This feature originally appeared in Issue 47 of BikesEtc magazine
A steel bike really can be your flexible friend. Steel may not be able to rival carbon when it comes to weight, but sometimes there are more important considerations.
We’re not talking race bikes here, we’re concerned with machines that can be ridden all day in comfort but still have the potential to excite.
Steel’s incredible strength means it can be manipulated to dial in a frame to suit specific purposes and we’ve picked four bikes that show off its versatility.
First, Cinelli present the Vigorelli Road, based on the firm’s sponsored fixed-gear crit bikes.
The Genesis Equilibrium targets the sportive rider, while the lightweight Acciaio from Condor is built for long days in the saddle and claims to be an able climber, too.
The Specialized Sequoia is pitched between the touring and road ends of the spectrum. With room for 42mm tyres, it could be perfect for mixed-terrain adventures.
But which showcases its frame material the best? Time to find out…
The bikes
Cinelli Vigorelli Road
Taking the Vigorelli fixed-gear race bike and transforming it into an 11-speed road bike, Cinelli has retained the low bottom bracket drop required for continuous pedalling through corners, but has raked the forks out to eliminate the chance of catching your toes on the tyre. It’s purposeful, and then some.
Read the full Cinelli Vigorelli Road review
Genesis Equilibrium Disc 20
Genesis is chasing the sportive dollar with this steel stunner, claiming the Equilibrium Disc offers all-day comfort with a carbon fork that lets you eat up the miles.
On the face of it, these attributes, allied to a 105 groupset and decent tyres, are a recipe for success.
Read the full Genesis Equilibrium Disc 20 review
Condor Acciaio | £2,250
Specialized designed the Sirrus’ frame to strike a balance between comfort and efficiency.
Its A1 SL aluminium construction combines low weight with durability, while mudguard and rack mounts provide the option to install protection against rain and road spray, along with the ability to transport your gear around town.
Read the full Condor Acciaio review
Specialized Sequoia Elite
If we were the types to put bikes into pigeon holes, we’d be calling this an ‘adventure’ bike. But for now, let’s call it a fat-tyred, go-anywhere road bike-cum-tourer…
It’s a bike designed to be loaded up to the gunwales to take you wherever you like.
Adventure bike? How about ‘freedom bike’?
Read the full Specialized Sequoia Elite review
The winner: Condor Acciaio
Rarely have we been lucky enough to ride a bike that so seamlessly combines engaging performance with such high levels of comfort, and which looks as stunning as the Condor Acciaio.
If you’re looking for a steel road bike that will approach every task – with the exception of racing – with panache, then look no further.
This bike really does highlight the credentials of steel as a viable material for 21st-Century bike-building.
Cinelli’s Vigorelli Road is stunning for different reasons. On paper, this racer-cum-road bike should ride like a Frankenstein’s monster; in reality, it’s a steel-framed rocketship that will thrill you each time you ride it.
It might be too much for some riders – if you’re a fan of easy-listening, it won’t be music to your ears, but if thrash metal is your thing, then this is one hunk of metal that begs to be thrashed.
The Genesis Equilibrium is a similarly easy-going prospect to the Condor, and will cope with century rides at whatever pace you choose.
Its level of spec isn’t quite up to the Condor’s, though, and we’d gladly pay the extra £250 for the Acciaio’s Potenza groupset and Campag Zonda wheels.
Specialized’s Sequoia (fun fact: the second-hardest bike name in this test to consistently type correctly) is a different proposition to the other three.
Its frame lacks the springiness we associate with steel, and the carbon fork makes for a rigid front end, but this at least is masked by the bike’s mahoosive tyres.
However, it is both stable and fast, and amiably crushes trails and rolls over rough roads, capably adding a new dimension to your road riding.