Materials-Tubing
On Tubing and Frame Design
Slowcraft Maldoror uses traditional steel tubing for our framesets. Although there are several different materials such as, Titanium, Carbon Composite, Aluminum, even a series of modern heat treated steel tubing (these work great to make a bicycle) we continue to use time tested chromoly steel tube sets in traditional standard dimensions, and oversized when required, because of the resiliency, functionality, aesthetics (in lug construction), reparability, and life expectancy of a well crafted steel frame.
After extensive experience as a bicycle restorer, and working to have 40-50 year old traditional steel bicycles back on the road, Slowcraft Maldoror understands that every bicycle that comes out of our shop will (God be willing), under normal use, give thousands of riding miles, and even hopefully, be around longer than its original owner. This is not wishful thinking. This is a fact of steel bicycles.
Our tube sets are chosen in different wall thicknesses in order to find the appropriate combination for the type of rider (size and weight) and for the type of riding that they will do. Sometimes a tall and heavy rider (225lb) that needs and requires a strong frame for loaded touring will have a thicker walled downtube, and chain stays, or a heavier wall tube set throughout. On the contrary, for a petite rider, say a 98lb commuter hipster that will only carry a laptop and a water bottle, we will be able to reduce the wall thickness in order to “lighten” the frame without loosing strength, resiliency, and functionality.
Chromium-molybdenum alloy (Chromoly), or the 4130 Mil Spec Standard, is a great material for frame construction because of its strength, weldability, and “ease of fabrication”; it is used extensively in aircraft production, race cars, hotrodding, and bicycles. Our tubes sets come from our stock of vintage Columbus SL, vintage 531 Reynolds, and their contemporary counterpart, Kaisei Fukushima. We are very great full that Kaisei (formerly Ishiwata) is still producing great framebuilding materials. Kaisei tubing is an official NJS tubeset, used extensively for NJS Keirin racing applications. We’ll respect the materials until they prove us otherwise! The vintage Columbus and Reynolds tubesets set the standard for materials in their time, and we continue to respect that standard. Working with time tested materials, while applying careful attention to our fabrication, gives us greater confidence that the Slowcraft Maldoror frameset you receive meets the highest standards.