Steel is Real

Biking geeks and materials-science nerds---I'm a card-carrying member of both groups---may be interested to know that Reynolds, the 100-plus-year-old tubeset maker, has introduced a new steel alloy and tubeset, which they call 953. The new 953 has some interesting and useful properties:

• The corrosion resistance is similar to so-called stainless* steels, so the rust potential that has kept some from going steel is moot. Plus, paint is obviated.
• The ultimate tensile strength is 1750 to 2050 MPa, depending on the heat-treating process used. This strength exceeds that of 6/4 titanium and means that very thin-walled frames can be built. Here, for example, is a 1000-g (2.2-lb) road frame.
  
• The very high hardness of 953---sorry, I don't have a number for that---means that these thin-walled tubes won't be easily dented.
  

953 frames should be available from Independent Fabrication** later this spring. I'm sure longtime fans of steel (Masta, for example) are rejoicing at this news. The corrosion issue has always kept me away from steel frames, but this is a steel tubeset that I could be excited about.

* No steel alloy is truly stainless. These alloys are more correctly called "stain-resistant" or "corrosion-resistant."
** IF is Seven Cycles' smaller, slightly less buttoned-down sibling in the family of greater-Boston-based builders of custom titanium/carbon/steel frames.