| In the past twenty five years we've seen an
explosion in the application of materials to bicycle frame and fork design. Yet Waterford continues to use materials which to many bike buyers seem archaic and tradition-bound. Why?
Which steel are we talking about?
The strength of steel can vary from 50,000 psi (pounds per square inch) to nearly 250,000 psi, depending on the alloy and manufacturing processes. Companies advertising the benefits of so-called "alternative materials)"
usually compare the performance of their offerings to that of chromoly or even less sophisticated steels. Waterford's air-hardening steels are at the high range of the strengh range, which is why the R33 can weigh like a TI or aluminum frame and still ride like a Waterford.
Is this the same steel as on your old bike?Steel as a material continues to evolve. Suppliers such as Reynolds and True Temper continue to refine their formulas and manufacturing processes. Few people recognize the revolution which took place twenty years ago when Reynolds introduced their 753 tubesets. 753 offered designers a significant increase in strength - as long as both the Reynolds and framebuilders
treated the material with the appropriate respect.
The recent introduction of the new air-hardened steels (Reynolds 853 and True Temper's OX Platinum) represents yet another step in the effort to offer an even higher level of performance.
Even Reynolds 531, originally introduced in
the 1930's has had some changes to it over the decades. Moreover, Waterford's OS tubing dimensions get more performance out of the tubes than builders could get twenty years ago.
What are your priorities?
When we design framesets, we consider the following questions (in descending order of importance).
- How well will the frame fit? Nothing affects riding performance more than proper fit.
- How straight can we make it? A straight frame makes every geometry handle better.
- How well does it steer? Is it responsive enough for the racer
and stable enough for the tourer?
- Is it stiff enough in the right places? A stiff bottom bracket insures better pedaling efficiency.
- Is it comfortable? An uncomfortable bike makes any rider less efficient during long races or rides.
Only once we've satisfied all these considerations does the resulting weight of the frameset make a difference. Yet,
to look at advertisements and magazine reviews, you'd think that weight was the only consideration. Worse yet, many riders may be led to believe that if a frame is light and made from an exotic material that it performs well all the basics.
Waterford's steels get high marks on every count! No material has a greater ability to fit such a wide range of riders for such
a wide range of riding applications. The range of tubing and ability of Reynolds to meet our close tolerances means more predictable riding characteristics than
with any other material. We've proved it through the satisfaction of thousands of riders through the years. If the steels we use today appeared after we lived in a world which offered bikes only in aluminum, titanium and carbon fiber - that would be a real revolution!
It's not just the material, it's the builder. Our materials are only one of many reasons which make Waterford framesets a joy
to ride and a joy to own.
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