Material definition and history
Steel is an alloy (mixture of several elements) of iron with a very small amount of another material such as carbon that is used to harden it (the grade). It became a popular building material after 19th century production processes made it relatively cheap to mass-produce.
Carbon steel is the basis for the vast majority of steel products and higher strength steel usually contains a small amount of manganese to provide cost effective additional strength.
Remember fit is more important than material! Read our frame size guide.
Steel bikes
Bikes have been made mainly from steel for many years, although this is gradually shifting towards lighter aluminium as this material becomes cheaper. Steel is still slightly heavier, even though both aluminium and steel bikes have benefited from more advanced alloys recently to bring down weight.
The cheapest bikes are made from hi-tensile steel, however the vast majority of steel bikes are made from Chromoly Steel, containing a small amount of chromium to make it stronger. Various materials can be added into the mix to produce various grades of steel.
The highest grades of steel are still in the same ball park as titanium, magnesium and carbon fibre, although the material is becoming less widely used because automated production systems have issues with the highest quality thin steel. Reynold 853, Foco/ultra Foco, Dedaccaia, Bianchi, Orbea and Lemond are all quality steel frame makers.
Maintenance is important with steel bikes, to avoid corrosion, therefore regular cleaning is recommended. Simply wiping the bike clean after riding should suffice, especially if you have been riding on roads that still have salt on them from winter.
Good points
- Long lasting, if maintained.
- Comfortable, springy ride qualities.
Failure
It will bend before it breaks and is relatively easy to fix.
Best suited to
