Dear Mountain Bike Action: If the properties of steel are so good for producing a less harsh ride in a hardtail frame, why are there no handlebars, stems and seatposts made out of steel for aluminum bikes? -Juanma, from a faraway place
Mountain Bike Action: It all comes down to weight. Advances in extruded aluminum tubing have elevated its yield or strength for components like handlebars and seatposts to a level that equals or surpasses steel at a fraction of steel’s weight. These advancements have also made aluminum more tunable and less harsh. Could steel still be a contender? Possibly. KVA Stainless, a company in Escondido, California, recently introduced a new method for turning rolls of stainless steel into bicycle frame tubing that they claim gives new life to the overlooked material. It is too early to know if their claims hold true (we have yet to ride a bike made from the new tubes), but it is an interesting turn of events.
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