Egerie Aston-A-Tron - PT3 Steel and Flex
Steel is real, or so they say. But is it not also too heavy and too flexy?
Yes, but the weight of modern steel tubing means you get a frame that's only a few hundred grams heavier than the equivalent alloy or carbon frames nowadays.
As geometry, bikes, and riding spots have evolved, people generally ride faster, harder, and rougher (especially with increased vibration) than ever, putting more stress on frames. Manufacturers have continued to bulk up lightweight carbon and alloy frames to keep up with riding styles and prevent them from breaking, as most bikes made in the last 10 years or so break at some point, with the only real exceptions off the top of my head being Nicolai’s and Atherton’s.
When you take into account a few hundred grams difference and consider the total package weight of a bike including the rider, tools, and water bottle, it’s nominal. What makes much more of a difference in efficiency is tyre choice, chain condition, rider body fat and hydration, and not having a hangover. If you’re racing XC, it might make a difference of a fraction of a second, but the average group ride nowadays incorporates loads of faff (I include myself as a major culprit in this) stopping for massive chats, taking photos for the ‘gram, coffee breaks, and changing suspension settings. And anyway, in a group ride, there’s always a difference in speeds, and they average out naturally. If you're riding solo, just pedal a bit harder if you're worried about that fraction of a second of Strava.
The steel construction may not, or definitely is not, going to be the most pretty or refined compared to the shapes available with carbon and alloy. But if you want a cheap workhorse, that is repairable for life, has simple construction with external cable routing, and something that can be knocked, dropped and crashed with little worry then steel is the only one.
Above. This frame is surely simple: the headtube is straight gauge 44mm that can use ZS zero-stack headset or EC external-cup headset if you want to play with angle or reach a little, this doesn't offer as much room for manoeuvre as a bigger ZS56 or similar found on alloy or carbon enduro and DH bikes. The bottom bracket is everybody’s favourite BSA threaded 73mm and the seat tube has a simple integrated seat clamp with a 5mm bolt.
The seat stay has a brace that bolts together using a frame splitter designed for belt-drive bikes, plus two other machined alloy braces. For longevity I believe it is better to bolt the swingarm together in this way than to weld it, there is always going to be some flex and movement in a swingarm and these bolted units give the forces somewhere to release: if the forces are always going through welds there are big pressure points and more chance of cracks forming. Combine these bracing points with the rear axle, main pivot and shock and there are six points of attachment which actually gives a pretty stiff swingarm.
Egerie also added a second set of front shock mounts, so this bike can be run with 160/160 travel (using shorter suspension) and keeps the geometry the same.
The flex. Damn, these steel frames feel good! The steel frame does an excellent job of absorbing trail vibrations and bumps. From my four Egeries, the stiffest by far is the Sunn Radical Replica. This is obvious from the twin top tube and big box section at the rear. This bike has to be ridden really hard and fast to make it come alive—a real race machine.
The titanium bike is the most flexible due to the tubing and lack of seat stay bracing. It's beautiful for natural stuff up to fairly fast speeds but struggles a little on high-speed bike park berms and compressions. This black bike is just right and slightly more flexible than the first steel frame. It’s an ideal compromise for eating up natural trails and also does really well in the bike park.
The grip, oh, the grip. Thanks to the swingarm shape it is pretty stiff laterally in the centre of the bike giving a precise feeling; as it tapers and narrows towards the rear axle it allows the wheel to move and conform to the ground and eat up those little deflections. The rear triangle of this bike is exceptional at tracking the ground when leaned over, holding a line through angled rock and root, and unexpected rear wheel kick-out just doesn’t happen. This is partly due to the flex and damping but also due to the length of the swingarm, the low spoke tensions, and the superb suspension from Avalanche. This means that any kind of loss of traction or deflection is very slow, steady, and predictable.
Overall, steel has become my preferred choice of frame material mainly for the ride quality, followed by reliability and robustness. It may not be for everyone and every situation, but for getting in plenty of riding, generally descending, and the peace of mind of not needing to protect a beloved $5000 piece of carbon fibre, it is ideal.
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Next Articles (dropping before the competition ends)
Kinematics
Avalanche Suspension
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