Milwaukee Road.
🙏🏾
Beautiful bike.
Just rebuilt a 2002 Lemond Zurich, weight isn’t a concern and I focused purely on making it my perfect fit. 20 lbs of pure riding bliss. A feel that modern materials except for titanium only wish they had.
I have the same Zurich built up to around 19lb. Super smooth ride and such fun! Enjoyed the build as much as riding it.