| Steel is the oldest material used in bike frame | | | | A more elegant method is fillet brazing. This |
| construction. Indeed until the early nineties it was | | | | dispenses with the lugs and instead a smooth joint |
| the only choice albeit in a multitude of guises. | | | | of brass is built up around the junction of each |
| Reynolds, Columbus, and other smaller concerns | | | | tube. This results in a frame where the tubes |
| offered tubing to suit every facet of the sport, | | | | seem to flow into each other. It also enables the |
| from lowly training frames through to Tour de | | | | framebuilder to accommodate unusual frame |
| France climbing specials. | | | | designs not possible with lugs. |
| Over the years demand for ever lighter stiffer | | | | Both lugged and fillet brazed bike frames are easy |
| frames has dictated as shift to aluminium for | | | | to repair as damaged tubes can be heated at the |
| mass produced frames and steel has become | | | | joints, removed and a fresh tube substituted. |
| much more of a niche material. | | | | The most recent development is TIG welding. |
| But the tubing manufacturers have not allowed it | | | | This is only possible on tubing designed to take |
| to just die off. While aluminium, carbon and | | | | the higher temperatures involved. It results in a |
| titanium have advantages over steel none are a | | | | very light stiff structure but unlike brazed and |
| perfect replacement. | | | | soldered construction it is harder to repair. |
| There are several methods that a framebuilder | | | | The choice of tubing available today, while not as |
| can employ in constructing a frame from steel. | | | | large as in past years is still quite wide. Columbus, |
| Most common is the classic lugged and brazed | | | | Reynolds and Dedacciai all offer several tubesets |
| approach. The bike frame tubes are mitred to fit | | | | each including the stainless steel 953 from |
| closely onto cast or pressed lugs and brazed | | | | Reynolds and XLR from Columbus. |
| together to form a strong, relatively light | | | | A quality steel bike frame can be light and stiff |
| frameset. With very light thin tubesets silver | | | | yet absorb much of the road buzz that an alloy |
| solder is employed to avoid overheating and | | | | bike frame will not. |
| weakening the frame. | | | | |